9 best PlayStation exclusive games that need to be on PS Plus

Andrew Highton
sly cooper kratos and leviathan

Sony have already announced a ton of games for their upcoming revamp of the PlayStation Plus service model, and even though there are plenty more to be announced, there are still some absolute classic PlayStation exclusive games missing from this PS Plus list.

Project Spartacus has turned out to be a fully-fledged reshaping and restructuring of Sony’s PS Plus and PS Now models, combining them into one easy service. As well as all the existing features that they both possessed, the incorporation of even more retro games has piqued the interest of gamers.

There are some legendary names that were originally released on PlayStation, making them PS exclusives. Quite a few of these games contributed to Sony’s legacy and helped build them into the mammoth force they are today.

The revamped PS Plus system has had many of its games announced, and it’s likely the ‘headline’ titles have already been included. A lot more are still to be unveiled, but here are nine PlayStation exclusive games still missing from PS Plus that we must get.

Helghast looking in combat
PS Plus would benefit from having this elite shooter.

Killzone 2

At the time, Killzone 2 was up there as being one of the best FPS games on the market thanks to its unbelievable graphics and nitty, gritty, punchy gunplay. Tie in a dark and deep story as you fought against the iconic red-eyed Helghast soldiers and Killzone 2 cemented itself as one of Sony’s greatest works of art.

There are no Killzone games listed for PS Plus at present, but it’s surely only a matter of time. If so, Killzone 2 needs to be at the forefront of these thoughts.

sly bentley and murray posing together
Long before Ghost of Tsushima came along, Sucker Punch Studios were sinking serious hours into the Sly Cooper franchise.

Sly Cooper Collection

It would be hard to argue that Sly Cooper is Sony’s most underappreciated franchise and it makes no sense as to why it hasn’t garnered the adulation and praise that other franchises have. Across four games, Sly Cooper and the rest of the series’ memorable cast have contributed to some amazing platforming experiences.

The PS3 was blessed with a full HD collection of the first three Sly games and Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, so, hopefully, Sony honors the games by adding them to the PS Plus service.

cars racing in motorstorm pacific rift
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift knew how to bring the heat.

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift

Whereas Motorstorm was a great concept but a bit undercooked and Motorstorm Apocalypse was a bit too over-the-top and gimmicky for its own good, the series really found its footing with Motorstorm: Pacific Rift. The exhilarating racer was downright pretty as it explored tropical settings with its pulsating car combat.

If we never get another Motorstorm game, then at the very least we deserve to have the opportunity to replay this frenetic beast.

kratos and kronos looking at each other
God of War 3 is the best in the series before the Norse switch.

God of War 3

I’m not saying that the 2018 God of War reboot isn’t the best god-slaying extravaganza that Santa Monica has ever produced, far from it, but it seems incredible that as it stands, it’s the only God of War game coming to the PS Plus service. FYI — there are seven in total.

The pick of the rest of the bunch is probably God of War III and is where the Greek mythology adventure peaked. After killing all the gods, you can’t really go any further. This PlayStation exclusive is a masterpiece from start to finish and I’d be gobsmacked if we never saw it on PS Plus.

chimera firing gun in resistance 2
Insomniac are a brand notorious with Sony and the PS Plus model could add Resistance 2 to the already-announced inclusion of the Resistance 3.

Resistance 2

The PS3 had some quality AAA shooters and it shows with the Playstation exclusive Resistance franchise. Also known for crafting the beloved Ratchet & Clank and Spyro The Dragon games, Insomniac also ventured out into cataclysmic territory with Earth battling the alien race known as the Chimera.

A litany of great enemy types and weapons made them must-play FPS titles, but Resistance 2 stands out the most, as does its multiplayer component.

Tombi biting pig
The inability to acquire a copy of Tombi 1 or 2 is reason enough to bring these unheralded games to PS Plus.

Tombi 1 + 2

It’s still staggering how many people haven’t heard of Tombi, but its relative anonymity seems to be supported by the fact that used copies of Tombi 1 and Tombi 2 sell for several hundred dollars…each.

The few people that were fully onboard the Tombi train in the late 90s got to experience two wacky platformers about a feral boy with bright pink hair that enjoyed biting the heinies of piggies. Obviously, there’s more to them than that, not least its gorgeous palette of colors, exuberant soundtracks, and crazy quests.

solid snake hiding behind a tank
Metal Gear Solid is another genre-defining game and it’s inevitable that older MGS games will appear on PS Plus in some capacity.

Metal Gear Solid Collection

The justification for Metal Gear Solid games is fairly explanatory and almost moot if anything. Hideo Kojima’s brainchild was first realized on the PlayStation 1 with the ground-breaking Metal Gear Solid before being succeeded by one mind-blowing innovation after another.

Currently, not a single MGS game is coming to PS Plus, and this wouldn’t be right. Whether it’s just the first game or the full Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, I need an excuse to shout SNAKE when PS Plus re-launches.

cloud strife looking at mako reactor in ff7
Final Fantasy VII’s legacy is unreal and needs to be on PS Plus

Final Fantasy 7

You’ll do well to find a gamer who hasn’t heard of Final Fantasy 7, Sqaure Enix’s RPG masterpiece that has transcended the many imitators that have arrived since. The likes of Cloud Strife and Sephiroth have surpassed icon status and the game is currently one part into its epic remake project.

The Playstation exclusive Final Fantasy games were a huge part of the PS1’s early years and the franchise, as it stands, is only going to be represented by FF 15 in PS Plus and I think it would be criminal to overlook FF7.

car spinning around a corner
If you managed to make it past the tutorial, you got to enjoy a unique driving game.

Driver

There is nary a Driver game in sight on PS Plus. The franchise got started on the PlayStation 1 and the tense undercover work of Tanner turned everyone into a proper wheelman. Driver 2 didn’t quite hit the heights due to its clumsy on-foot element, but it didn’t matter as some never even made it past the original’s tutorial!

It’s one of those games that everyone played when they were young and it would be fitting to get behind the wheel one more time as an older gamer.


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About The Author

Andrew Highton is a former Games Writer for Dexerto. He has a Creative Writing degree from Liverpool John Moores University and has previously written for games websites such as Twinfinite and Keengamer. With 13,000+ PlayStation Trophies to his name, Andrew is a fan of a huge variety of video games, his favourites being God of War and Metal Gear Solid. Contact him at andrew.highton@dexerto.com, on Twitter @AndyHighton8 or at www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-highton.