Day One PS Plus Extra Game is Now One of the Highest-Rated Games of the Year

The newly-released day one PlayStation Plus Extra game Animal Well is now one of the highest-rated video games of the year. Compared to competitor Xbox Game Pass, it’s relatively rare for PlayStation Plus Extra to add day one games. However, there are indeed times when PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers are treated to brand-new, day one releases, with some fantastic games added as day one releases in the past.

Previous years have seen PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers treated to critically-acclaimed day one titles like cat game Stray and puzzle game Humanity. More recently, PS Plus Extra gave subscribers the chance to play Dave the Diver on PlayStation the very day of its release on the platform, as well as the new Metroidvania game Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. The latest day one PS Plus Extra game is one of the highest-rated yet.

PS Plus Extra subscribers on PS5 can now check out Animal Well with their subscription. The newly-released Metroidvania game is a hit with critics, with praise for its unique graphics, sense of discovery, and secret-filled world. The game currently has an 86 overall review rating, but there’s still time for the score to fluctuate. Animal Well‘s 86 rating makes it one of the highest-rated new game releases of the year so far. Discounting remasters, Animal Well is currently the 11th highest-rated game of 2024.

Best Games of 2024 So Far

• Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – 93
• Balatro – 91
• Tekken 8 – 90
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – 90
• Solium Infernum – 88
• Unicorn Overlord – 88
• Persona 3 Reload – 87
• Dragon’s Dogma 2 – 87
• Minishoot’ Adventure – 87
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown – 87
• Animal Well – 86
• Lil Guardsman – 84

Animal Well‘s critical acclaim is a big win for PS Plus Extra, but it’s also huge for developer Shared Memory and publisher Bigmode. Bigmode is Dunkey’s indie game publishing label, with Animal Well being the company’s first game. It clearly sets a high bar for Bigmode’s games, and it should go a long way in generating more interest in future titles published by Dunkey. The publisher’s next game is a shoot ’em up bullet hell roguelike called Star of Providence, developed by Team D-13.

While fans wait for more news on Bigmode’s future games, PS5 gamers can play through Animal Well now in its entirety through their PS Plus Extra subscription. Animal Well is also available on the Nintendo Switch and PC, though no Xbox version has been released at this time. If Animal Well proves to be as big of a hit as its review scores suggest it could be, perhaps the game will expand to even more platforms.

Animal Well

Shared Memory’s Animal Well is a Metroidvania with exploration, puzzles, and platforming. Billy Basso’s game takes place in a dense labyrinth filled with animals.

Platform(s)

PS5 , PC , Nintendo Switch

Released

May 9, 2024

Developer(s)

Shared Memory

Publisher(s)

Bigmode

Genre(s)

Metroidvania , Puzzle

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium