(For Southeast Asia) Nine quick-hit games to play, included with PlayStation Plus

(For Southeast Asia) Nine quick-hit games to play, included with PlayStation Plus https://ift.tt/Olh6Sip

Discovering a new game to get lost in for hours can be a phenomenal experience. But sometimes, you need a quick hit — a game you can pick up and play just for a bit and still have a great time. The PlayStation Plus Catalog and Classics Catalog are filled with games that fit that description exactly, offering experiences that you can dip into for a few minutes and have a blast. PlayStation Portal owners, these are great picks for you to cozy up with.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of 9 excellent quick-hit games from the PS Plus Catalog — although they can definitely keep you engrossed for a lot longer. Next time you’ve got a couple of minutes to spare, fire up one of these.

Blue Prince | 2025 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

The brilliant idea at the heart of Blue Prince is the combination of first-person puzzler gameplay with roguelike elements. Each time you venture into the mystery-filled Mt. Holly Manor, you’ll chart a new course through the house: Whenever you open a door, you choose the room that appears on the other side. While Blue Prince’s deeper enigmas will keep you obsessed for hours, even a quick run through Mt. Holly will give you a chance to solve a few puzzles and compile a few clues to take in next time.

Publisher: Raw Fury | Developer: Dogubomb | PS5

Cult of the Lamb | 2022 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

Cult of the Lamb is part roguelike action game, part base manager, and both sides can be satisfying in long or short bursts. Each foray into its shifting dungeons gives you a chance to earn things to enhance your abilities, improve the buildings, and recruit more followers. Whether you want to spend some time making your followers happy or just lean into dungeon-crawling combat, there’s always something quick and interesting to do to grow your cult.

Publisher: Devolver Digital | Developer: Massive Monster | PS5, PS4

Earth Defense Force 5 | 2017 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Giant insect-like monsters and alien spacecraft are invading, and it’s up to you to stop them. You have a host of weapons to face down hordes of creepy-crawlies, as well as four character classes with different styles of play. Earth Defense Force 5 offers more than 100 missions, but while each will challenge your third-person combat abilities, they’re all fast enough that it only takes a few minutes to enjoy a few rounds fighting off invading extra-terrestrials.

Publisher: D3PublisherUBLISHER | Developer: Sandlot | PS5, PS4

I.Q.: Intelligent Qube | 1997 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Speedy movements and quick thinking are essential in puzzler I.Q.: Intelligent Qube. In each level, your goal is to clear a series of cubes as they roll toward you by marking spots on the grid beneath your feet. Clearing certain cubes allows you to release blasts that can knock out several cubes at once, but it takes careful planning of where and when to place and use those advantages to fully clear each level. I.Q. is a great way to exercise your mind with a few fast brain teasers.

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: G-Artists | PS5, PS4

LocoRoco Remastered | 2006 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Navigating the colorful world of LocoRoco Remastered isn’t about controlling a character, but about tilting the landscape beneath your round, jelly-like LocoRoco to roll them where you need them to go. Making your way over obstacles or through passageways requires combining many LocoRoco together into one massive being, or breaking them back into several smaller ones. LocoRoco Remastered is a perfect way to unwind with a breezy, lighthearted experience and short, inventive levels that require some out-of-the-box thinking.

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: Japan Studio | PS5, PS4

The Pedestrian | 2021 | PlayStation Plus Games Catalog

The Pedestrian is a puzzle-platformer that has you playing as a stick figure like those often seen on road and bathroom signs, navigating from sign to sign on your way through the world. The fascinating presentation offers a lot of clever puzzles, many of which require you to rearrange signs to connect ladders and doors to create paths from one to another. Though the levels are short and sweet, they’ll test your puzzling smarts.

