PlayStation Plus April Essential: One Brutal Soulslike and a Nostalgia Overload
PlayStation Plus April Essential delivers a compact but varied trio: Lords of the Fallen, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, and Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream. Lords of the Fallen is the clear headline act, a demanding soulslike that casts you as a Dark Crusader fighting a demonic tyrant. It’s tough, atmospheric, and mechanically heavy, so it’s a smart free pick if you’ve been tempted by the genre but hesitant to pay full price. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is your nostalgia fix, bundling three classic Lara Croft adventures with upgraded visuals, expansions, and a new Challenge Mode that lets you tweak modifiers and unlock outfits. Finally, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream is a co-op-friendly anime RPG featuring 21 playable characters and online chaos for up to 20 players. All three are claimable through early May, so PS5 owners should at least redeem them now for the backlog.
PS Plus Extra & Premium: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Leads a Mixed Lineup
PlayStation Plus April Extra and PS Plus Extra Premium subscribers get a small but notable batch of eight games, and the clear standout is Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered on PS5. This updated version of the 2017 open-world RPG is being showered with praise for its visuals, with players calling its graphics “10/10” and highlighting how gorgeous it looks at 60 fps on console. The environments feel richer, NPC faces more lifelike, and it’s an ideal entry point if you missed Horizon the first time. The catalog also adds Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition on PS4, The Crew Motorfest on both platforms, Football Manager 26 Console, Warriors: Abyss, Squirrel With a Gun, The Casting of Frank Stone, and Monster Train. Premium users get all of the above plus PS2 classic Wild Arms 4. Reception to the wider lineup is “just okay”, but Horizon alone is worth the download.
Premium PS5 Game Trials: What to Sample Before You Commit
If you subscribe to PS Plus Premium, don’t ignore this month’s new PS5 game trials. Sony has dropped a second batch in April, headlined by MLB: The Show 26, a PlayStation Studios release from March that you can test-drive for three hours on PS5. For something shorter and artsier, The Midnight Walk offers a 30-minute trial; the full adventure only takes a few hours to beat, so this taster should be enough to see if its mood and storytelling click. RPG fans get two interesting options: Eternal Exodus, a story-driven 2D monster-catching RPG set in the afterlife, with a one-hour trial, and Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, an underrated 2022 action RPG you can play for two hours. Asterigos is often discounted in PS Store deals, so this is a low-risk way to discover a potential hidden gem before buying.
Time-Sensitive PS Store Deals and Last-Chance PS Plus Removals
Beyond the subscription catalogs, April’s PS Store deals and removals need quick attention. Mortal Shell and Mortal Shell Enhanced Edition are currently heavily discounted to USD 2.99 (approx. RM14) each until April 23. Both versions will leave PS Plus on May 19, so if you don’t think you’ll finish them in time, buying now at this price locks them into your library. Mortal Shell also has a free Rotting Christ DLC pack that swaps in a new boss-fight soundtrack. On the broader PS Store, the Big Games Big Deals sale runs through May 6 and includes thousands of PS5 and PS4 titles. Highlights called out by critics include atmospheric sequel Alan Wake 2, inventive soulslike Another Crab’s Treasure, and cult classic remaster Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition, among many others. Check discounts promptly, as some of the best PS Store deals 2026 won’t return soon.
What to Download First: Recommendations by Player Type
With so many PS Plus free games, PS Plus Extra Premium additions, PS5 game trials, and PS Store deals 2026, prioritising downloads is key. RPG fans should start with Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for its stunning open world, then queue Lords of the Fallen if you’re ready for a punishing soulslike. After that, trial Eternal Exodus and Asterigos: Curse of the Stars to see which action-RPG flavour you prefer. Retro and nostalgia players should redeem Tomb Raider I-III Remastered immediately and, if you have Premium, revisit Wild Arms 4. Co-op and social players ought to grab Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream and The Crew Motorfest, then keep MLB: The Show 26’s trial handy for casual multiplayer sessions. Finally, anyone short on time should at least claim everything in the April PlayStation Plus Essential lineup and add Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered to their library before tackling shorter trials like The Midnight Walk.
