PS5 players can look forward to Hardspace: Shipbreaker, while PS4 players gain access to LEGO City Undercover, Just Cause 3, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and Surviving the Aftermath.

PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can look forward to four classic titles. Rally Cross and Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace are playable on PS4 and PS5, with both titles released on the PS1. Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection, Legend of Mana and Secret of Mana (the 2018 remake) are playable on PS4.

Thanks to backwards compatibility, all PS4 titles will also be playable on PS5. As for PS Plus Essential subscribers, check out the latest offerings here (which includes A Plague Tale: Requiem).

inFamous: Second Son

The inFamous series peaked during the PS3 days with inFamous 2, and while inFamous: Second Son was well-received by critics – it didn’t really have the same magnitude of an impact as its brothers. And that’s quite a shame because Second Son is a well-made game that makes good use of the PS4’s capabilities to render a beautiful open world alongside some solid gameplay mechanics.

The Last Guardian

Fumito Ueda is widely considered to be a video game auteur thanks to his work on Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian is a project that had been in development for a long time. But when it was released in 2016, the game was met with a divisive critical reception – primarily because the companion dog would refuse to listen to your instructions at times, which made it a really frustrating experience at times. To be honest, those aren’t technical problems but a conscious decision on the developer’s part – and that combined with the unique world and themes of the story makes The Last Guardian a truly special game that deserves to be experienced by a lot more people.

Days Gone

Days Gone was Sony Bend’s take on a post-apocalyptic open-world game, and it turned out to be one of the more disappointing first-party games of its time. It would be an utter lie to state that Days Gone is a spotless masterpiece, but it’s also a game that perhaps got a lot more hate than it deserves. The bike riding mechanics are pretty good for the most part, and the Freaker horde mechanics are fun to interact with – even though the game holds that particular part hostage until the very end. It’s not a life-changing game by any means, but it is a fun open-world nevertheless.

No Man’s Sky

Hello Games’ CEO Sean Murray created a lot of headlines with his brief on how No Man’s Sky would be a game of endless possibilities, but those claims were turned to dust when the game finally came out in 2016. No Man’s Sky took place in a bland world where there wasn’t anything interesting to do, and the procedural generation of planets felt like a faint shadow of the big promises that he made pre-release. Fans were understandably upset which made it a disappointing game back then, but the team has put in the hard work to turn the game into a much better version through consistent content updates and overhauls. As it stands now, No Man’s Sky is easily one of the best space exploration games on the market – and is absolutely unmissable for genre fans.

Gravity Rush 2

Gravity Rush 2 thrusts players into a fantastical world and takes them on a journey like no other, and an interesting gravity shift mechanic sits at the epicenter of everything you do. It’s a beautiful game that excels in more aspects than one, but it’s a shame that not many people actually played it in the first place. A lot of that could be blamed on the incompetent marketing by Sony, and that limited exposure ultimately turned Gravity Rush 2 into a cult classic.

Sniper Elite 4

Sniper Elite 4 puts us back in the shoes of Karl Fariburne as he embarks on increasingly difficult missions behind enemy lines. The series has always never been so polished in terms of its mechanics or story, which is perhaps why Sniper Elite 4 never really got much mainstream attention. But if you are able to look past those flaws, you will find a truly dynamic stealth game where you can make some really creative use of your toolset and come up with unique solutions for your problems.

Just Cause 3

The Just Cause series has been in a downward spiral following the success of Just Cause 2, and Just Cause 3’s rather tepid commercial reception is proof of that theory. Just Cause 3 did a good job of building upon the concepts of prior games, and critics generally liked the game. But many fans weren’t really interested in its brand of chaos-driven open-world gameplay, and that’s disappointing news because creatively wreaking havoc in this game continues to be an extremely satisfying activity even after dozens upon dozens of hours.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a game built to showcase the capabilities of PSVR, and you might be forgiven for discarding it as a glorified tech demo of sorts. But that’s not really the case, because Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a really polished and fun platformer that is more than the sum of its parts. It makes good use of the VR capabilities to really immerse you in its world, and there are plenty of smart touches peppered throughout this adventure that makes it so charming.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

Supermassive Games’ The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes follows a group of soldiers exploring an ancient temple, and coming face to face with the many horrors that lie within. The story is well-written, and it can take some sharp turns depending on the choices that you make at critical points in the adventure. Between this flexibility and a strong visual presentation, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a very solid horror game that fans of the genre should definitely check out.

Concrete Genie

Developed by PixelOpus Studios, Concrete Genie is a charming game about using your creative powers to bring a murky town back to life. The gameplay is simple yet works well within the context of the experience, and that combined with the wonderful story makes it a game worthy of your attention. It’s a sad state of affairs that it never got the audience it deserves, and a lot of that can be blamed on poor marketing from Sony.

Alienation

Alienation comes from Housemarque, the team that recently released Returnal to some excellent critical and commercial acclaim. Alienation is a twin-stick shooter that tasks you to control different kinds of supersoldiers – each with their different sets of strengths and weaknesses. The gameplay is an absolute blast through and through, and the developer has done a good job of adding even more content to the experience.

