The Best PS4 Games That Aren’t in the Playstation Plus Collection

The Best PS4 Games That Aren’t in the Playstation Plus Collection
Contributor: Alex Kidman
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Sony’s PlayStation Plus Collection will grant shiny new PS5 owners with PS Plus subscriptions a pretty big library of games to play on day one, but there’s still a lot of gold in the PlayStation 4 library that isn’t included.

The rumours were running pretty heavily that Sony was going to announce some form of competitor to Microsoft’s Xbox Gamepass as part of its PlayStation 5 reveal event today, and it did just that, after a fashion.

The freshly dubbed PlayStation Plus Collection will grant subscribers access to an initial library of 18 games already announced, and based on what it’s said, they’ll be part of your regular PlayStation Plus subscription too. Although we don’t know if, as with games, Sony’s planning to jack up the PS Plus price when the PS5 launches, so watch this space.

Still, “free” games are still good, and the list as announced includes some very heavy hitters from the PS4 library, with a mix of first and third-party titles on offer. So far, this is what Sony’s announced as part of the PlayStation Plus Collection:

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Battlefield 1
  • Bloodborne
  • Days Gone
  • Detroit: Become Human
  • Fallout 4
  • Final Fantasy XV
  • God of War
  • Infamous Second Son
  • Monster Hunter World
  • Mortal Kombat X
  • Persona 5
  • Ratchet and Clank
  • Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
  • The Last Guardian
  • The Last of Us Remastered
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
  • Until Dawn

Sony does note there may be regional variation in the PlayStation Plus Collection library. Also, between now and the 12th of November when the PlayStation 5 goes on sale, Sony could reveal further titles. Still, that list as it stands does cut out a reasonable number of the PS4’s other classic games.

Any list of “best” games has a degree of subjectivity to it, and to work out what’s missing, I’ve used Metacritic’s scores for the “best” PlayStation 4 games.

Will that cover every genre and every possible reviewer bias evenly?

Probably not, but it’s about as good a general consensus as we’re likely to get.

I was honestly surprised with a few of the entries that make it in there, as well as some of the titles that don’t.

The good news if you did just want to kick back and play the games in the PlayStation Plus Collection is that of the top 20 reviewed games for the PS4 on Metacritic, 5 of the best are in the collection: The Last Of Us Remastered, God Of War, Persona 5, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Bloodborne.

That still leaves 15 of the best and most critically acclaimed PS4 titles not present. It’s an interesting list to consider, spanning a wide range of genres, developers and tastes. The good news is that most of the best games aren’t too hard to track down.

Red Dead Redemption 2
This is the biggie, especially as it’s been on rival Microsoft’s Gamepass – although it’s not there any more. Still, if Sony wanted to make a day one splash with a “big” game in the PlayStation Plus Collection, this would be it.

You can pick up a copy of Red Dead Redemption from Amazon for the PS4 for $39.

Grand Theft Auto V
We do know that a version of GTA V is coming for the PS5, and that’s almost certainly why it’s not on the PlayStation Plus collection.

If you do want a non-subscriber copy, you can grab one for $37.07 from Amazon.

Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5? Yes. Persona 5 Royal, also one of the best PS4 games? Nope, not in the collection yet.

Grab a copy of Persona 5 Royal for $69 from Amazon.

The Last Of Us Part 2
This one makes sense, because The Last Of Us is in the collection, and that’s only going to create a desire to see the story through, at which point Sony gets more of your money.

Or you could grab a copy now for $29 through Amazon.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Hideo Kojima has of course moved on from adventuring with folks called Snake, but Metal Gear Solid V sits right up there in the critical rankings – and not in the Playstation Plus Collection.

Grab a copy of the definitive edition from Amazon for $33.

Journey
Journey is such a classic game, and the only reason I can think of why it’s not in the PlayStation Plus Collection is that there’s an 8K remaster coming down the track. If I’m right, then I cannot wait. Pour it into my eye sockets NOW.

In the meantime, you could grab the Journey Collector’s Edition from Amazon for $91.75+delivery.

Undertale
An indie mega-hit, but arguably not one that’s going to show off the PS5’s graphical superiority, which is maybe why it’s been overlooked.

You can grab a physical disc copy of the Japanese edition on Amazon for $89.56

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (+Blood & Wine)
The Witcher 3 nabs not one but two spots in the Metacritic top 20, thanks to the Blood + Wine expansion, but neither are to be found in the collection.

You can rectify this with a $43.96 copy of the GOTY edition from Amazon.

Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition
A complex and rich and critically beloved RPG, but not one that Sony’s put into its collection just yet.

Grab a copy from Amazon for $34.19

Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers
We don’t yet know what Sony’s plans are for online games like FF XIV and the PS5, although if it’s part of your PS Plus subscription anyway, you’d automatically have to assume the ability to play online anyway.

Grab a copy of this critically lauded expansion from Amazon for $56.31.

Shadow Of The Colossus
A truly stupendous game – I’d put it higher up the ranking than this if it were solely up to me – and one very closely associated with the PlayStation brand. It wouldn’t surprise me if it ended up in the collection eventually – but it’s totally a game you should not miss.

Grab a copy from Amazon for $36.63.

Celeste
Like platform games? You’re bound to like Celeste, although you’re also not going to find it in the collection.

It is considerably cheaper to buy as a digital title, although the Limited Run version of Celeste can be had on Amazon for $136.70.

Inside

I’ll admit that I was surprised to see Inside in the top 20 – pleasantly surprised that is, because I would have figured more of an AAA title – Spider-Man maybe – might have been here instead. Inside is charming but quite dark, and one of those games that makes you think about your control of an avatar and what that really means.

You can grab it in a double pack with Limbo (from the same developers) from Amazon for $55.93

NieR: Automata GOTY Edition
A game with capitilisation to give any sub-editor nightmares, but also a missing critical darling from the PS4 library.

Grab a copy for $39.19 from Amazon.


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At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.