Publisher: Skookum Arts LLC | Developer: Skookum Arts LLC | PS5, PS4

Tekken 3 | 1997 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Tekken 3 lets you relive the glory days of 3D fighters on the original PlayStation. Though the storied series has gone on to five more mainline installments, Tekken 3 will still put you through your fighting game paces. Movement in three dimensions is key as you fight one-on-one duels against an iconic roster of punishing opponents, but with matches that can be brutal beatdowns lasting just a few minutes, it’s easy to squeeze in a few rounds of Tekken 3 whenever you have a free moment.

Publisher: Namco | Developer: Namco | PS5, PS4

Tetris Effect: Connected | 2023 | PlayStation Plus Games Catalog

Few gaming experiences are as zen-like as Tetris Effect: Connected. The latest version of the classic puzzler marries its block-dropping, line-clearing gameplay with immersive visuals and an excellent soundtrack to create something that can be mesmerizing, as well as intensely challenging. Each of Tetris Effect’s levels lasts just long enough for you to get lost in a flow state of combining blocks to rack up high scores.

Publisher: Enhance | Developer: Monstars, Resonair, Stage Games | PS5, PS4

You Suck At Parking | 2022 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

You Suck At Parking puts your driving and puzzle-solving skills to the test with top-down levels in which you need to get your tiny car into an equally small parking spot — often by jumping gaps, whipping through hairpin turns, and avoiding crashes in each short, quirky level. But even if you should fly off a cliff or smash into a wall, you can quickly start again for another try.

Publisher: Curve Digital | Developer: Happy Volcano | PS5, PS4

Honorable mentions

The PlayStation Plus Games Catalog and Classic Catalog are chock full of excellent quick-hit games you can play alone or with friends, in genres ranging from sports to shooters, from racing to intense cooperative multiplayer madness. Don’t miss these favs: 

• Hot Shots Golf 2
• Hotline Miami
• Jet Moto
• Overcooked! All You Can Eat

If you’ve got a few quick-hit go-to games that we haven’t mentioned, be sure to share your favorites and recommendations in the comments below.entioned, be sure to share your favorites and recommendations in the comments below.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties hands-on report

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties hands-on report https://ift.tt/dq26BDX

Set to launch on February 12, 2026, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 bundles two titles into one: Yakuza Kiwami 3, a remake of the original Yakuza 3 released in 2009, and the all-new Dark Ties, which stars Yoshitaka Mine, Kiryu’s adversary.

I recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with the game at a press event, which covered various sections from both the remaster Yakuza Kiwami 3 and the all-new Dark Ties, a brand-new tale featuring Yoshitaka Mine from Yakuza 3. Read on for my initial thoughts and impressions. 

At the same event, Sega announced a playable demo will be available for the title, more news of which will be shared in the future. 

Yakuza Kiwami 3 hands-on

Yakuza Kiwami 3 follows Kazuma Kiryu as he settles in Okinawa to run the Morning Glory Orphanage, only to find himself entangled in a web of sinister conspiracy.

In the demo, I was embroiled in Kiryu’s clash with the Ryudo Family, an Okinawan yakuza syndicate scheming to seize the Morning Glory Orphanage’s land, where I faced off against the Ryudo patriarch Shigeru Nakahara and family captain Rikiya Shimabukuro.

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A standout moment showed Rikiya — initially hostile towards Kiryu — shifting his perspective after watching him bravely risk everything alone to save the head of the local shopping district. This entirely new scene, missing from the original Yakuza 3, masterfully captures Rikiya’s growing respect for Kiryu through nuanced facial expressions.

Master weapons and enjoy the thrill of “Ryukyu Style” combat

City streets spark spontaneous fights where Kiryu can switch fluidly between his Dragon of Dojima: Kiwami Style and Ryukyu Style.

Ryukyu Style maps weapons to different buttons for easy, diverse attacks. Weapons switch automatically based on the button pressed, so even simple button mashing feels satisfying.

Players can expect a variety of Heat Actions, as well as the Dragon Boost, which activates by maxing out Kiryu’s gauge. The Dragon Finisher delivers a final devastating blow, complete with a backdrop of a roaring dragon.

