Poll: Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Essential Games for February 2024?

Rollerdrome is a fun little game, for a quick blast and Steel rising could be worth checking out. Not really interested in 'online only multiplayer' games, but I'm sure someone is.
Just a bit of a comparatively rubbish selection, taking last month into account.

Great month with Rollerdrome and Steelrising.

I'm stoked to get back into Foamstars. And for no extra cost? Yes please 😁

Not great, but I’ll give Rollerdrome a shot.

Heard some positive things about Foamstars so not willing to write it off just yet.

Each month I just have to vote "none of them".

Not even sure why I've got PS Plus at this point.

Really surprised by the negativity over this months games… two 70-80 metacritic games that released within the past 18 months or so and a brand new mp game. I mean, what do people expect?

100% no interest in this months selection, but I don’t mind a poor month on a personal level as it means I can make a dent in my backlog, so all good!

@colonelkilgore Back to Back brand new single player AAA games and it better be something that they don't already own or the month is trash.

Didn't expect poll to be so negative. I happen to think these 3 games are just what Essential should be about. Oh well, to each their own.

Have steel rising. Was a bit disappointed as I got stuck on an early boss with my build and havnt gone back

I let my sub lapse last November and I don't miss anything. I may occasionally pay for a month if I need cloud saves but thats it

@Areus I know right 🤷‍♂️

I'm just going to go throw rocks at the wall

@Areus @Cikajovazmaj @colonelkilgore

Yeah, if this type of content was consistent throughout the year you'd have a chance of say 5/6 AA-AAA fairly fresh releases that you'd be interested in by law of averages, on top of say 20+ similar level games that maybe aren't to your personal taste, as well as the lesser stuff. So it is a good bit of momentum following on from A Plague Tale: Requiem.

It's some pretty narrow minded voting this month. Some months, you can understand a bit of a moan. But this is a bit silly if people can't resist being totally subjective in their viewpoint. Take a step back and see the progress over some right stinkers we had last year 😅

I just changed my plan to the lowest tier. My subscription is about to be up and no way am I paying $160 to renew at that price. I could see the value if you are new to PlayStation, but for someone like me I don't see it.

@colonelkilgore free online 💀

Already have Rollerdrome and Steel Rising, happy other get to try them out though. No interest in foam wars, I'm sure it will be delisted and shutdown in a few months.

I mean we get Foamstars so I'm happy ^__^

One of the better months in recent times to be fair

My PS+ extra ran out in November right before the announced price increase and haven’t bothered to subscribe since. So far no regrets. The additions to essential and extra tiers weren’t catching my attention yet.

Excellent month, looking forward to Foamstars and Rollerdrome. I've already played Steel Rising and it was a great game.

It's alright this month but I doubt I'll get much chance to really play any of these 3 as I've got so many other games to get through lol

Good stuff, bought Steel and Roller already, still a good selection in my book. ^^

Im happy.especially for rollerdrome.word up son

Happy for Steel Rising and Rollerdrome.

@andrix9743 @belmont I was going to pick “great month for me” as my subscription also ran out in November- hurray for Black Friday sales- and I really don’t have any interest in any of these. But I did pick “I don’t have it” in the end. I wonder how many people are paying mostly for online and cloud saves? I’ve mostly only been playing online lately but both Fortnite and Speedstorm don’t require it so…🤷🏻‍♂️

Definitely excited for Foamstars. But with Skull and Bones preordered I probably won't have a ton of time for another multiplayer game this month.

@Loamy oh interesting I didn't know it was the same studio as Greedfall.

Play Rollerdrome!

Rollerdrome is excellent and should not be slept on. I'm very happy as its an easy way and cheap way to try Foamstars.

I'm very happy with Rollerdrome, so I'm calling this month a win. Steel Rising is intriguing too, but I doubt I'll give it a go with all my other games.

Worst month in a long time for me but only cause I tried rollerdrome on gamepass and hated it after thinking it looked good. That soap thing has no appeal and while I'll add the other one to my library I'll never play it

@colonelkilgore
People have unrealistic expectations thinking their $8 a month or whatever should net them brand new AAA games every month.

I always wonder if people don't like these selections because they don't like the games themselves or they're going "where's Elden Ring, how come my free game isn't Ragnarok or Spider-Man 2?"

