By UPLVL Gaming
August's PlayStation Plus Essential lineup just dropped, and it's a solid one. Three games are free from August 4 through August 31: a co-op adventure from the makers of Untitled Goose Game, this month's headliner Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition, and a retro survival horror sleeper hit called Signalis. I'm genuinely excited for one of these, cautiously optimistic about another, and honestly not sure what to make of the third. Here's the full breakdown.
BIG WALK (PS5) — CO-OP CHAOS FROM THE UNTITLED GOOSE GAME STUDIO
Big Walk comes from House House, the studio behind Untitled Goose Game, and it's exactly as weird and charming as that pedigree suggests. It's a cooperative multiplayer adventure built around teamwork and communication, or the total breakdown of it. You and your friends set out through a wide-open world full of puzzles and challenges, using an assortment of tools and toys to stay in contact, then figuring out new ways to talk when you suddenly find yourself speechless.
- Platform: PS5 (PS Plus Essential)
- Developer: House House (Untitled Goose Game)
- Genre: Co-op multiplayer adventure
- Available: August 4 – August 31
This isn't usually my kind of game, but I can already see it turning into pure chaos with the right group of friends. Sitting around watching the sunset, or kicking your buddy's binoculars into the ocean just because you can, sounds like exactly the kind of dumb fun that makes co-op worth it.
Am I missing out on this one? Let me know in the comments.
DYING LIGHT 2 STAY HUMAN: RELOADED EDITION (PS5, PS4) — THIS MONTH'S HEADLINER
Dying Light 2 is the game I'm most excited about this month, mostly because I missed it at launch. The Reloaded Edition bundles the base game, the most recent firearms update, and the Bloody Ties story DLC into one package, so there's no reason to wait any longer.
It's a parkour-driven action RPG set in Villedor, a sprawling open-world city where a virus has turned most of the population into monsters. You play as Aiden Caldwell, a wanderer searching for a lost family member, and along the way you run into different factions fighting to survive, each with their own history and reasons for staying alive.
Villedor also runs on a day and night cycle that changes how you play. During the day, you're running main and side missions, unlocking safe zones, and scavenging crafting materials. At night, the infected get faster and far more dangerous, but the loot gets better and the reward points go up. It's a real risk-versus-reward loop that keeps the open world from feeling static.
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE DYING LIGHT 2 RELOADED EDITION?
- The full base game, Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- The most recent firearms update
- The Bloody Ties story DLC
HOW LONG IS DYING LIGHT 2?
The main story runs about 20-25 hours if you stick to the critical path. Slow down for side quests and exploration and you're closer to 50-60 hours. Completionists chasing every collectible have reported runs well past 100 hours.
IS DYING LIGHT 2 CROSSPLAY?
Not quite. PS4 and PS5 players can play together in cross-gen co-op sessions, but there's still no crossplay between PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Co-op supports up to four players, so squad up with whoever's on your platform.
Dying Light 2 currently sits at a 76 on Metacritic. Mixed reception at release, but the Reloaded Edition is the most complete version of the game to date, and free is free.
SIGNALIS (PS4) — THE SLEEPER HIT WORTH YOUR TIME
Signalis is the one that's got my interest the most, even though I know the least about it going in. It's a sci-fi retro survival horror game with modern and optional tank controls, and it's giving me serious old-school Resident Evil vibes.
You play as Elster, an android replica searching for a missing woman, who ends up in a facility overrun by a virus that turns the infected into monsters. The story unfolds in small breadcrumbs, resources are limited, and the environment stays dark and claustrophobic the whole way through. It's earned a reputation for a genuinely dark, psychological horror tone, and the reviews back that up.
HOW LONG IS SIGNALIS?
A normal playthrough runs about 6-8 hours. Going for a completionist run with every ending and collectible pushes that closer to 13 hours, which makes it a perfect weekend horror game.
IS SIGNALIS SCARY?
Yes, but it leans more into psychological dread and claustrophobia than jump scares. If you liked the tone of classic Resident Evil more than the action of the newer entries, this is built for you.
IS SIGNALIS ON PS5?
This month's PS Plus version is the PS4 release, but PS4 games run fine on PS5 hardware through backward compatibility, so PS5 owners can still redeem and play it.
Signalis holds an 81 on Metacritic, and it will most likely land on my personal backlog this month.
WHEN CAN YOU PLAY AUGUST'S PS PLUS GAMES?
Big Walk, Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition, and Signalis are all available to PlayStation Plus Essential members starting August 4, and they stay in the lineup through August 31. Redeem them from the PlayStation Store before the window closes, or you'll lose access once September's lineup rotates in.
GEAR UP BEFORE YOU DIVE IN
Whether you're grinding through Villedor's night cycle or coordinating a Big Walk squad over voice chat, your setup matters. UPLVL's Soles PS5 stand keeps your console level and secure so long horror-game nights don't turn into hardware anxiety, and the Sidearm dual mount keeps your controller and headset organized and ready for co-op with the crew.
Despite the recent PlayStation controversy, this is a solid month with some great additions. Let me know what you think of August's lineup in the comments.
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