Life at Morning Glory: deepening ties with the children

Life at Morning Glory is a side-adventure where Kiryu nurtures bonds with children at the orphanage through cooking, sewing, helping with homework, and heartfelt chats. Kiryu’s “Daddy Rank” increases as trust grows, reflecting his growth as a father figure. Earning enough trust unlocks each child’s unique Family Time Event.

I became quite emotionally invested while I was playing, especially when thinking it was all for the children. The interactions perfectly echo Kiryu’s challenges as a novice parent striving to do his best, and transform minigames from mundane tasks into heartfelt moments of caring for the kids.

Bad Boy Dragon: Join the small-time Haisai Girls gang and protect Okinawa

In the new team battle content, Bad Boy Dragon, Kiryu is unexpectedly appointed to head up a struggling Okinawan girls’ gang, Haisai Girls. Together, they stand up to protect Okinawa from the formidable Tokyo Night Terrors.

You can engage in either Total Annihilation, where up to 20 allies clash against over 100 enemies, or Turf Wars, where teams split up to capture and take down enemy bases.

Dark Ties hands-on: revealing an unexpected side of Mine’s cool facade

Dark Ties centers on Yoshitaka Mine, the chilling antagonist who stands in Kiryu’s path, and he stole the spotlight in the preview. Unlike the fiery, heartfelt Kiryu and Ichiban, Mine is cold and detached, dismissing even Daigo’s “family” talk as empty rhetoric. It is rare for the series to convey a character’s thoughts through raw inner monologues.

Fast-paced combat based on shoot boxing

Rooted in shoot boxing (a martial art originating in Japan), Mine delivers swift, stylish, agile attacks.

Filling the Shackled Heart gauge triggers Dark Awakening mode, swapping Mine’s refined shoot boxing style for raw brutality — head grabs, ground drags, and ferocious strikes — mirroring his duality of a cool exterior and inner darkness.

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Kanda Damage Control: turning Kanda into a lovable charmer

In Kanda Damage Control, Mine tackles various missions like street rescues on behalf of Kanda, the Nishikiyama Family patriarch, and Tojo Clan lieutenant. Completing them will boost Kanda’s public perception and gradually transform him into a charismatic figure.

Leveling up Kanda’s Charisma Rank unlocks Drink Links, where you’ll deepen your bond with Kanda and witness his hopelessly goofy flaws. His candid rants made me envy how much he enjoys life to the fullest, and I can’t wait to see his dynamic with Mine evolve.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties launches on PS5 and PS4 on February 12. 

Claim your place among motorcycle legends in Ride 6 career

Claim your place among motorcycle legends in Ride 6 career https://ift.tt/sacHZoW

Hello, fellow bikers, this is Paolo Bertoni, Game Director of Ride 6. As we rev things up ahead of the game’s release on PS5, planned for February 12, 2026, I’d like to take you behind the scenes to explore the brand-new career mode we’ve been crafting, and share how it brings our vision to life.

The goal of a project like Ride is to immerse virtual riders in the same thrills that every real biker seeks when they open the garage door and hop on their bike. So we asked ourselves: what fuels that passion? It wasn’t hard to figure out, considering that for much of our team, motorcycles aren’t just a job, they’re a way of life. Over the years, the Ride franchise has built a huge roster of bikes and tracks to give players as many choices as possible. With Ride 6, we wanted to go further. We wanted to capture the very essence of being a biker, an experience we called Ride Fest.

Ride Fest is much more than a career; it’s a motorcycle festival that plunges players into the love of riding, freedom, and the sense of camaraderie that defines the biker spirit. It replaces the traditional championship format with a more open approach, offering a horizontal progression system based on chapters. You will get to choose which events to tackle, from single races and endurance challenges to championships and time attacks, all organized into themed areas based on criteria such as bike category, manufacturer, circuit type, weather conditions, or legendary champions.

