Following a complete revamp of the PlayStation Plus subscription service in recent weeks, Sony has come out of the gates strong with a pretty stellar lineup of games for July. July 19 in particular was a great day for PS Plus subscribers, with eighteen new games added to the service including the brand-new Stray. While not all of the games will be available to everyone and some are only accessible at the higher tiers, it still shows the benefits of the subscription service, including access to Day One titles like BlueTwelve Studio's highly anticipated feline-focused title Stray.
The cyberpunk adventure game published by Annapurna Interactive has been a popular topic of conversation ever since Stray was announced in 2020, with many gamers eager to take to the neon-lit streets and explore the robot-inhabited futuristic city from the perspective of a ginger cat. Early impressions have been overwhelmingly positive, and many PS Plus subscribers will be excited to try the game out for themselves. However, if they're wondering how long they'll have access to the new title, they should look at Shadow Warrior 3's own time on the service.
Stray Coming To PS Plus
PlayStation's overhaul of its subscription service seems like a tactic to try and compete with rival Microsoft's popular Xbox Game Pass. While it doesn't quite have the spread of diverse games as Xbox's own version at the moment, PlayStation is still determined to give its subscribers value for money with some great titles both new and old. For subscribers of the PS Plus Extra tier, they'll have access to a selection of games that include Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection, Marvel's Avengers, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. One of the most exciting additions to the service, however, is undoubtedly Stray.
The premise for Stray may prompt a few puzzled expressions, but for some gamers the chance to explore a dense, beautifully-designed city through the eyes of a cat is a dream come true. With an atmospheric synth soundtrack, a compelling world filled with diverse NPCs, and some engaging puzzles and platforming sections to test both the cat's agility and the player's skill, Stray appears to have lived up to the hype. Some players feel as if the action could be a little more challenging, but Stray is still a unique game with an immersive world to explore.
Shadow Warrior 3's PS Plus Life
PS Plus Extra titles work a little differently from the free PS Plus games that players have access to each month, as they come and go every so often. As such, gamers aren't able to download them and keep them in their libraries, and will only be able to play them for as long as they're on the service. While this can be disappointing, players will usually have a fair amount of time to try out the games before they're taken off the service, and of course, they can always purchase them outright if they take their fancy.
Shadow Warrior 3 joined PlayStation Now when it launched on March 1, with players able to jump back into the series' first-person shooter format and take control of protagonist Lo Wang. Shadow Warrior 3's addition to the subscription service could have been PlayStation's way to test the waters for Day One releases, and it could have helped pave the way for Stray. However, the action-packed Shadow Warrior 3 left the service a few short months later on July 5th, which could be an indication of how long Stray might be available as well. It may be on the service for a few months, but players should make sure they don't sleep on the new game if they don't want to miss out.
Stray is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.
