2026’s best PS5 game, and the best game of the year in general, is free with a PlayStation Plus subscription for roughly the next 48 hours. In other words, free for August 30 and August 31, but come September 1, it will no longer be free. If claimed in time, it is a permanent addition to your PSN library with an active PS Plus subscription. If said subscription lapses, access to the game is revoked until the subscription is renewed. Meanwhile, this offer is available for all tiers of the Sony subscription service: Essential, Extra, and Premium.
Of course, what the best game of 2026 so far is is debatable. Games within this debate include Forza Horizon 6, Resident Evil Requeim, Pokemon Pokopia, Pragmata, Mina the Hollower, 007 First Light, and a couple of other games. There is also a case for a new horror game with the same exact Metacritic score as the aforementioned Resident Evil Requeim, giving it a run for its money for best horror game of the year. Higher rated than both of these games on Metacritic, though, is Big Walk. In fact, excluding re-releases from years prior and DLC — with its 91 on Metacritic, Big Walk is the highest-rated game of 2026 so far. And it’s also one of August’s free monthly PlayStation games. If you haven’t already done so, claim it, even if you don’t intend on playing it, because this could always change in the future. The difference is that it is free now and won’t be starting on September 1 and beyond.
Critics and Consumers Alike Love Big Walk
Not only do critics rate Big Walk highly, but PS5 users do too. To this end, the PS Plus game has a 4.55 out of 5 stars, which is a 91 on a 100-point scale; the same exact score it has on Metacritic.
“More fun than expected, challenging puzzles and fooling around with friends,” reads one of these user reviews on the PlayStation Store. Another adds, “What a journey.
Just got the first ending with friends last night after an amazing walk around a lovingly crafted game world. Hard to compare this game to anything else… highly recommend.”
As for the game itself, it is a cooperative multiplayer adventure game with puzzle elements. And in it, teamwork and communication are at the core of the gameplay. In the game, you set out with your friends and journey through a wide-open world full of challenges, puzzles, and even some discoveries. To achieve this goal, you will need to find unique ways to stay in contact, utilizing an assortment of tools and toys. To realize this, the game notably has proximity chat.
Those on PS Plus who take advantage of the PS5 game being free over the next 48 hours should expect to sit down with it for somewhere between 10 and 20 hours to see it from start to finish.