Yes, you read that right! For the first time in the franchise’s history, Ride 6 will feature real-world riders. We’ve collaborated with 10 two-wheels legends who will put your skills to the test in their own area of expertise. For instance, Niccolò Canepa, Peter Hickman, and Ian Hutchinson will challenge your endurance and precision, while Tyler O’Hara will bring his unmatched experience on Baggers to the track, turning every lap into a display of power and control. Road races, instead, are the natural habitat of Guy Martin, while Thomas Chareyre and Skyler Howes embody the raw spirit of Motard and Off-Road racing. Facing these legends will allow you to unlock exclusive rewards, including their signature bikes and equipment, but first, you’ll need to build your reputation within the festival.

This is the key concept of the Ride Fest: proving yourself among the greatest riders in history. To do so, you’ll need to accumulate enough Fame Points along your journey, gradually expanding the career map and unlocking new events, including dedicated boss battles where you can take on each legend across a variety of challenges.

To give everyone the chance to perform at their best in every type of race, we’ve also decided to introduce a new dual-physics system. Depending on your level of expertise, you can choose between the Pro and Arcade experiences, freely switching between the two based on the event in order to tailor the gameplay to your preferred level of realism or fun, while always enjoying Ride’s signature simulation core. This will be especially useful for mastering the Maxi Enduro and Bagger, the two new bike categories introduced in this chapter, which, together with the new off-road tracks, will bring fresh dimensions to the riding experience.

Finally, when in need of a break from the competition, you can head to the Ride Fest Paddock, the hub where all in-game activities come together. Here, you can relax with the other riders, upgrade your bikes with the help of your mechanic crew, visit the shop, and customize your look using the bike, helmet, and racing suit editors. Throughout your journey, the official Ride Fest DJ will immerse you even more in the festival atmosphere, introducing each chapter through dedicated cutscenes.

Thanks for your time, I hope you enjoyed reading this! And don’t forget to mark your calendar, as Ride 6 will be available on PlayStation 5 on February 12, 2026, with Early Access available from February 9, 2026.

PlayStation Store’s top downloads of 2025

PlayStation Store’s top downloads of 2025 https://ift.tt/DUGSFcB

Before we say goodbye to 2025, let’s take a look back and see what were the most downloaded games of the year. It was a great time for sports, shooters, and some new PlayStation VR2 games. Sports favorites topped the charts in US/Canada and EU, with NBA 2K26 and EA Sports FC26, respectively. Juggernaut GTA V found a home in the top three for both regions, with new 2025 release Battlefield 6 claiming second place in the US. Fortnite took top place for free-to-play games, and Beat Saber continues its PS VR2 success.

Check out the full listings below.

PS5 Games

US/Canada	EU
NBA 2K26	EA SPORTS FC 26
Battlefield 6	Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V	EA SPORTS FC 25
EA SPORTS College Football 26	Forza Horizon 5
EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26	Battlefield 6
Minecraft	Minecraft
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7	Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
ARC Raiders	Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Ghost of Yōtei	ARC Raiders
MLB The Show 25	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6	Ghost of Yōtei
Ready or Not	Split Fiction
EA SPORTS FC 26	Hogwarts Legacy
Forza Horizon 5	UFC 5
NBA 2K25	Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered	It Takes Two
Assassin’s Creed Shadows	Ready or Not
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Monster Hunter Wilds	REMATCH
EA SPORTS FC 25	F1 25

