April was an exhausting month. A great kind of exhausting, with huge titles releasing seemingly every second day, but exhausting all the same. The fifth month of the year isn’t without its highlights, but May is decidedly less hectic, and I’m not mad about that at all. You should be working through Saros, but if playing as Rahul Kohli, working his way through an alien world, isn’t your style, then we can’t be friends. But also, you might fall back on the tried and true subscription services to inject something new into your gaming life.
As announced on the PlayStation Blog, the PlayStation Plus Essentials games for May are EA Sports FC 26, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, and Nine Sols. All three games will be available on the service on May 5.
As someone who doesn’t watch or follow the beautiful game, I always find it a bit tricky to understand what advancements come with each yearly release of the artist formally known as FIFA. That said, soccer is one of the most popular pastimes in the world, and these games always sell like hotcakes. EA FC 26 introduces a new gameplay experience that’s apparently been shaped by player feedback. If you’re a fan of the regular gameplay, you can stay put or choose from a variety of newer presets. And, of course, you can spend lots of money on Ultimate Team. Joy.
It takes a fair bit to stand out in the Soulslike genre these days, but Wuchang’s mix of flashy combat and abilities, mixed with its dark fantasy setting steeped in Chinese mythology, managed to do just that last year. Playing a female pirate, making her way through China during the dying days of the Ming Dynasty, players will encounter tough combat, interesting gameplay mechanics, and some inspired world and character designs that you’ll appreciate right up until you die…again. It’s not without its flaws, particularly in regard to level design and boss tuning, but Fallen Feathers is well worth a look for fans of the genre. We gave Wuchang a 7.5 in our review, saying that, “This dark fantasy reimagining of the late Ming Dynasty doesn’t succeed at every trick it copies in the crowded hardcore action RPG genre, but it’s got enough tricks of its own to set it apart and represents another Chinese studio looking to go large with Western audiences.”
From one hard-as-nails title to another, this time with a dimensional shift down. Nine Sols is a hand-drawn 2D action game with combat reminiscent of the deflection-heavy swordplay found in Sekiro. If the gorgeous art design and surprisingly rich lore don’t draw you in, the fast-paced, difficult combat should, because Nine Sols is regarded as one of the true sleeper hits of 2024, so take this opportunity to join those in the know.
If you haven’t downloaded Lords of the Fallen, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, and Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, you have until May 4 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.
Which game will you be downloading first? What games would you like to see in March? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
Adam's undying love for all things PlayStation can only be rivalled by his obsession with vacuuming. Whether it's a Dyson or a DualShock in hand you can guarantee he has a passion for it. PSN: TheVacuumVandal XBL: VacuumVandal Steam: TheVacuumVandal
