Welcome to July! This month, PlayStation Plus brings three new games for subscribers to download. If you have a PlayStation Plus Essential subscription, you can start downloading them today.
What’s on offer this month? You get Borderlands 3, NHL 24, and Among Us, all available for your PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 4.
Starting July 2, 2024, these new Essential games are available for download. But are they worth it? Let’s take a closer look.
Borderlands 3 (PS5/PS4)
Borderlands 3 continues Gearbox’s successful shooter series, offering plenty of action and loot, either solo or with friends. It’s definitely a fun shooter.
On Metacritic, the PS4 version of Borderlands 3 has a score of 78, with mostly positive reviews. The PS5 version scores 91 from five reviews, all positive.
“If you’re expecting a groundbreaking evolution of the series, you might be a bit disappointed with Borderlands 3,” writes GameSpew. “But if you’re looking forward to more of the same on a grander scale, there’s plenty to love here. And on the new console generation, Borderlands 3 shines brighter than ever, running at 60 frames per second and up to 4K resolution, which makes a significant difference.”
“Ultimately, Borderlands 3 brings mixed feelings,” says Daily Star. “It’s like visiting family for Christmas. You drive to see the same people you love, but it’s still the same long drive and Dad tells the same old jokes.”
NHL 24 (PS5/PS4)
The latest hockey game from Electronic Arts features current licenses and the usual annual updates. Hockey fans can certainly have fun with it.
On Metacritic, NHL 24 for PS5 has a score of 71, with most reviews being average.
“NHL 24 is definitely a step back in the right direction,” finds Digital Chumps. “The improvements in on-ice gameplay make it worthwhile regardless. HUT and CHEL continue to evolve positively, promoting online play. While there are still some negatives, it’s worth the price of admission to play in the NHL, leaving me optimistic for the future.”
PlayStation Universe adds: “NHL 24 performs much better on ice than NHL 23 did last year, largely due to the new Exhaust Engine, which strikes a good balance between NHL 24 as a hockey simulator and a fun arcade game to play with friends. The lack of any changes to Be-A-Pro mode is once again disappointing, and HUT still tries to squeeze every dollar out of you, but it’s an overall strong package for hockey fans.”
Among Us (PS5/PS4)
Who’s the impostor? That’s what you need to figure out in Among Us. And if you’re the impostor, you need to mislead others and convince them you’re innocent!
The PS5 version of Among Us doesn’t have an average score on Metacritic due to a lack of reviews. One of the two reviews is positive, and the other is average.
“Among Us, finally arriving on PlayStation, remains the best in the social deduction genre,” says Finger Guns. “Thanks to some clever workarounds for controller support, this game loses little in the transition from its home on mobile devices. It’s easy to have a great time with strangers, but with friends, Among Us becomes one of the best multiplayer experiences on the market, as you try to deceive your buddies.”
“Not everything translates perfectly to the DualSense, as it’s clearly designed for touchscreens or a mouse and keyboard,” writes Push Square. “But that’s not a major issue. Once you find a good lobby with a friendly group, this is one of the better party games on the PS5. Just be aware that finding such a group can take some time, so you’re at the mercy of the community unless you have a regular group of friends to play with.”