Trophies are “optional,” and supported games will have separate trophy lists across PS4 and PS5
Curious PlayStation fans are picking up tidbits left and right now that the new tiered PlayStation Plus plans are in effect in certain regions — namely, Asia markets, excluding Japan. In the Americas, PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium plans are launching on June 13, but we’ve got early info to glean about the priciest tier’s classic PlayStation games. Continuing last week’s story about Syphon Filter getting new trophies for PS4/PS5, other PS1 Classics have gotten full trophy lists, including Wild Arms and Ape Escape.
The trophy lists popped up today on the reliable trophy tracker site Exophase — and so far, everything has a platinum trophy. That said, not every PlayStation Classic will offer trophies (which would’ve concerned some players). Sony confirmed in a wide-ranging “all-new PlayStation Plus” guide today that “this feature is optional for developers.”
So, what are we looking at now that the service is rolling out in select regions?
The current PS1 Classics trophy lists range from 16 trophies on the low end (in the case of the taser-firing Syphon Filter) to 38 trophies on the high end (here’s to you, Wild Arms). It’s great that there’s some flexibility — most of us would happily play our old favorites on PS4/PS5 without trophies if that’s what it took; that shouldn’t be the limiting factor.
The PS1 trophy lists so far, courtesy of Exophase:
Ape Escape players will earn trophies for playing mini-games, getting new gear, and capturing 100 monkeys, while I.Q. players will need to score perfect clears and Syphon Filter fiends will shatter windows and drop a chandelier on an enemy. Don’t expect anything too complex, in other words. Of the early Classics, Wild Arms has the most extensive, modern-feeling trophy list, which makes sense — it’s a big ol’ RPG.
I particularly like the ” Spell Renamer… Namer…” trophy, whose unlock description is “Rename a spell. Be appropriate!” Another one is called “Ragu Has Been Sauced.”
The main menu still slaps. pic.twitter.com/9ad9aFeSsd
— Bend Studio (@BendStudio) May 23, 2022
Other PS1 Classics are popping up
Other PS1 games available at launch in Asia include Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, Jumping Flash!, Mr. Driller, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, Tekken 2, Worms Armageddon, and Worms World Party. You can get a feel for the wider game list over here on this official page for Hong Kong, but Sony warns that “titles may vary by local market.”
Obligatory reminder: some PS1 and PSP Classics can be purchased standalone (without needing a PlayStation Plus subscription) — and some games will be playable at “no extra cost if [you] already own the digital version of the title” from the old days.
When will new PS Plus games be cycled in?
Expectations for PlayStation Plus Premium (known as Deluxe in some regions) vary across the board, but for $120 a year, some of us will need a really steady influx of games.
On that front, Sony says to expect two “refreshes” per month. One refresh, for the (lowest) PlayStation Plus Essential tier, will happen on the “first Tuesday of the month,” in line with what we currently get for PS Plus when “free” PS4/PS5 games roll out.
“Another monthly refresh will occur in the middle of the month with new games across PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe plans,” according to Sony. “The number of games refreshed will vary per month.”
With PS1, PS2, PSP, PS3, PS4, and PS5 games in the mix at PS Plus’ top end, there are a lot of moving parts. I’m sure I’ll pick up some standalone Classics and weigh my options, but I feel like things are already getting out of hand with unfavorable PAL vs. NTSC differences for PS1 games on PS4/PS5. It’s wild to have to worry about frame rates again when the games look nice, have options like rewinding, quick saves, and filters, and otherwise hit the mark. We’ll see how it all shakes out in the US on June 13, I guess!
[Image Credit: andshrew]
