Top 10 PlayStation Plus Premium Action Games

PlayStation Plus Premium has launched with a bang with big first-party exclusives Demon's Souls, Ghost of Tsushima, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales on the subscription service. They each feature a ton of great action moments, and thankfully, there are many other titles on offer that give the same amount of exhilaration. Here are the top 10 PlayStation Plus Premium action games you can find on Sony's latest subscription service.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Is a Co-op PlayStation Plus Premium Action Game

Beloved by many action fans, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 provides chaotic four-player gameplay with brutal combat and tons of enemies to defeat who stand in your path. You can gain experience in 15 different talent trees, play as five different characters, work your way up the difficulty ladders, and find over 50 different weapons throughout your adventure.

Each stage is fairly violent with some absolutely gory combat, so make sure you keep the kids away if you're a parent. Over five million copies of Warhammer: Vermintide 2 have sold, so it must be doing something right. 

Ghostrunner Is a Lightning-Fast PlayStation Plus Premium Action Game

Another first-person action game, Ghostrunner takes you through the streets of a cyberpunk-like world. Similar to Mirror's Edge, you're running on walls, landing on your feet, and moving at a quick pace. However, Ghostrunner adds some weapons in the mix like a slick sword and a slow-motion feature that lets you avoid bullets. The smooth frame rate and animations look incredible, and as you slice and dice your foes, it feels overall satisfying to go through each level.

The platforming can be quite challenging as well. For example, in one boss fight, you must avoid an incoming onslaught of spinning lasers while trying to find to reach the top, where a weak point lies. Read our review for more details.

inFAMOUS: Second Son Is a Superpowered PlayStation Plus Premium Action Game

Before Jin Sakai set foot in Tsushima, Sucker Punch developed inFAMOUS: Second Son, an open-world action adventure title set in Seattle. Playing as superhero (or villain) Delsin Rowe, you're trying to unravel the grip that the government-assigned D.U.P. has on the city with its detaining of superpowered beings. This game features some unique superpowers like the use of smoke and neon. Delsin can enter into the smoke trails of chimneys to lift him up into the air or use the power of neon light to move fast through the city and create grenades.

With the number of powers that Delsin has, it's thrilling to take out enemy forces with all manner of unlockable skills and abilities. Seattle is also replicated in beautiful detail, and some major landmarks are represented in inFAMOUS: Second Son. The story will keep you hooked too as you make different choices throughout the adventure.  

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Is a Thrilling PlayStation Plus Premium Action Game

After the disappointing Marvel's Avengers, Eidos Montreal's Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy seemed doomed from the beginning. However, as more people have played the game, they've discovered some of the best storytelling and gameplay of 2021 -- we even awarded it our Game of the Year for 2021. Like their movie counterparts, each of the Guardians have great chemistry together, and the script is filled with the humor you'd expect.

On top of that, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy on PS4 and PS5 features a completely original story that will grip you from start to finish. The graphics are also outstanding as the game takes you through different planets, and the action set pieces are astonishing. Finally, the action of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is exciting as you synergize the team's abilities, shoot at enemy forces, and strategically take out incoming foes. If you haven't played Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, now's the time to do so. Remember to close the fridge when you can.

Gravity Rush Remastered Is the Best Anime PlayStation Plus Premium Action Game

Rather than soaring through the skies in the Milano, you'll be levitating across the town of Hekseville as Kat in Gravity Rush Remastered. While the combat is pretty basic with kicks and the ability to throw items, Gravity Rush Remastered makes up for it with a gorgeous art style and even more staggering soundtrack by Kohei Tanaka. It's also thrilling to fly as Kat and use her gravity-defying powers against her foes.

Despite the game being 10 years old, the visuals are still striking as the Parisian-like town of Hekseville stands out in a graphic novel-like look. Gravity Rush also has a charming story that, while not voice acted, does present an engaging narrative. The sequel is also available on PlayStation Plus Premium. 

Horizon Zero Dawn Is a Beautiful PlayStation Plus Premium Action Game

From one strong female protagonist to the next, Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition is everything you want in an open world game: a large, intriguing world to explore, a strong crafting system that has you creating different kinds of arrows and equipment, and a gripping story that entices you to go further in the expansive game. The action is top notch as you face against mechanical, dinosaur-like creatures from a past age. 

Horizon Zero Dawn is fascinating because it's a post-post apocalyptic game. It takes place many years after current society has failed, and now, a new civilization has taken form with problems of their own. You see grass, flowers, and all manner of plants growing on top of the machinery and buildings that were left behind, creating a unique landscape to discover.

