Sony really didn't hold back for the spooky season. When the PS Plus games October 2024 were first announced, there was the usual internet chatter about whether the value was there, but honestly? It turned out to be one of the most cohesive months we've seen in a long time. They leaned hard into the horror vibes, which makes sense, but they also snuck in some high-octane action that kept people who hate jump scares from feeling left out.
You’ve probably seen the headlines already. The headliners were WWE 2K24, Dead Space, and Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!. That is a wild spread. One minute you're suplexing Cody Rhodes, and the next, you're experiencing psychological trauma from a visual novel that looks like a high school dating sim. It’s that weird, eclectic mix that keeps the subscription from feeling stale.
What You Might Have Missed in the PS Plus Games October 2024 Selection
Most people jumped straight into Dead Space. It’s the 2023 remake, by the way, not the 2008 original, which is a massive win for Essential tier subscribers. Motive Studio basically rebuilt the Ishimura from the ground up. The lighting engine alone is enough to make you want to keep the lights on in your own living room. But the real story here isn't just the graphics. It’s the "Intensity Director."
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This is a backend system that tracks how you’re playing. If you’re doing too well, it might trigger a pipe to burst or a vent to rattle just to mess with your heart rate. It’s procedural spookiness.
Then there’s WWE 2K24. Visual Concepts has been on a bit of a redemption arc since the disaster that was 2K20. This year’s entry celebrates 40 years of WrestleMania. If you grew up watching Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin, the "Showcase of the Immortals" mode is basically a playable documentary. It uses what they call "Slingshot Tech" to transition seamlessly between actual historical footage and gameplay. It’s jarring in a good way. You’ll be watching a graining clip of WrestleMania 3 and then—boom—you’re the one controlling the action.
The Doki Doki Curveball
Let’s talk about Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! for a second. If you haven't played it, don't let the anime eyes fool you. This isn't a "cute" game. It’s arguably more terrifying than Dead Space because it messes with the medium of gaming itself. It breaks the fourth wall. It talks to you. It modifies its own files.
Including this in the PS Plus games October 2024 lineup was a stroke of genius on Sony’s part. It’s a "cult classic" that many people are curious about but might not spend $15 on just to see if they like it. Putting it on the service removes that barrier to entry. Just… maybe don’t let your kids play this one thinking it’s a story about poetry and cupcakes. There are serious content warnings for a reason.
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The Extra and Premium Tiers Got Even Weirder
If you pay for the higher tiers, the mid-month drop was even more substantial. We saw Dead Island 2 hit the service. This game was in development hell for about a decade. Seriously. It swapped developers three times before Dambuster Studios finally dragged it across the finish line. And you know what? It’s fun. It’s not trying to be The Last of Us. It’s a colorful, gory, "flesh-system" powered playground in Los Angeles (or "Hell-A").
The "FLESH" system is actually a technical marvel. It stands for Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids. It means when you hit a zombie with a sledgehammer, the damage appears exactly where you hit it, procedurally. It’s gross. It’s impressive. It’s exactly what October needed.
The Nostalgia Trap
Sony also leaned into the Classics catalog for Premium members. Dino Crisis finally arrived. People have been screaming for this for years. Regina is a Capcom icon, and while everyone wants a full Resident Evil 2 style remake, having the original playable on modern hardware is a decent peace offering.
We also got Siren, which is a deep-cut horror title from the PS2 era. It’s clunky. The controls are a nightmare. But the atmosphere? Unmatched. It uses a "sight-jacking" mechanic where you have to see through the eyes of the monsters to figure out how to avoid them. It’s stressful. It’s slow. It’s Japanese horror at its most experimental.
Why the Value Proposition Changed This Month
For a while, the narrative around PS Plus was that it was becoming a repository for games everyone already owned. But looking at the PS Plus games October 2024, that didn't feel true. WWE 2K24 was only a few months old at that point. Dead Space is still a premium-feeling current-gen title.
There's a strategy here. Sony is clearly trying to combat the "Game Pass" effect by offering high-quality, relatively recent titles rather than just indie filler.
- Dead Space (Motive/EA): ~$70 at launch.
- WWE 2K24 (2K Sports): ~$70 at launch.
- Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! (Serenity Forge): ~$15 value.
That’s over $150 in value for the cost of a monthly sub. Even if you only play one of them, you’re breaking even.
A Note on the "Expiry" Culture
One thing gamers often forget is that once you claim these Essential games, they are yours as long as you have a sub. But the Extra and Premium games? Those are on a rotating door. Dead Island 2 won't stay forever. This creates a "play it now" pressure that is both annoying and effective for engagement metrics.
The Nuance of the "Horror" Theme
While October is obviously for horror, Sony was careful. Dead Space is sci-fi horror. Doki Doki is psychological horror. Siren is stealth horror. The Last of Us Part I (which also hung around the service) is action-horror.
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They covered the sub-genres.
But what about the people who hate being scared? That’s where WWE 2K24 and Inscryption (which has been on the service) come in. Inscryption is technically spooky, but it’s a deck-builder. It’s about strategy. You aren't being chased by a guy with a chainsaw; you're just playing cards against a creepy guy in a shack. It’s a different kind of tension.
Looking Back at the Reception
The community reaction was surprisingly positive. Usually, the PS Plus subreddit is a toxic wasteland of complaints. This time? Not so much. People were actually excited to jump back into the Ishimura.
There was some minor grumbling about the PS4 versions of games. Some users felt that Sony is starting to phase out the older console by optimizing the "best" versions for PS5, which is true. If you’re playing on a base PS4, Dead Space isn't even an option for you—it’s a PS5 exclusive. This is a subtle nudge from Sony: "It’s time to upgrade."
How to Maximize Your Subscription Right Now
If you still have these games in your library or are looking at similar upcoming months, there’s a strategy to it.
- Prioritize the "Extra" Titles First: Games like Dead Island 2 can leave the service with only a few weeks' notice. Essential games like Dead Space are yours forever once claimed. Play the ones that can disappear first.
- Check for DLC Cross-Over: Often, when a game hits PS Plus, the DLC goes on sale. For WWE 2K24, the CM Punk ECW Pack or the Post Malone pack usually see discounts right when the base game is "free."
- Use Cloud Streaming for Classics: If you’re on the Premium tier, don't waste hard drive space on Siren or Dino Crisis. These are small enough to stream perfectly without much input lag, assuming your internet isn't from 1998.
The PS Plus games October 2024 lineup was a rare moment where the theme, the value, and the variety actually lined up. It catered to the hardcore horror fans while giving the sports crowd a massive AAA title to chew on.
Moving forward, expect Sony to keep this "one massive hit, one niche hit, one variety hit" cadence. It seems to be the sweet spot for keeping the subscription numbers steady even as they raise prices.
Next Steps for Your Library
- Check your "Library" tab on the PS5 dashboard to ensure you actually hit "Add to Library" on the Essential titles; simply viewing them isn't enough to secure them for life.
- If you haven't finished Dead Space, focus on the Side Missions—they provide the "Master Override" which is the only way to get the best weapon upgrades in the late game.
- For Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, make sure to check the internal "mail" and "files" within the game's menu; that's where the real lore is hidden.