The PS Plus free games for September 2023areSaints Row, Black Desert: Traveler Edition, andGeneration Zero. Immediately, this selection left a sour taste in many fans' mouths, but it still somehow got worse. Shortly after this,Embracer Group announced it was shutteringSaints Rowdeveloper Volition, so its game being free (despite the lackluster reception) while the studio is shutting down feels really bad, whether someone plays it or not. It’s an overall standoff-ish month, and doubling down on this is the fact that the three games have a certain throughline. Sony traditionally has variety in its monthly picks, so that at least one game hopefully appeals to someone, but the three games this month are all betting on the same bad play instead of pushing that much-needed variety.
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The PS Plus Free Games for September 2023 Are Missing the Key Ingredient
While Volition was dedicated to redeemSaints Row, as has happened in the industry before, it wasn’t quite able to clutch it.Saints Rowdidn’t have great reviews and has generated much traction in the months following launch, whileGeneration Zerowas also critically panned at launch. The result is incredibly low interest to begin with, withBlack Desertbeing an MMORPG and thus focusing on a very specific audience. This limited appeal is made even worse by the fact that every game can fit into the same box: open-world crime action game, open-world fantasy RPG, and open-world survival FPS game.
Open-world games are popular on PS Plusor just in general because of the amount of content usually associated with them, but that doesn’t mean every game needs to hit the same nail. For comparison, the PS Plus free games for August 2023 included a sports game, a game creation system, and an action adventure indie RPG. Those are about as varied as it comes.
While many were not happy to see asports game on PS Plus, though it’s to be expected, the sheer variety elevated the month because there could be something for someone. If someone isn’t a big fan of open-world games, then PS Plus' free game selection for September is a total flop. And on top of that,Baldur’s Gate 3is hitting the PS5 soon (and is already available in early access), so many gamers are going to go toward the newer and better reviewed title.
In short, PS Plus has had a rough go of it this past week or so. Compounding news that didn’t shine PS Plus or its game selection in a good light, while offering games on a similar lackluster wavelength, means fans will just have to wait and see whatPS Plus Extra and Premium games for September 2023bring to the table. But, perhaps now more than ever, fans should be wary of the quality for PS Plus free games suffering for stronger pushes to the higher tier.
PS Plussubscribers get a handful of games every month.
MORE:The Best Games on PS Plus Extra and Premium (September 2023)