It's a complete garbage selection month after month because they know they got everyone who wants to play on the internet which is pretty much most games so there's really no point in asking people how they feel about the games because let's be honest that's not the reason we have PlayStation Plus essential. If PlayStation Plus wasn't necessary to play on the internet no one would subscribe to it.

I stopped subscribing to PlayStation plus since last February. One you let your subscription "relapse" and you realize a lot of the games on your list were just being rented and no longer work... I felt disgusted. Now I only buy my games, and they are mine.

I enjoy soulslike games and I have never played Steelrising. So I think it's a great choice for PS Plus!

@colonelkilgore I think that’s fair. Polls like this are often just a gut reaction. They’re going to show extreme feelings, not measured takes.

I bet a lot of people are still upset by the price hike. Others don’t want Sony pursuing live service games or anything multiplayer and are going to ding Sony just for giving them a multiplayer game. Etc etc.

Sometimes I think gaming is like spaghetti sauce https://www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_gladwell_choice_happiness_and_spaghetti_sauce — someone might do well to offer different subs based on types of games. I would want jrpgs and indies almost exclusively. /shrug

Always happy to try a Soulslike that I missed, so will definitely give Steelrising a go.

Really keen for both Rollerdrome and Steelrising especially… but hey @ShogunRok in the “which game” poll the latter is (currently) misspelled “Steerising” 😉

And I’m still like, not an online/multi-player myself (Single Person Immersive Story games few) but there’s totally value from my perspective in PS+ Essential. I hardly ever actually buy games anymore (made an exception for Alan Wake II last month tho), but even where there are a few “quiet” months that don’t interest me in terms of included games, suddenly along comes an absolute home run like A Plague Tale: Requiem or Resident Evil 2 or something like that to occupy me for many months ahead.

@colonelkilgore it's a toxic trend born through being entitled. letting people know they won't be playing anything short of a brand new AAA game

I liked the Foamstars demo, and Rollerdrome seems interesting. I don't have PS Plus at the moment, but may dip back in for those two. Extra is currently the same price as Essential for 12 months too.

@MattBoothDev cancel it then if it makes you that depressed

@Bagwag82 I will be cancelling Premium. The Extra tier is 100% worth it.

Big W for me, good games

To be honest, I think this is a good month. Rollerdrome has in my radar since it was released back in 2022, so I'm excited to finally try it. Foamstars is another excellent addition for me. W month for sure. I don't get it why people are complaining.

Great month for me. Haven’t played any. 33p a day for Premium. Can’t complain. My daily morning Starbucks large tea costs £3.70. Haha.

Already have Steelrisig. Will try foamstars, most interest in seeing if we finally get anything decent from premium finally brought forward

I only just got my PS5 last October, so I’m getting a lot of value out of PS Plus Extra. The free games that come with essential are a nice bonus. On the contrary I’m not getting a lot of value out of Game Pass, barring a few new games here and there, since I’ve been with Xbox since 2003 and PS since only 2023.

It’s nice getting to see the stark contrast between what PS and Xbox has to offer by owning each system. Each side has their pros and cons, for example PS is the best place to play MGS5 because Xbox only has it as 900p, whereas Xbox is better for games like the older Dead Island games with 60fps boosts which PS doesn’t offer on those games.

The sales are another front, for example you can get Stray cheaper on PS, but Xbox had Dead Space digital deluxe for only $10 a while back, which is a lot cheaper than what PS has offered.

@Kanji-Tatsumi But... Do we need 'em?

Spla… i mean foamstars looks good, will give that one a try

Cant remember the last time I went wow for the next free games. Signed back up for extra after a 5 month layoff and Im not really happy with whats been added to that since I left. If I hadnt have been playing GTA5 for 10 years that would have been a good addition. But at least I can fìnish off God of War before I quit plus again.

@Cikajovazmaj too many clowns who think they're going to get 3 AAA titles every month

@Ravix
To be fair the question is whether people are happy with it, not whether it is objectively of a high standard. Now, if my reason for not being happy is that I own the games then I don’t vote, but if I am just not interested in the games (like this month) then I’ll vote negatively. I think the point is to see how many people are happy with the types of selection we get. Personally I voted “nah”. For me to be very happy I’d need AAA games or well received AA (not new because I am years behind on games and I wouldn’t expect new at the prices we pay) and also some VR games.
Of course then others would be unhappy because they have the old games and don’t own VR…but that’s why these votes are interesting to me, because I want to see where people stand.

