August 2022’S PlayStation Plus Essential Games Have Been Revealed

July is already coming to a close, so it’s time to look and see what August has in store for us. We got our first PlayStation Plus line-up following the introduction of the tiers this month, and it seemingly showed that the strength of the monthly offers is here to stay. A very solid batch of games including Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan and Arcadegeddon kept us entertained in July, so let’s see if the momentum will continue.

Announced on the PlayStation Blog, the PlayStation Plus Essential games for August 2022 are Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, Yakuza: Like A Dragon and Little Nightmares. All three games will be available to download from August 2.

If you’re a gamer of a certain vintage, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series is likely very close to your heart. With addictive arcadey gameplay that’s easy to learn but hard to master and a soundtrack that defined a generation, the Pro Skater games were played by just about everyone. Taking us back to the dawn of the new millennium, the Pro Skater 1 + 2 package captures everything that made the games so beloved and modernises them, without changing too much. Better still, the version on offer here is the Cross-Gen Deluxe Bundle, so whether you’re playing on PS5 or PS4, you’ll be playing the best available version. We gave the game a 9.

In a bold move, Like A Dragon took the popular Yakuza series in a new direction. Usually known for its bombastic brawler gameplay, Like A Dragon is unlike any other game in the franchise by switching to a turn-based combat system. Charismatic new leading man, Ichiban Kasuga, returns to society after 18 years in order to uncover the truth of his false imprisonment. The shake-up could’ve been a disaster, but instead, Like A Dragon provides an excellent new experience both for fans of Yakuza and for those new to the series. We gave the game a 9.

If you haven’t played Little Nightmares yet, this is your chance to right that wrong. Playing as young girl Six in this dark and atmospheric puzzle platformer, Little Nightmares allows players to explore The Maw, a gargantuan ship that houses a whole host of disturbing and threatening creatures. Telling a sombre narrative with beautiful yet macabre visuals, this is one that you can knock over within a few hours, but it’ll stay with you for much longer than that.

If you haven’t downloaded Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan and Arcadegeddon, then you’ve got until August 1 to do so. As always, please remember that you can add these games to your library and download them later if you don’t have any precious space on your hard drive at the moment.

Which game will you be downloading first? What games would you like to see in September? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.