Sony unveiled December 2023’s new titles for PlayStation Plus Premium and the Extra Game Catalog, and it contains some heavy hitters. While the addition of the PlayStation 4 and PS5 versions of Grand Theft Auto V will probably be the biggest draw for most players, I want to shout out the addition of what might be the most underrated modern Final Fantasy game: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
Released in March 2022, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is technically a prequel to the original Final Fantasy that reveals the origin story of that game’s villain, Garland. In reality, Stranger of Paradise becomes a metacontextual analysis of the cyclical nature of the Final Fantasy series, serving as both a celebration and a biting critique of one of gaming’s oldest RPG franchises. It also features one of the most bonkers video game endings I’ve ever experienced, so going through the adventure is worth it for that alone. Thankfully, it’s enjoyable to play along the way as a more approachable class-based Soulslike from Team Ninja, the developer behind NioH and next year’s Rise of the Ronin.
Definitely check out Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin when it becomes playable via the PS Plus Game Catalog on December 19. Here’s the full list of games that will hit the service on that day:
- Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Gigabash
- Grime
- Metal Hellsinger
- MotoGP 23
- Moonscars
- Prodeus
- Salt and Sacrifice
- Shadowrun Returns
- Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut
- Shadowrun: Hong Kong – Extended Edition
- Tinykin
- Mega Man 11
- Mega Man Legacy Collection
- Mega Man Legacy Collection 2
- Thrillville
- Thrillville: Off the Rails
- Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
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As usual, some games will also leave the service when these new titles arrive. This month, the most notable exits are Monolith Productions and WB Games’ Middle-Earth duology and two of Sega’s Yakuza games. These are the titles leaving PS Plus Game Catalog on December 19:
- Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
- Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- The Escapists 2
- Friday the 13th: The Game
- El Hijo – A Wild West Tale
- Foreclosed
- Caladrius Blaze
- Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo HD Edition
- Legends of Ethernal
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