Thought Sony was improving, Thought wrong. *****.

@Sifi I didn’t want to stray too far from the topic, but yes, I could have listed a lot of things. Overall, I’m quite impressed with how Sony handles certain things over Microsoft. There are many things Sony does that I wish Microsoft did with Xbox and vice versa.

@somnambulance I too am baffled by the reaction to this month. I'm genuinely co fused as to what some people want out of PS Plus and gsnes in general. We hear complaints of Publishers not taking risks with different types of games but then people go out of their way to comment and say they wont be trying different types of games even at no extra cost.

If there is at least one game that I definitely want to play then I can't ask for more from the monthly games.
Can't wait to get hands on with Rollerdrome.

Poor month for me.

I don’t understand the hate toward Foamstars. Seems like a good game to me.

I personally still have high hopes that someday they add all the collection of Dragon Age
Origins
Awakening
Part 2
Inquisition

Spiders had to make a soulslike and it's a fine idea what robots/setting aspects they went for and the studio is French. But not their best game, Greedfall or others are much better. But Steelrising is still a good game in there. But oh it's not AAA or well known IP name here so people will complain sigh.

People do understand that Gamepass/PS+ are games from a few months/years ago right and games at probably a few physical/digital cheap prices? Not immediate safety of recent games? They offer variety not just the best of the best or the biggest of the biggest.

Foamstars makes me appreciate Splatoon more (no comparison even though I think the moveset and use of ink is great in Splatoon which Foamstars is just lacking that fun use of foam or your a squid in Splatoon, but it takes me back to 90s platformer level animals with fun movesets not more average characters Biomutant animals or human level boring and not Mario or Jak or the PS1 Jester game or others level of flexible fun, Nintendo and Indies or some old games make for easy comparisons that's all) because it has better modes, better moveset and 'use of ink' than Foamstars pathetic use of foam. Nothing wrong with a multiplayer game or a foam shooter but I think it's just lacking content and cool ideas. I wish it was better then I'd give it more mode praise going this is awesome but it just isn't it's not creative enough.

Rollerdrome is a fine game. I barely know much about it but it's still a fair game for what it offers.

Yeah if people expect big games then not surprised they need to narrow their expectations. Not every company will give their games away, AAs and Indies exist for a reason and can be your 'fill in a gap games' or games to be really excited for, not every game gets recycled or is big. Not every game will come to these services and anyone wanting that clearly doesn't care about business just whatever excuses they can have for games to get access to. When a video online will show them besides how the button layout/feeling of characters are to play yes but still. Or get it on another platform or 'wait until it's cheap anyway'.

If people are complaining use Extra or Premium/Deluxe or buy the games for cheap. There is a reason I got some games for $30 the same time they were on Gamepass or PS+. Aka I did with Grid Legends. Got the platinum and got the game right at the time it was announced for Gamepass/EA Play.

I was still happy with it, I have it physical, no need to subscribe at all to replay it. It wasn't a perfect game but still I enjoyed it more than many other modern racers.

If they have are more open mind these are fine games but even then I don't have high things to say about either as never played or not interested in them but it's only because I haven't much idea what Rollerdrome is, I think Spiders have made better games (many fair soulslikes by AAs though out there still) and Foamstars I think is just unoriiginal and lacking ideas yet I made up my own it's that boring or I went yeah I'll buy Splatoon 2 and 3 (only had the 1st game prior) instead and enjoy their better mechanics and ideas and enjoying the 2nd game's singleplayer a lot so far.

@Wilforce
TDLR
-Comparisons to be made to other games
-More exciting bigger games people probably care about.

-To me the game lacks originality. Eh modes done before so boring I came up with my own. Foam isn't used well yet Splatoon has a better character Moveset and mechanics with ink and how your squid character acts they aren't some typical human character (unless Mario who power ups aside still jumps flexible not heavy and clunky)..