Aloy is also an excellent female protagonist that is given an exciting destiny to fulfill. The video game has been so successful that it even has a board game adaptation. The DLC, The Frozen Wilds, is also included as you'll be able to get the Complete Edition on PlayStation Plus Premium.

Ghost of Tsushima Is an Epic PlayStation Plus Premium Action Game

After the previously aforementioned InFAMOUS: Second Son, Sucker Punch developed the well-received Ghost of Tsushima. Based somewhat in history, the game takes place in feudal-era Japan, and you stand against the Mongol empire, a dominant force that seems unstoppable. After a series of unfortunate events, the main character Jin Sakai has to decide whether to take the role of a dishonorable Ghost or follow a path of ruin as the Samurai, who are beleaguered in numbers. As an act of justice, you'll face off against the Mongols in epic boss fights, camp takeovers, and interesting side missions that tell their own unique stories.

The action is intense as you utilize your blade. You can parry attacks, dodge, and find the perfect time to strike. It works similarly to the Assassin's Creed series, but it goes one step further with multiple stances. Some stances are better than others against certain enemies, so you'll have to strategically switch positions at opportune moments. Ghost of Tsushima will take up much of your time as its open world is massive with many collectibles to find. Despite its size, Ghost of Tsushima looks stunning in almost every way you look and is deeply inspired by the Japanese wilderness.

Despite the game being developed in Bellevue, Washington, it has received wide acclaim from Japanese fans and sold well in the region. 

God of War (2018) Is an All-Time Classic PlayStation Plus Premium Action Game

Epic is the first word you'll likely think of after playing God of War (2018). Stepping into a new third-person perspective rather than an almost bird's-eye view, Kratos and his son Atreus are on a journey to spread their mother's ashes from the highest mountain. Along the way, Kratos must fight deadly Norse gods who seem interested in killing the Ghost of Sparta. As you progress, you can upgrade Kratos and Atreus' stats and improve their combat abilities.

Battles are won with skill as you strike with your axe and dodge when necessary. Each major boss feels epic as you try to outwit them. The action isn't as fast as prior games, but it feels more impactful as Kratos defends his son (and teaches him to fight). There are more stakes, and with that comes an emotional story that you'll likely get wrapped up in, especially if you're a father.

The graphics also look gorgeous as you discover this new Norse world in the God of War series. We can't wait to play the sequel God of War: Ragnarok, and checking out this game for the first time or for another run (thanks to PlayStation Plus Premium) is a great head start. 

Demon's Souls Will Test Your Mettle on PlayStation Plus Premium

One of the most impressive launch titles of all time, Demon's Souls presents a grand yet dark world to explore with spectacular graphics and action set pieces. While the combat is much slower than others on this list, every sword strike needs to be precise and timed to what's happening around the player character. You need to learn the patterns of each enemy, boss or not, to master Demon's Souls, and maybe complete the game from start to finish... if you're lucky.

The developer of the remaster, Bluepoint Games, did an incredible job with this release, remaking the game from scratch and yet keeping the original, creepy vibe that the original maker of Demon's Souls, FromSoftware, was going for. The particle effects and elemental factors of the game look astonishing, and the way the game loads up so fast will surprise you. This is one of the best offerings on PlayStation Plus Premium right now.

Marvel's Spider-Man Series Is a Webslinging PlayStation Plus Premium Offering

Your Spidey-sense should be tingling as the Marvel's Spider-Man series is last on this list. Legendary developer Insomniac Games, known for their work on the Ratchet & Clank series, released such a pivotal comic-book action game with Marvel's Spider-Man, and then followed it up with the just as good, if not better, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The action is exceptional as Spider-Man uses his webs and speed to take out surrounding foes.

The game unlocks abilities and gadgets for you as you progress, expanding your combat prowess as you clobber no-good criminals. Insomniac's take on the webhead also features an emotional story that rivals the movies and villains that you can emotionally connect to and ultimately understand to an extent, just like the comics.

Also, webslinging in Marvel's Spider-Man is exceptional as it takes into account the speed, angle, and velocity of your swings. Falling through the air is so visceral, and doing backflips never gets old. It's a must-play action game that deserves to be downloaded to your PS4 or PS5 as soon as you can if you have PlayStation Plus Premium.

That concludes our list of the best action games on PlayStation Plus Premium as of June 2022. Are there any that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

PlayStation Plus Premium access was provided to the writer by PlayStation Canada.