When a subscription is close to ending and renewal is not on the cards, a brisk experience that can be completed in one sitting is generally the best option. And, while the best short games on PS Plus Extra might not offer quantity, they definitely deliver quality.
Stray
Stray’s main storyline just barely comes in at under 5 hours, although a playthrough can last longer depending on whether players take their time exploring this sci-fi world. As its title suggests, BlueTwelve’s game stars a relatively ordinary stray cat for a video game protagonist.
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The cute feline stumbles its way to an underground city run by robots, and it heads out on a journey to make its way back home. Stray is charming and visually impressive, particularly in relation to its environmental design.
What Remains Of Edith Finch
Falling within the “walking sim” subgenre, What Remains of Edith Finch packs a lot into a two-hour campaign. Players are cast as Edith, a woman who returns to her childhood home, a place defined by tragedy and death.
The Finch family suffers from a curse that causes every member but one to die. Presented as short stories, Edith visits her relatives’ rooms to learn about their final few hours. Powerful and unforgettable, What Remains of Edith Finch is something special.
Abzu
Abzu is cut from the same cloth as Journey. While not quite as revered as the latter, the 2016 release still garnered a largely positive reception thanks to its stunning environments, relevant theme, and great soundtrack. As a diver, players explore an ocean filled with remnants of a bygone civilization. En route, the protagonist begins to revitalize the sea.
Abzu is the type of experience designed to be consumed in one session. Lasting roughly two hours, the game does not offer much in the way of replay value, although the length can be expanded if the player takes their time and thoroughly explore the environments.
The Artful Escape
The Artful Escape is a character-driven platformer that guides its protagonist on a fantastical adventure that is not bound by space. Francis lives in the shadow of his uncle’s musical brilliance, and he is really feeling the pressure as he prepares to perform at a festival dedicated to his relative’s most beloved album. The night prior to the event, Francis is visited by an alien and whisked away to another realm, starting him on a bizarre and whimsical journey of self-discovery.
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Gameplay-wise, The Artful Escape qualifies as a platformer, although this element is not the main focus. The game’s crowning achievements are its creative landscapes and settings, along with its musical touches. The story is also pretty great, and it is elevated by a surprisingly stacked cast featuring the likes of Lena Headey and Carl Weathers.
Hotshot Racing
A racing title might seem like a weird recommendation for short PS Plus games since, typically, they do not have a fixed endpoint. However, Hotshot Racing fits the criteria better than most of the genre’s offerings as the game is relatively thin in the content department. Quality over quantity.
While there are a few extras, the package’s main mode consists of four cups, which combine for 16 tracks. These races can be completed in under two hours, and the game does not provide too much incentive to revisit the tracks beyond trying out different cars. That said, Hotshot Racing looks and controls great, so arcade fans might find themselves returning to this project time and time again.
Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares is a puzzle platformer that lives up to its title. Players control Six, a seemingly helpless young girl stuck in the horrifying Maw, a place that caters to society’s most twisted entities. Split into five stages that each revolve around a different location and central antagonist, Little Nightmares balances puzzles, platforming, and even stealth to create a campaign without a dull or repetitive moment.
Although the gameplay is generally fine, Tarsier’s game shines due to its world-building, creepy character designs, and subtle storytelling.
Inside
Playdead’s Inside is generally regarded as one of the greatest games of the 2010s, and time has done nothing to alter that perspective. Set within a sci-fi horror world, this surreal masterpiece largely resists the urge to spoonfeed its narrative or themes to players, encouraging them to come to their own conclusions.
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Inside’s gameplay is simple but effective; more importantly, it perfectly complements the game’s story, soundtrack, and visuals. Inside is not only one of the best short games on PS Plus Extra but also one of the service’s best titles in general.
Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
Starbreeze’s Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons follows two siblings as they go on a dangerous journey to try and find a liquid that can save their father. Although they do not always get along, they must work together if they want to have any hope of surviving this journey.
Despite seeming tailor-made for co-op, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is actually a single-player game that maps each thumbstick to a different protagonist. This design decision enhances the story since it reinforces the brothers’ relationship. Narratively, Starbreeze’s game packs an incredible punch.
Resogun
Resogun is a shoot ’em up that, on paper, does not last all that long. However, like so many of this genre’s offerings, most players are unlikely to complete Housemarque’s title on their first try. The game also follows an arcade blueprint that encourages repeating levels in order to achieve a higher score; consequently, Resogun could keep someone entertained for 4 or 40 hours.
Putting all that aside, the most important thing is that Resogun is fantastic. Housemarque has spent the best part of a decade crafting highly-regarded PlayStation exclusives, and this project ranks among the developer’s strongest efforts.
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon: Classic Edition
Ubisoft’s games are known for their massive worlds and lengthy campaigns that can easily last more than 40 hours, and that is a conservative figure. However, exceptions do exist, and if Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is anything to go by, they should be more frequent. A Far Cry 3 spin-off, Blood Dragon combines the main game’s solid first-person shooter gameplay with an over-the-top narrative ripped right out of ’80s action movies.
Although naturally streamlined, Blood Dragon still has its share of open areas that encourage exploration, they are just nowhere near as vast as other open-world games. If someone is searching for a Far Cry experience that is stripped of side activity and, for a lack of a better word, bloat, Blood Dragon is about as good of an option as Ubisoft has ever produced.
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