PlayStation is dropping a free open-world RPG you won't need PS Plus for

Sony’s recent State of Play showcase revealed several new titles, one of which looks to be a mystical action game steeped in lore from developer TipsWorks.

Ballad of Antara looked gorgeous from its initial reveal and the head of the developer has been discussing the game in more detail.

Another game announced in the State of Play showcase was a new adventure for Astro Bot

One thing of note is that the game will be launching a beta test that will be completely free to play and you won’t need a PlayStation Plus subscription to join in the fun.

Talking more about the Ballad of Antara, Yang Yang the studio head of TipsWorks spoke on the new world that players will be able to explore telling us of two realities that exist.

In one, the normal world of common folk, in another version of this world, called Para, mythical and magical mysteries await.

Both worlds feature intricate details and biomes that are unique and that will be driven by exploration. According to the discussion on the PlayStation blog, each area will house different heroes and enemies.

On the surface, this looks like a Soulslike action game, but it features several different playable characters capable of traversing the two worlds. These characters will be called ‘emissaries’ and each comes with unique classes and abilities.

There will be a distinct single-player adventure at the core of Ballad of Antara, but you can also play as a group of three with family and friends, and it sounds like this mode will be fully co-op as you can tackle story missions together.

The game is due to launch in 2025, though the free beta will come along soon. TipsWorks has announced that post-launch the game will be supported with new emissaries, new biomes, and a continuation of the storyline. From what we’ve seen, it’s shaping up to be a standout title for next year.