By Amanda, @swansongwriter
This month, Playstation have been very kind to their Plus members with the free games on offer and so here, we’ll take a look at what’s available. Due to having covered three games in one article, these are more overviews however if you want more in-depth reviews, feel free to get in contact and we’ll provide those for you. Right, on with the reviews…
Journey
(Image courtesy of http://www.rosetintedgamers.com)
This is one of my all-time favourite console games. I first played this on Playstation 3, pre-release date, as was one of the benefits of Playstation Plus back then. Once I’d completed it, I proceeded to text every gamer in my phone book with ‘You HAVE to get Journey as soon as it’s released’. From the creators of Flow and Flower, thatgamecompany have made a totally unique gaming experience. You play the part of a figure on their journey to find their origins. There are no words throughout, only the astonishing soundtrack and musical notes which are used to communicate with other players. The setting ranges from a dessert to under the dark shadows of the sea. Throughout the game, you learn of the origins of this unknown character by images found on walls. It’s not ever been overrun by players when I’ve played through and so there’s a real enjoyment to finding other people. At the end of the game, it shows you the players’ names which you have met along the way. This is an excellent game which is more like an experience than a game and the graphics definitely still hold up, even on the PS4. You will be able to complete the entire story in about two and a half hours and aside from the sea part, it’s totally child friendly. The controls are really simple and I would definitely recommend this to anyone, even those who aren’t normally video gamers. Slightly annoyingly, I did purchase this as soon as it became available but hey, it’s worth the money!
Lords of the Fallen
(Image courtesy of http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com)
This is the only game of the three which I hadn’t previously played. Now, hearing this compared to the Souls series, I was instantly put off. I couldn’t bring myself to get over the frustration of Dark Souls and never went back to the series after. But, for my craft, I gave it a go so here it is. Within fifteen minutes, I saw exactly why it was compared to those infuriating games – I died three times within the space of ten minutes. Everywhere I turned, there was something I hadn’t faced before with so much power, I didn’t have a hope in this hellish land. Still, it’s one of the few, non pixelated freebies provided by Playstation so that’s a positive. This is an action role playing gaming which you can definitely get your teeth into if you’re gifted with patience and gritty determination. For Souls lovers, you will feel a sense of familiarity as you run around, dying and collecting loot to win your next battle with a formidable foe. I think this is an excellent freebie however I do not have the patience for it unfortunately. However, should you want to hear more, let me know and I will put at least ten hours in for a meatier review (please don’t).
Badland
(Image courtesy of http://images.pushsquare.com)
Initially, this is a game which I discovered on an app store and became totally hooked. The premise is simple. This puzzler sees you take on the role of… well I’m not sure what it is, let’s say a living black pompom with eyes and extremities called Clony. I’m assuming this is a connection to the word clone as there are perks scattered throughout the levels which split your floating pompom into various versions as well as other perks which make you super huger and heavy or tiny and light. Each section is another day in the life of this creature and you guide it through woodlands avoiding spinning wheels of death and jumping over obstacles. As expected, the puzzles get increasingly harder as you progress through various colour schemes of woodland. So the version on PS4 is the Game of the Year Edition which provides fifteen hours of solo campaign fun along with multiplayer, co-op and battle modes. The screen slides as you move so keep going forward as if it catches up with you, it’s game over! I really like the simple controls which are X for jumping/flying and left stick to push yourself along – really simple allowing you just to enjoy the game and focus on the puzzles. I did feel sorry for my little Clony however as I must have given him concussion on various occasions… Sorry! Something I quite like is that when you start a new level, the game soundtrack doesn’t kick in until you move. So, you can go and get gaming fuel (general junk food & drink) without having to hear a repetitive noise in the background. Having said that, the soundtrack is nature, think tweeting birds and rustling leaves, so it’s quite relaxing. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone wanting to while away time without getting stuck into a full, marathon required gaming session.
So, a good selection of games from Playstation Plus this month which is a relief after some of the choices in previous months. I hope to see more awesome games like this in the future from Playstation!
Get in contact >
References >
Blog.us.playstation.com
Wikipedia.org
Bandlandgame.com
Steampowered.com
I really need to start playing my backlogged ps+games.
Me too, 1st month I have had ps plus though – MN
It’s worth it, but Sony does need to put more retail games out for free. But for $25 for 3 months it’s always been worth it. Especially during Halloween and Christmas times, where they add more freebies.