The Surge 2

The Surge 2 takes what worked in the original, and cranked it all the way up to eleven – which resulted in an experience that’s big in almost every regard. The Surge 2 takes players to wonderfully well-realized locales and pits them against brutal bosses, but the game wasn’t really able to capture much of an audience when it released in 2019 – most likely due to an oversaturation of Souslikes at that point. If you were one of the people who skipped it back in the day, give it another try and you might be really surprised.

Yakuza 0

The Yakuza series has started to gain a lot of traction in the West, and recent entries like Yakuza: Like a Dragon have been widely praised by fans. Yakuza 0 didn’t get the praises of the same intensity, and that’s a shame because it is a really great open-world game that condenses a ton of varied content within a rather small virtual district. It seamlessly switches between serious moments and goofy antics at the flip of a button, and that adds a really distinct charm to it all.

What Remains of Edith Finch

What Remains of Edith Finch is a moving tale about the tragedies that happened to the Finch family. It’s a simple game that looks like a walking simulator on the surface, but it features some really interesting level design that expertly uses mechanics and visual imagery to tell its engaging stories. It’s also a really snappy experience that doesn’t waste much time with exposition or filler, so you could blast through it all in just a couple of hours.

Infamous First Light

inFamous First Light is a surprisingly fleshed-out standalone expansion that puts players in the shoes of Abigail Walker from the base game. The gameplay is largely based on the same foundations as Second Son, which is to say it’s an absolute blast through and through. It’s a great excuse to explore the many corners of this beautifully recreated fictional Seattle, and it’s unmissable for fans of the franchise.

Horizon Forbidden West + Burning Shores

Despite being a post-apocalyptic adventure, Horizon Forbidden West manages to craft a world that well and truly feels like a character in its own right. Be it the granular attention to detail in the environments or the many tribal settlements spread throughout the world, the Forbidden West never fails to surprise at every turn. Even the machines form an ecosystem with certain kinds of mechanical creatures only found in certain places, and each of these types has its own schedules.

Please note that these prices are US region prices sourced from Steam, and other geographical locations would obviously have different prices.

With that out of the way, let’s begin:

Just Cause 3

Avalanche Software’s Just Cause series is a literal playground of carnage and destruction, and Just Cause 3 is no different. Set against the island of Solis, players assume the role of series protagonist Rico Rodrigues as he takes on a bunch of high-stakes missions all across the map. With notable additions like weather calamities, Just Cause 3 is a worthy sequel deserving of any fan’s attention. It’s available for $20 on Steam – complete with all DLC and bonus content.

Nemesis System – Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

It seemed fairly simple at first – specific Orcs in Shadow of Mordor were randomly generated with different traits, strengths and weaknesses. Dying to one made it stronger, moving it up the Orc hierarchy, but even failing to secure the kill ensured it would remember you. With tons of different voice-lines, inter-connected allegiances and so on – not to mention the ability to influence the same and eventually bend Orcs to your will – the Nemesis system became one of the most innovative mechanics in gaming. It was expanded even further in Shadow of War with Nemesis Fortresses, bodyguards, betrayals, different classes, and tribes, expanding the web of possibilities even more.

Corrupted Monk – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice  

FromSoftware’s latest Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is home to some of the most challenging bosses in all of gaming, although not all are created as equals. The Corrupted Monk (in its first incarnation) can be a pretty tough boss to take down by normal methods, but a bit of trickery is all that’s needed to take him down in moments unnoticed. Just equip firecrackers on the prosthetic arm, and then bait the monk to do a jump attack by circling around him. Once you hit him twice, throw down the firecrackers which will stun him momentarily allowing you to get in even more hits. Keep throwing those firecrackers one after the other, and the Corrupted Monk will be down in no time.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Arguably the most influential open world title of the past few years, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild isn’t about pursuing icons or clearing out question marks. Instead, it emphasizes freedom and open exploration, as players can go anywhere and tackle just about anything in their quest to defeat Ganon. The game’s sandbox nature, which rewards ingenuity, is still amazing as fans continue to discover unique things after all these years.

Our primary consideration while formulating and ranking this list hasn’t been to judge these games as complete experiences, but rather to focus primarily on their sandbox mechanics, and their strengths as sandbox games.

Kerbal Space Program

What happens when you need to not only build your own spaceships and rockets but also fly them, while training a crew of Kerbals in the process? That’s only the beginning of Kerbal Space Program as players embark across the universe, touching down on different planets and creating bases. Or they could remain in space, creating huge stations and locating anomalies. With three different modes, like Science Mode for discovering new technology, and Career Mode for managing your very own space program, Kerbal Space Program has it all.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

Bethesda’s games have always been buggy and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion was no exception. However, the sheer attention to detail that went into its world and NPCs was staggering, even by today’s standards. Non-playable characters each had their own schedules that follow irrespective of the player’s state; the world is immense and rife with interesting quests, factions and storylines; and there’s freedom in both player choice and AI behavior (to a degree in the latter’s case).

Mad Max

Veering away from massive open world destruction into post-apocalyptic, vehicular exploration, Mad Max was an odd turn for Avalanche Studios. It was about upgrading your car, the Magnum Opus, and taking on convoys. It was about assaulting bases and brawling with baddies. There were the unoriginal side quests, sure, but the sheer expanse of its rolling dunes and spectacle of the vehicle combat helped Mad Max stand out.