For the first half or so of 2021,PS Pluswas on a hot streak. It was still riding the high it received from the PS5 release in 2020, with several good games, PS5 games, and more gracing the service in these months. It would, of course, begin to slow down, and whilePS Plusbegan 2021 with a bang, it seems safe to say it ended on a whimper.
With 2022 thus far, it’s been a mixed bag. It seems the PS Plus free games have been playing tug of war by offering a good, decent month and then a disappointing month. Hopefully, this all changes with the PS Plus games in June 2022, as the service is set to launch the PS Plus Extra and Premium Tiers. Between them, fans will be getting access to alibrary of 700 PS1, PS2, PSP, PS3, PS4, and PS5 games.
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One of those games, which is not all too surprising, isMortal Kombat 11. Although many are geared up and looking forward toNetherRealm’s next game, which is likely to beMortal Kombat 12instead ofInjustice 3, the sheer quality ofMortal Kombat 11cannot be understated. Its inclusion here, however, is more noteworthy when contrasted with the PS Plus free games of October 2021. Overall, the month wasn’t too bad, but it was disappointing for a few reasons.
First and foremost, October is “spooky season.” It’s the time of Halloween. While many services embraced the season, PS Plus really did not. ThePS Plus free games of October 2021wereHell Let Loose, PGA Tour 2K21, andMortal Kombat X. PGA Tour 2K21didn’t really have the mass appeal a PS Plus game needs, soHell Let Loosewas the shining star of the month (deservedly). It’s a great game, but it’s still not a Halloween game. In this regard,Mortal Kombat Xrubbed a lot of fans the wrong way.
PS Plus fans got the base version ofMortal Kombat X. Everyone knows the fighting game is gruesome, but that doesn’t really define Halloween. Had it been theupgradedMortal Kombat XLversion of the game, fans would have gotten several bonus characters based on slasher or horror films. It would have been perfect, butMortal Kombat Xitself was not the most appealing venture.
This led to another point of contention. If only the base game was on the menu, why not opt forMortal Kombat 11instead? It had already been out for two years at this point, and while it still would not have checked the Halloween box, it would have been a better game for the buck. Now, while it’s only speculation, it seems fans now knowwhy it wasMortal Kombat Xand notMortal Kombat 11: PS Plus Extra.
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PS Plus Extra Adding Mortal Kombat 11 Likely Meant That October 2021 Could Not
While thenew PS Plus tier systemreleases next month, it’s worth noting how there have been rumors, speculation, and reports on this for several months now. It’s not something Sony put together overnight, and it could have been in the works for years before it became a topic of such talk. Now, that may not exactly be the case, but PS Plus Extra being a behind-the-scene thing in October 2021 adds up.
It could explain many questionable choices forPS Plus free game listsbetween the PS5’s release and now, butMortal Kombat 11is likely the clearest example. If Sony knew it was working on this subscription service and knew it wanted to include big, genre-defining games, thenMortal Kombat 11was likely an early and easy choice. The problem is, of course, that it couldn’t offerMortal Kombat 11in October and then turn around and put it on this service some months later.
Several of thePS Plus games that are releasing next month have been freebefore, but it’s not likely most of that was intentional. WithMortal Kombat 11, it makes sense Sony would avoid this scenario. It doesn’t change October, nor does it change the upcoming lineup, but it raises interesting questions about how much planning went into the tier service and how far back that goes. It doesn’t explain why it didn’t go withMortal Kombat XLeither, but at this point, that is water under the bridge.
PS Plus and its tiershave promise, and it’s up to Sony to fulfill that promise. If a few hits and lackluster offerings over the past few months help do just that, then it’s a good gamble. How PS Plus Extra and Premium are discussed a year from now will be the ultimate test if the gamble was worth it.
PS Plus Premiumreleases June 13.
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