Game intel
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Spider-Man Unlimited is an endless runner video game developed and published by Gameloft; it is based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. The player con…
Fifteen years into PlayStation Plus, Sony’s August 2025 update (arriving August 19) is the rare catalog refresh that made me stop scrolling and start downloading. Marvel’s Spider‑Man is back on the web in both PS4 GOTY and PS5 Remastered flavors, Mortal Kombat 1 muscles in, Vanillaware’s Unicorn Overlord brings brainy tactics, and there’s a left‑field five‑hour Death Stranding 2: On the Beach trial for Premium. It’s not a “day-one first‑party” coup, but it’s a smart flex of curation that hits blockbuster, weirdo indie, and retro nostalgia all at once.
Marvel’s Spider‑Man Remastered on PS5 and the PS4 GOTY edition swinging in together is the headline. Insomniac’s 2018 classic still feels fantastic in the hands thanks to peerless traversal, punchy combat, and a New York that begs for photo mode. The Remastered version’s ray tracing, haptics, and snappy loads make a legit difference, while the PS4 GOTY ensures last‑gen players get the excellent City That Never Sleeps DLC. This is also Sony quietly fixing a pain point: for years the Remastered version lived behind the Miles Morales Ultimate paywall. Now it’s just… here. Good.
Mortal Kombat 1 landing in Extra/Premium two years post‑launch is the right timing. The meta’s settled, netcode is solid, and there’s a massive roster to lab. Temper expectations: PS Plus catalog drops are almost always the base game. Don’t assume you’re getting all the Kombat Packs or Kameo fighters; check the included content before you dive into practice mode for Omni‑Man matchups. Still, if you’ve been MK‑curious after the Homelander clips, this is your low‑friction entry.
Unicorn Overlord is the gem to prioritize. It’s Vanillaware (13 Sentinels, Odin Sphere) doing grand strategy—tactical skirmishes on a living map, elegant formation building, and that unmistakable painterly art direction. Released earlier this gen, it flew under the radar for a lot of folks; now it can hit the wider audience it deserves. If Triangle Strategy and Fire Emblem scratch your brain, this goes on your SSD immediately.
Giant Squid’s Sword of the Sea arriving day‑and‑date on PS Plus Extra is a nice signal. The studio behind ABZÛ and The Pathless knows vibes and flow, and this one looks like sand‑surfing poetry with environmental puzzles. Sony hasn’t made a habit of day‑one drops for Extra, so grabbing a prestige indie here makes sense: it’s the kind of game you sample because it’s there—and then keep because it sticks.
Indika (from Odd Meter) is a conversation starter: a surreal, confrontational narrative that mixes exploration and puzzle beats with heavy thematic swings around faith and repression. Not your typical “kick back and grind” fare, but memorable and properly weird. Harold Halibut, meanwhile, is all hand‑made diorama charm—slow, character‑driven adventuring on a submerged spaceship city that looks like it was sculpted on your kitchen table. If you miss the tactile feel of old-school point‑and‑click storytelling, you’ll vibe with it.
Coral Island fills the cozy sim slot: farming, fishing, friendships, and a splash of reef restoration. On PS5 it launched a little uneven, but patches have improved stability. It’s a great “podcast game” for winding down after sweating ranked sets in MK1.
Earth Defense Force 6 is peak EDF: hundreds of weapons, janky spectacle, and glorious four‑player co‑op where someone always brings a rocket launcher to an ant fight. It’s not pretty, it’s not subtle, and it absolutely rules on a Friday night with friends. On PS5 it runs better than it looks, which is the EDF promise.
Atelier Ryza 3 remains the most approachable the series has ever been—expansive alchemy crafting, a sunnier tone, and a modern battle flow that doesn’t drown you in systems (unless you want it to). If JRPG comfort food is your thing, this is a hearty serving.
For Premium subscribers, the PS1 versions of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis are tasty history bites. Fixed cameras, tank controls, and delicious tension—a great complement to the modern remakes. One practical ask from me to Sony: please ensure the 60Hz NTSC builds and the usual emulation niceties (save states, rewind, trophies). Don’t make us relive PAL frame pacing in 2025.
Premium members get a five‑hour trial of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach with progress and trophies carrying over at release. That’s unusual this far ahead of launch and raises questions: is this a constrained vertical slice, or a timed chunk of the final build that unlocks later? Either way, it’s a clever carrot for Premium and a great way to see if Kojima’s brand of melancholic delivery opera is for you. Just budget the download—if it mirrors the first game, “trial” could still be dozens of gigabytes.
This drop fits Sony’s 2025 pattern: few first‑party day‑ones, but strong catalog swings that keep Extra/Premium feeling essential without undercutting full‑price releases. If you’re triaging installs: start with Spider‑Man Remastered (PS5) if you somehow missed it, Unicorn Overlord for tactics cravings, MK1 for a competitive palate cleanser, and Sword of the Sea for a serene palette cleanser afterward. Also, grab the PS1 REs while they’re fresh—catalog rotations are real, and these classics have a habit of vanishing and reappearing.
August’s PS Plus update is one of Sony’s best in months: Spider‑Man returns in style, MK1 hits the ring, and Unicorn Overlord finally gets the spotlight. The DS2 Premium trial is strange but welcome. Not a first‑party day‑one month—but a genuinely great one for playing, not just padding your library.
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