But nope make foam the most lacking potential thing when it has so much potential for modes and interactivity.

Square may be publishing but even their own games push story so hard (Diofield sucked so hard after Chapter 4 and I expected better) I find them boring and this developer seems to not really have many exciting ideas (gameplay seems to go the safe route and be really boring) and the game will push cosmetics and die in a year due to having boring combat or foam use, eh map design and lacking fun modes and whatever visuals of generic character designs.

Long version:

To most people I think it's the like Palworld (even though it's a survival game not just oh pokemon looking creatures but like people pay that much attention to gameplay sometimes when visuals are more clear)/Splatoon comparison, it's what people think it looks like then what it is. Hence why I look at it from a gameplay perspective.

That or its because it's a multiplayer game or not a big exciting game they really wanted to see this month whatever that may be.

Neither interest me either but Steel Rising is fair of a souls like and Rollerdrome has a place.

I don't like to compare to Nintendo but I'd have to overexplain some 90s left behind platformers, racing or otherwise research I've done and can't help but compare and that gets awkward or longer than it needs to be here. So I'll compare to more recognisable IPs to make it easier and some platformers sprinkled in.

That or I guess Titanfall 2's levels (time hopping gadget or just the building weapon testing house level) for a modern playing mech/pilot with wall running and good movement. Fun levels and fun mechanics to a shooter. Not all PS3/360 Gears of War cover shooting and the odd stand out mechanics or odd games like The Club as arcade level logic but modern feeling character.

To me I am disappointed because I think it's just not exciting gameplay wise. Am I I to multiplayer no but doesn't mean I don't think a game could have potential I have no potential praise to give Foamstars.

The modes aren't that original (deathmatch and a platform holding mode, probably more I just haven't seen them in footage so that's all I have to go off of for now still pretty generic). The characters look fine not my thing but get the job done.

Now recognisable modes isn't a bad thing but if that's ALL they are offering then that's where I find it disappointing they have FOAM how uncreative can you be to not use it creatively in modes. What are these deva stupid.

It's like with using dwarfs and elves they can be presented however they want but if you have unique fantasy creatures in your world it's more exciting.

I thought a foam maze, a foam height/building contest, a surfboard race (not just the arena entering animation), oil/chemicals to mix with the foam for some changes to modes, traps and things to use the foam/make characters get around the maps (say in a Halo or Spy vs. Spy way or something) and more are more exciting.

Good use of the foam mechanic not just making the foam really uninteresting of an element when it's foam you have so many possibilities there but nope, more use then the surfboards entering the arena and the game is just pretty safe looking.

I came up with those modes when I saw the trailers. That's how boring looking it is to me. Granted my mode ideas are not the most exciting I know but I mean it's thinking with the core element of it and none of it is interesting in the product they gave us.

Splatoon the ink is so useful in many ways and a fun element throughout the singleplayer and multiplayer.

To me the foam is more like water or paintballs even then water and foam or ink could be used creatively. It's a liquid or spread/mussy solid how hard is that to come up with game mechanics for.

Platforms, bombs, sponges, anything.

Smash Bros has the targets and the sand/boxing bag mode not just fighting modes and the trophies.

Many games can have more exciting ideas on any platform, many platformers have minigames that are probably not what some signed up for but I mean while many kid friendly shooters like paintball or water gun fights have usually been shovelware and its' nice to see a foam/ink and other types do this I think Foamstars lacks interesting modes and moveset ideas and needs more time.

I found Diofield Chronicle to be boring after Chapter 4. We go from restricted party members to just the same bland gameplay and story I stopped caring about. For Chapter 5-7. Square didn't put the effort in. Disgaea/Valkyria Chronicles I'm still having fun with the many obstacles not just oh fights, enemies, using powerful attacks, change up gear and well bonuses that aren't that exciting. I can be throwing characters, have tons of geo panels to deal with of any RPG status buffs/debuffs or other factors, or deal with parachute bombs or other obstacles not just the same grind but a new one. There is a reason I prefer those tactics games then some of Square's.

Now this may be Square published Foamstars but I do think the developer is releasing it too early and it lacks fun ideas or moveset interesting elements.

