PS5 Users Can Now Play One of the Best Games of 2024 for Free
The second best PS5 game of 2024 is now free to download for some.
PS5 users, or at least some owners of the new PlayStation console, can now download and play the second best game of 2024 for free. Right now, three of the top-rated 2024 games on Metacritic can be played on PS5 and not its competitor console, the Xbox Series X|S. The first and fourth highest rated releases of the year -- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered -- are exclusive to the Sony console. The second highest rated game is not exclusive to the console, but is currently not available on Xbox consoles. That game just came out this week, and it is called Animal Well.
Developed by Billy Basso and published by Big Mode, the new release is a debut for the pair, and what a debut it is proving to be. While it is unclear how well the game is selling, so far, it's been received well by not just critics -- who have given the game a 91 on Metacritic -- but consumers. Over on Steam, the game currently has 2,120 user reviews, 96 percent of which are positive. This in turn has given the game an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating, the highest rating you can on earn on Steam. In short, it is not just critics waxing lyrical about the new metroidvania, but gamers are loving it as well.
The best part for PS5 gamers is the game is free with PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium. How long it is going to be available for free via these two tiers of PS Plus, we don't know. At the minimum, it should be a few months, which is plenty time to beat the game. Data is still coming in how long it takes to beat Animal Well, but it looks like anywhere between a handful of hours to a dozen hours depending on how much you get distracted by side content. Meanwhile, it looks like completionist playthroughs may be double this.
"Hatch from your flower and spelunk through the beautiful and sometimes haunting world of Animal Well, a pixelated wonder rendered in intricate audio and visual detail," reads an official blurb about the game. "Encounter lively creatures small and large, helpful and ominous as you discover unconventional upgrades and unravel the well's secrets. This is a truly unique experience that can make you laugh in fear, surprise, or delight."
For more PlayStation 5 coverage -- including not just all of the latest PS5 news, but all of the latest PS5 rumors, leaks, and speculation, as well as all of the latest PS5 deals -- click here. Meanwhile, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think. Have you checked out Animal Well yet? If so, what do you think of it?