*Naming of products may differ between regions
*Upgrades not included

PS4 Games

US/Canada	EU
Red Dead Redemption 2	Red Dead Redemption 2
STAR WARS Battlefront II	A Way Out
Batman: Arkham Knight	EA SPORTS FC 26
Minecraft	The Forest
Grand Theft Auto V	EA SPORTS FC 25
A Way Out	Grand Theft Auto V
Need for Speed Heat	Minecraft
Mortal Kombat X	Need for Speed Heat
theHunter: Call of the Wild	STAR WARS Battlefront II
The Forest	Batman: Arkham Knight
Gang Beasts	Unravel Two
Call of Duty: Black Ops III	Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance	Battlefield V
Middle-earth: Shadow of War	Mortal Kombat X
Stardew Valley	Gang Beasts
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6	Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Unravel Two	Hogwarts Legacy
God of War	Battlefield 4
Overcooked! 2	Assassin’s Creed Origins
Injustice 2	Middle-earth: Shadow of War

*Naming of products may differ between regions

PS VR2 Games*

US/Canada	EU
Beat Saber	Beat Saber
Alien: Rogue Incursion VR	Alien: Rogue Incursion VR
Among Us 3D: VR	Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition
Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition	Metro Awakening
Job Simulator	Job Simulator
Pavlov	Among Us 3D: VR
Metro Awakening	Horizon Call of the Mountain
Arizona Sunshine 2	Pavlov
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners	Swordsman VR
Swordsman VR	Arizona Sunshine 2

*PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included

Free to Play (PS5 + PS4)

US/Canada	EU
Fortnite	Fortnite
Roblox	Roblox
Marvel Rivals	Call of Duty: Warzone
Call of Duty: Warzone	Rocket League
Battlefield REDSEC	Battlefield REDSEC
Rocket League	Marvel Rivals
Where Winds Meet (F2P)	eFootball
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X – Free Access	Asphalt Legends
Delta Force (F2P)	Where Winds Meet (F2P)
Fall Guys	Delta Force (F2P)

10 quick-hit games to play, included with PlayStation Plus

10 quick-hit games to play, included with PlayStation Plus https://ift.tt/pJRTtMe

Discovering a new game to get lost in for hours can be a phenomenal experience. But sometimes, you need a quick hit — a game you can pick up and play just for a bit and still have a great time. The PlayStation Plus Catalog and Classics Catalog are filled with games that fit that description exactly, offering experiences that you can dip into for a few minutes and have a blast. PlayStation Portal owners, these are great picks for you to cozy up with.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of 10 excellent quick-hit games from the PS Plus Catalog — although they can definitely keep you engrossed for a lot longer. Next time you’ve got a couple of minutes to spare, fire up one of these.

Blue Prince | 2025 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

The brilliant idea at the heart of Blue Prince is the combination of first-person puzzler gameplay with roguelike elements. Each time you venture into the mystery-filled Mt. Holly Manor, you’ll chart a new course through the house: Whenever you open a door, you choose the room that appears on the other side. While Blue Prince’s deeper enigmas will keep you obsessed for hours, even a quick run through Mt. Holly will give you a chance to solve a few puzzles and compile a few clues to take in next time.

Publisher: Raw Fury | Developer: Dogubomb | PS5

Cult of the Lamb | 2022 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

Cult of the Lamb is part roguelike action game, part base manager, and both sides can be satisfying in long or short bursts. Each foray into its shifting dungeons gives you a chance to earn things to enhance your abilities, improve the buildings, and recruit more followers. Whether you want to spend some time making your followers happy or just lean into dungeon-crawling combat, there’s always something quick and interesting to do to grow your cult.

Publisher: Devolver Digital | Developer: Massive Monster | PS5, PS4

Dead Cells | 2018 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

The world of Dead Cells is an eminently deadly one. Your only chance at survival is to amass powerful weapons and traps to try to keep yourself alive as you fight to get as far through the world as you can. As in most rogue-like games, death is to be expected, but even a quick run that ends in defeat has the potential to unlock new tools to enhance your arsenal to get further next time. 

