Beginning November 21, PS Plus Premium subscribers will be able to claim some rare PS1 and PS2 games, as well as a Disney PSP game, on the service. PS Plus Premium tends to get fewer games than the PS Plus Extra tier by nature of what it is, but they are almost always nostalgic. Its selection of games for November truly feels like an early Christmas gift to video game collectors.
There's certainly something to be said about how PS Plus Premium contributes to video game preservation. As older hardware becomes harder and pricier to get hands on, it can be hard for fans to go back and play old favorites or check out missed classics. Of course, many will always push for more and more, and PS Plus Premium doesn't necessarily get games every month. Still, it's nice and this year feels like a holiday gift on top of everything else.
3 New PS Plus Premium Games Leaked
A new leak reveals three PS1 and PSP games that may come to PS4 and PS5 via PlayStation Plus Premium in December 2023, if not sooner.
PS Plus Premium Games for November 2023
- Grandia (PS1)
- Jet Moto (PS1)
- Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series (PS1/PS2)
- PaRappa the Rapper 2 (PS2)
- Up (PSP)
PS Plus Premium Game Grandia Explained
Grandia is a classic RPG that was first released on Saturn and then on PS1. Grandia was ranked by PlayStation Magazine as one of 25 Games You Must Play in 1999, got high reviews at launch, and instantly drew comparisons to the Final Fantasy series. With a focus on new technology, exploration, storytelling, and fun combat, Grandia puts players into the shoes of protagonist Justin as he inherits a magic stone that sees him working to discover the secrets of a long-lost civilization. It's a common trope in video games, but when used correctly, it works to great effect. Gameplay-wise, characters are represented as 2D spirits on 3D maps, and there's a party roster for players to leverage. Characters learn new abilities through repetition with weapons and spells, in addition to a traditional level-up system.
PS Plus Premium Game Jet Moto Explained
Jet Moto is a classic, early-era racing game for the PS1, but instead of wheeled vehicles, players use "Jet Motos." These are essentially hoverbikes capable of crossing land and water. There was a lot of product association with the game too, as brands like Mountain Dew would appear with logos in the game. Players can race across various courses like swamps and mountains, with a few standard race types, as well as the unique Suicide course. In it, players would have to repeat laps by turning around and racing back and forth instead of loops or sprints. It may seem rather basic on this front, but it's a lot of fun and that's all that really matters.
PS Plus Premium Game Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series Explained
Technically the newest game on this list, Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series released in 2022 as a collection featuring remasters of the 1997 PS1 game Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and the 2001 PS2 game Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. It's also worth mentioning that Door to Phantomile is a remaster of its 2008 Wii remake, not the original PS1 game. The two games are traditional platformers with 3D graphics on a 2D plane, but some of the remastered features include improved visuals and sounds, selectable difficulty levels, two-player co-op, a stopwatch mode, and higher resolutions and framerate. The platformer space has seen a resurgence as of late, especially with the recent release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and hopefully, fans are able to check out this classic within the platforming world.
PS Plus Premium Game PaRappa the Rapper 2 Explained
There are plenty of iconic mascots in the gaming industry, and once upon a time, that included PaRappa too. The character has lost popularity in the last decade or so, arguably due to the lack of representation. PaRappa the Rapper 2 was the last original game to release in the franchise, though a PSP remake followed in 2007 and a PS4 remaster came out in 2017. In PaRappa the Rapper 2, the titular character faces off with an evil organization known as the Noodle Group, as it seeks to turn all the hamburgers into the world into pasta. Gameplay, much like Klonoa and Jet Moto, is pretty straightforward; it's a rhythm game where players must rap as PaRappa, earning ratings based on how they perform.
PS Plus Premium Game Up Explained
Up is a PSP tie-in video game, which closely follows the plot of the movie. Players are able to control Carl, Russell, and Dug, each of which has unique abilities to deal with certain obstacles. It launched to average reviews, and given the negative association with movie tie-in video games, that speaks to its quality rather well.
All in all, there's a little something here for all PS Plus Premium subscribers to function as a "gift." Grandia is great for RPG fans, PaRappa is iconic, Klonoa and Jet Moto fill certain niches, and Disney has quite a few fans who wouldn't argue with a nostalgic return to Up.
PS Plus subscribers get a handful of games every month.
