PS Plus Extra/Premium Adds Nier Replicant, Multiple Star Ocean, Vanillaware Games this Month

Payday 3 finally launched last month, more than six years after its initial reveal in 2017. We quite enjoyed it, and you can find out why in Game Informer's Payday 3 review. Despite our enjoyment, many players encountered severe matchmaking issues that made it tough to play the game given its always-online nature. Now, just under two weeks after the game's launch, developer Starbeeze Studios says the matchmaking issues are fixed. 

The new PlayStation Plus games for October 2023 have been officially announced by Sony, giving players an insight into what they can expect for the upcoming month in terms of content. Even with the restructuring of the entire PS Plus subscription tiers and prices, players of all levels still get three monthly games for free, which can be downloaded and played at any time, so long as the user is still subscribed to the service. The titles offered by PS Plus tend to be varied, which in turn provides players with various experiences every month instead of a single month full of FPS games, for instance.

Star Ocean The Second Story R brings classic RPG action to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on November 2. This is a complete remake of the RPG Star Ocean the Second Story (SO2), which was released on the original PlayStation in 1998, critically acclaimed for its Dual Protagonist system, 3D combat, deep skill systems, Private Actions, multiple endings, and much more.

The Microsoft Xbox Game Pass subscription service has proven quite popular with players. Those, especially on the latest-generation Xbox consoles, are given access to a large collection of video games to enjoy at their leisure. Best of all, each month comes with two waves of new games added into the mix. We already had the first wave unveiled, and all the games from it were added to the service. Chances are you might have picked up the subscription for Bethesda’s Starfield game alone. However, if you’re through with that RPG and are looking for something else to try out, here’s what else will be included in the mix throughout the remainder of this month.

Sony has today announced the full list of PS5, PS4, and Classic games coming to PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium this month. A partial selection was leaked at the start of this week, but the complete lineup is significantly larger. This is also the first title refresh since Sony increased the price of both tiers, putting the company's picks under more scrutiny.

As massive Vanillaware fanboys, we think September's PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium update is especially tasteful, but as always, we want to know what you think of the selection. Just to recap, this month's line-up is headlined by NieR Replicant, Star Ocean: The Divine Force, and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. And then you've got a whole bunch of other Star Ocean titles, most of Vanillaware's back catalogue, and a handful of interesting indies, like Unpacking and Call of the Sea.

If the bevy of Star Ocean titles about to hit PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium aren't enough for you, a newly published PS5, PS4 demo for upcoming remake Star Ocean: The Second Story R should be on your radar. Available to download now ahead of the game's November launch, you'll be able to sample three hours of the JRPG. While you wait, a lengthy gameplay trailer has also been uploaded by Square Enix for you to watch — viewable above.

Turns out we didn't dream it, and Square Enix really is making a multiplayer shooter about foam. Yes, Foamstars is happening, and all jokes aside, it was pretty fun when we went hands on earlier this year. Soon, a lot more people will get the chance to check it out, as an open beta test is heading our way very soon.

It looks like Xbox is offering a heads-up of what games are leaving Xbox Game Pass this month. Typically, this is not how games are revealed to be leaving the subscription service, but thanks to Gamerant, we’re getting an early look at what’s leaving. Fortunately, even though these games are leaving the subscription service, there are still some incentives to try these titles out before they are only made available through the Xbox digital storefront or purchasing physical copies from a retailer. 

Hey gamers! We have got some news about the games leaving Xbox Game Pass in the last weeks of September 2023. Microsoft just dropped the list of games that will say goodbye, and we're here to give you the scoop.

Many new games, including NieR Replicant and Civilization VI, are joining the PlayStation Plus Extra October 2023 lineup, as per the PlayStation Blog. Some retro games, including the Star Ocean series, will be available for PlayStation Plus Premium members as well. All of these titles can be downloaded to your PS4 and PS5 on September 19.

is an upcoming remake of the classic JRPG that was released over two decades ago. Developed by Gemdrops, Inc. and published by Square Enix, the title intends to stay true to the core pillars of the original while also updating key facets for new players. is slated to release later this fall, introducing a whole new generation of fans to the beloved PS1 game.