PlayStation Plus Essential Games for September 2025, Explained

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For September 2025, PlayStation Plus Essential offers three standout games from distinct genres as their lineup. Among them, “Psychonauts 2” is a platformer, “Stardew Valley” is a charming farming simulation game, and “Viewfinder” is a captivating first-person puzzle title. While the degree of recognition varies, these games have generally been welcomed by players. To provide a clearer understanding for newcomers who might claim these titles, it’s essential to delve into the unique stories and intricacies that each game offers.

Here’s the rundown for all three PlayStation Plus Essential games for September 2025.

1) Psychonauts 2

The eagerly anticipated second installment of the original mind-bending platformer, Psychonauts 2, was finally unveiled in 2021. It was met with broad approval, earning an average review score of 89.

Similar to the original, this sequel functions as a 3D platformer where players venture into the intricate neural pathways of its characters to uncover segments of the narrative. This innovative concept mirrors the creative flair of Double Fine Productions and provides an avenue for them to delve into diverse emotional issues, with these being physically represented as collectible items within the game.

The intense emotional struggles portrayed in this game allow new ideas to emerge because it isn’t confined by actual reality. There’s a surreal, psychedelic stage at a music festival, as well as one centered around an office worker filled with various workplace dangers (including a typewriter where you can almost write curse words). Although the story can become overly complex, especially towards the end, it effectively connects these stages to the overall narrative and explores how past troubles can distort our current lives.

As a gamer diving back into this game, I was blown away by the innovative narrative, but found the gameplay a bit lagging behind. The controls are definitely more refined than in the initial release, and navigating through the different stages feels smoother most of the time. However, it doesn’t offer much mechanically new, and unfortunately, some aspects feel quite ordinary compared to other games out there that have nailed these elements even better.

After its release, Psychonauts 2 didn’t receive extensive post-launch updates, which is common for games with a moderate scope and focus on single-player gameplay. However, this PS4 game was optimized to run smoothly at 60 frames per second on the PS5. This update also introduced several improvements that make it easier to find collectibles within the game, significantly boosting chances of earning the Platinum trophy.

2) Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley, a highly acclaimed farming simulator, has gained immense popularity among both dedicated and casual gamers since its debut in 2016. It boasts an average rating of 90, placing it as one of the highest-rated games within the PS Plus collection.

In simpler terms, Stardew Valley can be considered a contemporary and unique version of Harvest Moon due to their shared traits. This game allows players to farm, fish, and mine, which are common activities made engaging through their execution. Time management is crucial in Stardew Valley as everything is governed by a timer, encouraging players to use their time effectively to avoid an unproductive day. However, the game is strategically designed so that there’s always an incomplete task waiting for you when you wake up each morning, keeping you motivated and striving for optimization. This balance between pressure and engagement is what makes Stardew Valley one of the most admired games within its genre.

The game Stardew Valley has enjoyed an exceptional longevity, with its creator, ConcernedApe, dedicating nearly a decade to expanding and refining it significantly. Over this period, new elements have been introduced, existing ones fine-tuned, and numerous bug fixes, quality enhancements, and user-friendly improvements have been implemented. The game now includes new events, multiplayer options, customization features, new foes, additional upgrades, extra music, a wide range of cosmetics, endgame content, more pets, and many other significant changes. Its last major update was in March 2024, but despite ConcernedApe’s focus on Haunted Chocolatier, he has recently confirmed that another update is forthcoming.

3) Viewfinder

The game “Viewfinder” is a puzzling experience viewed from the first person’s perspective. Players take photos to alter the surroundings they see. Generally speaking, it was positively received, earning an average rating of 83 points.

The game, titled Viewfinder, primarily shines through its intricate puzzle-based gameplay, which has garnered significant attention on social media due to its unique mechanics. In this game, players capture 2D images of their surroundings using a magical instant camera, and then use these photos to create a 3D replica of the environment by placing them correctly. This mechanic, unlike anything else, encourages players to think in multiple dimensions. For instance, if there’s a gap between two platforms, taking a picture of the floor and strategically positioning it can effectively bridge that gap.

The game, Viewfinder, has an intriguing concept similar to that of Portal, but fails to live up to its promise. It becomes a bit complex as players are required to replicate batteries and navigate substances that can’t be captured on camera. However, the puzzles in this game seldom extend beyond simple battery duplication or building bridges, making it rather basic compared to its initial potential. In essence, it’s a brief puzzle game, yet it falls short of delivering the exceptional gameplay experience that could fully exploit its unique mechanic.

The viewfinder didn’t get much assistance after its release, given that it was a short solo game with a puzzle focus. Yet, it did incorporate a basic tracking system which helped players locate the hidden collectibles more easily.

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2025-09-02 18:31