PlayStation Plus Extra Premium: Bethesda games invade in April

The first thing that catches the eye when looking at the list of new games for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium for April is undoubtedly the conspicuous representation of Bethesda. The Maryland company, now belonging to the Xbox Game Studios family, contributes to the cause with nine titles (four for Extra and five for Premium), but the news does not end here at all, as other video games also arrive in the catalog today, April 18 high-profile like Kena: Bridge of Spirits and small pearls like Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom.

The new games for PlayStation Plus Extra

Among the best surprises of 2020, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an old-fashioned action adventure that mixes storytelling, exploration and combat. In the role of the protagonist, a young Spirit Guide with a tender smile and peaceful eyes, you are called to eliminate the corruption that threatens to devour the entire forest.

To assist you will find the Rot, shy sprites in charge of transforming dead organisms to preserve the natural balance. Under your guidance, these little creatures will learn new skills and discover new ways to manipulate the environment, proving to be invaluable allies in the fight against corrupted spirits. The game is at its best on PlayStation 5, where it enjoys two graphics modes (one aims at visual quality in 4K and 40fps, the other at fluidity at 1800p and 60fps), but it is also very enjoyable on PlayStation 4. Read our review of Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

The Bethesda invasion begins with DOOM Eternal, a demon-possessed first-person shooter with a strong platforming bent. Direct evolution of the 2016 chapter, it pushes the “push forward combat” philosophy to the max, enticing you to face the demonic beasts with a hard nose – even at 120fps with a dedicated mode exclusive to PlayStation 5. Wolfenstein II is also of a markedly old-school extraction : The New Colossus, a first-person shooter with a strong focus on narrative. In the MachineGames story, which imagines a world in which Germany won World War II, you are called upon to take on the role of the unstoppable William “BJ” Blazkowicz to ignite the Second American Revolution and stop the Nazi machine, on a journey which goes even beyond the confines of the terrestrial globe. Speaking of Wolfenstein, Old Blood also arrives today, a prequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order, the first chapter of the MachineGames series that has already been included in PlayStation Plus Extra for some time. With this other game, set in the iconic castle that gives its name to the series, as well as the scene of mysterious supernatural experiments, the Blazko trilogy can be said to be complete.

Closing the row of Bethesda games for PlayStation Plus Extra is The Evil Within, which embodies the pure meaning of third-person survival horror by opening the doors to a disturbed and twisted reality. During one of his investigations, detective Sebastian Castellanos collides with a mysterious and powerful force that makes him lose consciousness. When he awakens he finds himself trapped in a crazed and oppressive world, in which scarred beasts and sibylline creatures roam among the corpses. The narrative plot – a collage of madness and suffering – amply compensates for some playful weaknesses.

After all these single player experiences, Riders Republic will take care of winking at game lovers in company. In Ubisoft’s huge playground you can have fun with your bike, skis, snowboard and even wingsuit in team versus team competitions and epic mass races with over 50 players.

If you prefer sport fishing, you can instead dedicate yourself to Bassmaster Fishing by putting yourself in the shoes of 10 professional fishermen in eight different areas of the globe that actually exist. The production of Dovetail Games offers both a Career mode and an online component complete with cross-play support.

The monthly indie quota is supported by a decidedly diverse trio. Slay the Spire is a single-player deckbuilder that mixes card game mechanics and roguelike ambitions by placing the Spire at the center of the experience, a structure to be climbed by creating a unique deck, defeating bizarre creatures and discovering powerful relics capable of greatly improving the effectiveness of the deck. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a colorful action game created in collaboration with Ryuichi Nishizawa, legendary creator of Wonder Boy in Monster World. It borrows the values and structure from the famous series, framing them with a modern game system and a childish and flamboyant graphic sector.

In our review of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom we did not hesitate to define it as one of the best metroidvania ever, thanks to its incredible amount of content, rewarding progression, balanced difficulty and challenging puzzles. This is undoubtedly one of the nicest surprises of this monthly update for PlayStation Plus Extra.

Dulcis in fundo, we arrive at Paradise Killer, an investigative open world adventure set on Paradise Island, an island out of reality that regenerates every millennium. On the eve of a new rebirth, the Council – which watches over the island cycle – is assassinated. As Lady Love Dies, you will have to uncover the truth by collecting evidence, accusing suspects with incontrovertible arguments and taking the case to court.

Before moving on to the selection of classics for Premium, we point out that Sackboy: A New Adventure, one of the monthly games for April for PlayStation Plus Essential, has also been added to the Extra catalogue.

I classici per PlayStation Plus Premium

Nice DOOM Eternal, right? However, the idSoftware saga has distant roots, which you can now (re)discover thanks to PlayStation Plus Premium! In one fell swoop, the first two seminal games of the series arrived in the catalogue, DOOM and DOOM II, the historic conversion of the first chapter for Nintendo 64 DOOM 64, and DOOM 3, which landed for the first time on PC in 2004 rewriting the characteristics of the series and jaw-dropping for cutting-edge graphics. All four games are offered in their own, much more modern re-editions for the PlayStation 4.

The parade closes Dishonored: Definitive Edition, the definitive edition of one of the most popular immersive sims in the Arkane Studios toy library, which had the advantage of introducing one of the most fascinating and best characterized worlds in the world of video games. In the role of Corvo Attano, unjustly accused of the assassination of the empress of the islands Jessamine Kaldwin, you can move in complete freedom in the articulated environments using stealth skills and supernatural powers in a creative way.

The games coming out of the catalog

Simultaneously with the announcement of the April news, Sony has also warned all subscribers of the imminent removal of a series of games. Marvel’s Spider-Man, Resident Evil and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 will no longer be available starting May 15th. Finish them while you can and continue to constantly monitor the “Last chance to play” section on the PlayStation Plus -> Collections page on PS5 consoles or PlayStation Plus -> Games -> PS4 Console Games Library to see what titles you might want to play before they leave the service.