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It’s rare that Push Square readers are satisfied with the PS Plus Essential games, but October 2025 was an anomaly. In a poll, around 65% of you said you were happy with the offering, which included Alan Wake 2.
Unfortunately, that goodwill has not carried across to November 2025’s lineup of Stray, EA Sports WRC 24, and Totally Accurate Battle Simulator.
In our poll, voted on by almost 3,500 members, a devastating 62% of you said you think the selection is underwhelming. Of that, 39% of you described the lineup as “crap”.
When asked which game you’re most looking forward to from the trio, an enormous 53% said “none of them”. This is despite Stray and EA Sports WRC 24 being relatively well received, with ratings of 83 and 80 on Metacritic respectively.
In fact, despite the harsh feedback, data shows that PS Plus Essential’s games have generally been very consistent lately, with September 2025’s offering statistically the best in the last four years.
Push Square readers, perhaps predictably, also unanimously declared that a “crap” month too.
We suppose it all just comes down to preference really: people generally want highly regarded, recently released, AAA titles – rather than niche indies which may or may not have great reviews.
Considering Stray did already launch as part of PS Plus Extra, we’re not overly enamoured with this month either to be honest. But we do still think PS Plus Essential offers good value for money overall.
As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.