All three titles are live from September 6th to October 3rd, and will also be available for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members. As for what to expect, Granblue Fantasy Versus is a fighting game by Arc System Works with a decent single-player mode, diverse character roster, and questionable netcode. Nevertheless, it looks good and has solid combat mechanics.

Need for Speed Heat is an open-world racing game by Ghost Games, and focuses on street racing, both legal and otherwise. If you’re looking for a more arcade-style racing game with plenty of jumps, frantic escapes from the cops, and more, it may be worth a look. Finally, those seeking a more chilled-out experience with a colorful art style can check out TOEM. It’s all about photography and puzzle solving with some intriguing characters.

Stay tuned for details shortly on the newest upcoming titles for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers.

Need for Speed Heat is Ghost Games’ last major title in the franchise, set in the open world of Palm City (styled after Miami). It focuses on racing events during the day, which awards cash and illegal street racing at night. Evading police in the latter provides REP which is necessary for upgrades.

Granblue Fantasy Versus is a 2.5D fighting game developed by Arc System Works and based on Cygames’ mobile gacha RPG. It offers an extensive roster and accessible combat, along with a story-focused RPG Mode. As for TOEM, it’s a photography-focused game with puzzle-solving and an adorable monochrome art style.

Along with PlayStation Plus Essential, all three games will be free for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers. Stay tuned for the official announcement from Sony in the meantime.

THE MAKO IN MASS EFFECT 2

Being able to move around on alien planets and moons in a massive tank sounds like such a great idea in paper- simple, yes, and not out-of-the-box by any means, but it’s something that just sounds appealing. Mass Effect’s Mako sections, however, were famously terrible. The environments were barren and repetitive, combat in the Mako felt rather uninteresting, and worst of all, actually driving the vehicle was a bit of a nightmare. The first game’s Mako sections were one of the few parts of the game that received heavy criticism, and of course, BioWare went on to drop it completely in Mass Effect 2, replacing it with the much more simplified probe mining mechanic- which wasn’t exactly a huge hit either, but at least it wasn’t actively obnoxious like the Mako sections tended to be. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition did end up making some improvements to the Mako, and Mass Effect: Andromeda’s open world driving was a step up over it as well, even though it wasn’t exactly spectacular. Even so, it’s fair to say that Mass Effect as a series has never really managed to do vehicles right.

Following the Need for Speed franchise going back to Criterion Games earlier this year, the developer has confirmed the next sequel to be in development. There was no information provided on platforms or a release window. However, general manager Matt Webster said in a blog post that there would be more announcements at EA Play Live 2020 on June 18th.

Players can also expect Steam-related announcements at the show, which likely pertains to EA Access. Speaking of which, Need for Speed Heat will be joining the Vault for EA Access and Origin Access Basic on June 16th. If that weren’t enough, cross-platform play will be coming tomorrow for all platforms.

Webster also noted that this would be the last update for Need for Speed Heat with Criterion focusing fully on the next game. “Since the launch of Need for Speed Heat and as players continue to tear it up in Palm City, we’re listening to what you love about this experience, and what you all believe could be even better. With these insights, we have a terrific foundation to create the most expressive, most socially connected, action-packed game yet for Need for Speed fans and beyond.”

It remains to be seen just how the social aspect will play into the next game. But regardless, a new Need for Speed game is coming and may even arrive for Xbox Series X and PS5. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.