Following a leak, PlayStation has confirmed the next batch of PlayStation Plus freebies. September 2022’s PS Plus Essential lineup will include Need for Speed Heat, Toem, and Granblue Fantasy: Versus. All three of those games are worth playing, so it’ll be a pretty good month overall for freebies on PlayStation. The new batch of games will be available to claim starting September 6. As a reminder, all PS Plus subscribers, regardless of tier, can claim the PlayStation Plus Essential lineup each month.
Need for Speed Heat is the best-known game of the bunch. It’s the latest entry (not including remasters) in the long-running EA racing franchise and a turn in the right direction. The franchise went down a bumpy road throughout the 2010s, but Need for Speed Heat recaptured the pure arcade racing fun that the series was known for in its early days. Featuring a cool night-and-day system in which you compete in sanctioned events by day and illegal street races after dark, Need for Speed Heat offers a decent amount of variety that keeps the arcade racing fresh throughout its roughly 10-hour runtime. It earned a 7/10 in our Need for Speed Heat review. Need for Speed Heat doesn’t have a PS5 upgrade, but you can play it on the latest PlayStation console via backwards compatibility.
Toem is a charming indie that released just last year. You play as a young photographer in search of a snapshot of the eponymous Toem phenomenon. If you’re looking for a relaxing game that won’t take up too much time, Toem is a good choice. The gameplay revolves around solving puzzles by taking photographs of the world around you. The black-and-white visuals are lovely, and the gameplay is complemented by a beautiful soundtrack. Only the PS5 version of Toem will be available to claim in September.