There is a reason you can look at a game and go is this a new tutorial or a new trap/obstacle, a new platform type in a platformer. It can be a tutorial but it's just 'safe area, more challenging, more spins on it' each level and it's fun. A platform can be a mechanic, a moveset addition. Anything simple but enough to mix it up. Gameplay is important yet we have more push for graphics, dialogue and visuals/themes and while that's fine some gameplay has gotten so boring we seek it elsewhere or in others that still push gameplay mentality AAA, AA or Indies.

Splatoon to compare has more a interesting character moveset of ink to travel, shoot, stealthly hide in and reload. Besides just being a Squid. I could compare many 90s platformers that aren't Mario/Sonic/Spyro and go yep Glover animates well as a glove and has interesting movesets. Space Station Silicon Valley has many animals, Chameleon Twist an interesting tongue move to attack (still not replicated to this day I might add) or navigate levels. BIomutant I immediately went why gas immunity which is cool like No Man's Sky but we have animals that don't have digging, swimming or flight abilities and not aim of like the gas immunity a percentage of an animal trait. Vehicles to do the rest when navigating the open world and some areas and quests more accessible. Why do animals act still like humans in games yet other than the language and sprinting aren't that exciting to play as and can feel like a skin rather than a unique character to play.

Yes it's partly oh I like old design but when the gameplay is more exciting to just play as a character besides an inviting world that says something not just how a character is written but how they play.

Mario is fun to jump and run and use power ups, if he was a basic human he would be pretty boring right? He may be human but I mean he is flexible to move around in those fantasy worlds. I'm not a mario fan but I can at least appreciate some aspects. I don't like Indies going so hard on refining that moveset of Mario, making worlds like Banjo or Spyro 2&3 so I look to old games that are still more original and still untouched (or Indies that are unique just not in those genres) then Indies that clearly don't care and are too popularity/nostalgia obsessed (easy money) or fangame levels of making games it's just sad.

That's just the basic moveset let alone besides the territory focus of multiplayer in Splatoon that makes it better than Foamstars even if I don't take into account oh foam/ink sure but I do more than oh foam/ink logic and visuals and the platform holding mode among salmon run which I still don't know what that is.

Splatoon's weapons, the world looks colourful but cool and I guess sort of hip hop or a certain way even besides the singleplayer and multiplayer (even if the singleplayer is always under a grate and really stupid to do that but whatever the multiplayer is the attraction of the series and I never knew it had singleplayer till I found out and went oh ok as multiplayer only games are a big thing of course).

I don't care for the way the world looks in Splatoon I care more for the gameplay but from the world, the Squid language in the songs and dialogue and more it feels more lived in.

Granted I thought Splatoon 3's singleplayer would be open world as the cosmetics and the desert in the trailer but nope that wasn't the case so I kind of don't feel mislead but wasn't sure what the point of it was then the city fans are used to.

To me I think it's an unoriginal game with done to death modes, hence I came up with my own, they aren't 'great' but still uses the foam concept well than 'foam and cartoony hip characters' which is really boring looking and lacks depth and appeal to me. Multiplayer needs gameplay ideas, not just oh look visuals and cosmetics and oh we moved on in a few months I wonder why?

Why is there always a game already included in the PS Plus Premium trials section?

Rollerdrome looks like it could be good. Not interested at all with foamstars and steelrising is a damn fine game albeit a bit janky but it held my interest enough to play through it 4 times back to back and the last game that held my attention for that long was elden ring. I just don't know what some people expect as not every month is going to be great for me but there is usually always something for somebody.

@colonelkilgore

Steelrising I could MAYBE see being a bit iffy to some...

But rollerdrome?

It's an absolute triumph of indie game design, from it's very well thought out mechanics and art style, to the story of it's creation, with it being a game born from a game jam.

This month for me already justifies the price of ps plus, people need to stop writing off ps plus just because they're not AAA big budget just released game .

@XboxistheBestBox

Rollerdrome is a 30 dollar game that oozes originality in both it's art style and marrying together of two completely different genres that has both great critical reception and great audience reception

Steelrising is one of the first big examples of an indie company having a crack at the soulsborne formula, and was pretty well received and again costs 50 dollars.

The only remotely iffy game this month is foamstars.

What in the devil do you want from ps plus? AAA Flagship titles every month?