PS Plus Premium in 2025 should be another year of classic titles in an ever-growing library. Month by month the Premium tier becomes more tantalizing, and I’ve picked out some of the best games you definitely to try out in 2025.
I’ve gone through periods of being subscribed to PS Plus Premium, then downgrading my subscription, and eventually coming back to try many new games I’ve missed. Sony’s most expensive tier in the three-tiered PS Plus model isn’t for everyone, I get it. If you have a proclivity to game and miss the classics—or want to try out titles from yesteryear—Premium was born for this.
Narrowing this down to seven was difficult. I could probably come up with a second new list of recommendations, but these might be the best of the best. I’ve factored in variety, impact on gaming, and personal bias: You should find plenty to love.
7 PS Plus Premium Games to Play in 2025
The volatility of PS Plus Premium’s catalog does mean this list isn’t stable. Therefore, I encourage you to download these games and play them as quickly. Games are removed from the service regularly, and it isn’t a one-way influx of new titles. Check our list, read it twice, and find out which ones are naughty and nice—only joking, they’re all nice.
Ape Escape
Did you know 1999’s Ape Escape was the first software to require a DualShock controller? It’s a regurgitated fact, but one I find fascinating to this day. The accessory was mandatory to tame the madness of monkeys. 2024’s Astro Bot celebrated Ape Escape by dedicating a full level to the classic franchise, and the OG title has aged quite well. It’s still funny, possesses charm, and will keep you entertained for a few hours.
Dark Chronicle / Dark Cloud 2
The confusion on my face was palpable as I opened this as a gift on Christmas Day nearly twenty years ago. Yet, it became one of my favorite gifts as I sank countless hours into the surprising JRPG. Known as Dark Cloud 2 in America and Dark Chronicle elsewhere, Level-5’s release switches between two main characters and features a blend of dungeon-dwelling combat and city-building mechanics. It’s unique and still has cool ideas seldom seen in modern JRPGs.
Dino Crisis
Capcom decided to see what happens if you take classic Resident Evil-style gameplay but swap zombies with dinosaurs. The result is a legendary survival-horror game fans have been begging to get the remake treatment for years. Like old-school Resi, the main character Regina has to survive, find supplies, and fight off enemies, but try not to become dinosaur chow. Dino Crisis fans are desperate for a new title, but until this happens, play the original on PS Plus Premium.
DOOM
I joined the DOOM train a bit later than most—thanks to 2012’s BFG Edition—and I’ve been hooked ever since. I get passionate talking about my love for DOOM. PS Plus Premium has the first releases—which would go on to define the first-person genre for the next 30-plus years—and almost every FPS game you’ve played has likely been influenced by DOOM’s badassery. The guns, the music, the demons, the levels; DOOM is in the GOAT category, and all journeys start somewhere.
God of War 3 Remastered
My favorite God of War game turns on a dime. 2018’s reboot and 2022’s Ragnarok are masterpieces in their own right, but there’s something about GOW 3 Remastered that hits differently. I understand recent GOW fans have probably never had the chance to experience the wonders of Kratos’ true origins. His heartbreaking and hellacious bloody and violent story culminates in a Greek tragedy of epic proportions in God of War 3. Do yourself a favor and play the whole trilogy, and you can appreciate the spectacle and grandeur that sets the scene for the “Dad of Boy” Norse deviation.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
This might be a hot take, but I feel Jak and Daxter died after its first release. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is one of the games I’ve fully completed the most times. Naughty Dog’s first crack at something other than Crash Bandicoot results in one of gaming’s memorable double acts. Jak is a mute but strong protagonist, and Daxter, is a scene-stealing, anything-but-silent Ottsel. The Precursor Legacy elevated the 3D platformer genre to new heights on the PS2 and is the franchise’s highlight—before it takes a literal dark turn in Jak 2.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
HOLD IT! You don’t think this entry deserves to be on the list? OBJECTION! I think it does, so TAKE THAT! Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is about the finest example of the PS Plus Premium package I can think of. I’d never in my life stopped for a second to think about the Phoenix Wright series and one day, cycling through Premium’s offerings, I saw the trilogy. I gambled, downloaded it, and 30 hours later, myself and my fiancé couldn’t get enough. Its interactive storytelling hybrid is utterly gripping—as is every case—and it’s great to see how the mechanics innovate and are reinvented with each sequel.
Syphon Filter
Had Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 1 not come out a year earlier, I think the first Syphon Filter would’ve received more attention and love—not that it hasn’t already. Syphon Filter’s blend of espionage action and well-designed levels mesh seamlessly. Its “Danger” system, use of gadgets, and varied mission parameters ensure Syphon Filter is another release well ahead of its time—it simply can’t compete with MGS1’s story. Nevertheless, Syphon Filter—and its main two sequels—are on PS Plus Premium, with trophies, and there’s a reason they were symbolic of the PS1 era.
Be sure to get back to us and let us know what you think of these suggestions. Are there any others you feel are a must for PS Plus Premium? Finally, what else do you hope Sony adds to the Premium collection?
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