Publisher: Motion Twin | Developer: Motion Twin | PS5, PS4

Earth Defense Force 5 | 2017 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Giant insect-like monsters and alien spacecraft are invading, and it’s up to you to stop them. You have a host of weapons to face down hordes of creepy-crawlies, as well as four character classes with different styles of play. Earth Defense Force 5 offers more than 100 missions, but while each will challenge your third-person combat abilities, they’re all fast enough that it only takes a few minutes to enjoy a few rounds fighting off invading extra-terrestrials.

Publisher: D3PublisherUBLISHER | Developer: Sandlot | PS5, PS4

Hotline Miami | 2012 | PlayStation Plus Games Catalog

In the strange, hallucinatory levels of Hotline Miami, enemies are waiting for you, and only careful planning and split-second reactions will keep you alive. As a mysterious masked assassin hunting mobsters, you’ll fight through levels from a top-down perspective where a single hit is enough to defeat anyone — including you. Hotline Miami’s stages are extremely fast-paced and can be intensely difficult, testing your skills in planning and quick reaction. You can finish one in just a few minutes, but this is a game that will have you saying “one more try” with every defeat.

Publisher: Devolver Digital | Developer: Dennaton Games | PS5, PS4

I.Q.: Intelligent Qube | 1997 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Speedy movements and quick thinking are essential in puzzler I.Q.: Intelligent Qube. In each level, your goal is to clear a series of cubes as they roll toward you by marking spots on the grid beneath your feet. Clearing certain cubes allows you to release blasts that can knock out several cubes at once, but it takes careful planning of where and when to place and use those advantages to fully clear each level. I.Q. is a great way to exercise your mind with a few fast brain teasers.

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: G-Artists | PS5, PS4

LocoRoco Remastered | 2006 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Navigating the colorful world of LocoRoco Remastered isn’t about controlling a character, but about tilting the landscape beneath your round, jelly-like LocoRoco to roll them where you need them to go. Making your way over obstacles or through passageways requires combining many LocoRoco together into one massive being, or breaking them back into several smaller ones. LocoRoco Remastered is a perfect way to unwind with a breezy, lighthearted experience and short, inventive levels that require some out-of-the-box thinking.

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: Japan Studio | PS5, PS4

The Pedestrian | 2021 | PlayStation Plus Games Catalog

The Pedestrian is a puzzle-platformer that has you playing as a stick figure like those often seen on road and bathroom signs, navigating from sign to sign on your way through the world. The fascinating presentation offers a lot of clever puzzles, many of which require you to rearrange signs to connect ladders and doors to create paths from one to another. Though the levels are short and sweet, they’ll test your puzzling smarts.

Publisher: Skookum Arts LLC | Developer: Skookum Arts LLC | PS5, PS4

Tekken 3 | 1997 | PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog

Tekken 3 lets you relive the glory days of 3D fighters on the original PlayStation. Though the storied series has gone on to five more mainline installments, Tekken 3 will still put you through your fighting game paces. Movement in three dimensions is key as you fight one-on-one duels against an iconic roster of punishing opponents, but with matches that can be brutal beatdowns lasting just a few minutes, it’s easy to squeeze in a few rounds of Tekken 3 whenever you have a free moment.

Publisher: Namco | Developer: Namco | PS5, PS4

You Suck At Parking | 2022 | PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

You Suck At Parking puts your driving and puzzle-solving skills to the test with top-down levels in which you need to get your tiny car into an equally small parking spot — often by jumping gaps, whipping through hairpin turns, and avoiding crashes in each short, quirky level. But even if you should fly off a cliff or smash into a wall, you can quickly start again for another try.

Publisher: Curve Digital | Developer: Happy Volcano | PS5, PS4

Honorable mentions

The PlayStation Plus Games Catalog and Classic Catalog are chock full of excellent quick-hit games you can play alone or with friends, in genres ranging from sports to shooters, from racing to intense cooperative multiplayer madness. Don’t miss these favs: 

• Hot Shots Golf
• Jet Moto

If you’ve got a few quick-hit go-to games that we haven’t mentioned, be sure to share your favorites and recommendations in the comments below.