PS Plus Feb 2017: Until Dawn, LittleBigPlanet 3, Not A Hero, and more
Sony Interactive Entertainment has released the confirmed list of free games coming to PlayStation Plus members in Asia this month, headlined by teen slasher Until Dawn.
There’s still time to take advantage of the Lunar New Year offers, particularly the “12+3 month” PS Plus membership so be sure to renew or extend before it’s too late.
Until Dawn (PlayStation 4)
Picture a David Cage game. You’re probably thinking of something with a slow pace, a string of fixed camera work, loads of dialogue, and gameplay that hinges on button presses to influence the story. Supermassive Games follows that template to a tee but they do so with great effect, delivering a stereotypical teen slasher right to your PS4.
The story’s mostly cohesive and faintly memorable but let’s not kid ourselves – nobody is going to play Until Dawn for the gripping drama. Rather, this is an exercise in sadistic tendencies, the fates (and demise) of a group of teenagers entirely at our whims. Are you going to let a person die by falling off a cliff, or will their end be wreathed in a blazing fire? The decision is yours.
LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4)
Sackboy has been the undisputed mascot for PlaySation these past few years and LittleBigPlanet 3 is his ultimate playground, the culmination of all the creative forces collected from both developers and the community. This time, our jovial bundle of wool is joined by all-new friends to tackle new obstacles in this physics-based platformer.
LBP 3 is a great addition to any PS4 owner’s library thanks to its quick gameplay, local co-op support, and the plethora of custom levels – DLC or fan-made – that are available for download. Don’t look down on these community creations, either, as some of them are massive labors of love. I’m recently reminded of a Dark Souls recreation, faithful not only in terms of level design but, amazingly, mechanics too.
Not A Hero (PS4)
To borrow developer Roll7’s words, Not A Hero is “the greatest 2¼-D cover-based indie shooter of all-time.” You play Steve, a professional assassin turned political campaign manager, who must take on the criminal underworld in three major districts to win over undecided voters. It’s a quirky premise but the game has earned the loving attention of curator-publisher Digital Devolver, critics, and gamers.
Not A Hero is a finely-tuned engine when it comes to the slick, violent gameplay, drawing comparisons to indie hit Hotline Miami (except we have actual animals instead of masks). Steve, or one of the eight other “not heroes”, will get to run, roll, and slide through a hail of gunfire and dynamic events in their attempts to sweep the streets clean.
TorqueL (PS4, PS Vita)
PlayStation doesn’t have an official English video up on their channel so we turned to publisher Playism for one. TorqueL is one of those minimalist 2D puzzle-platformers that is best played to understand its appeal, relying on simple geometric shapes to get its point across. Not that we have anything against that – VVVVVV, Thomas Was Alone and others are great examples.
Chances are, TorqueL would make for a great first few hours before it gets overwhelmed by all the other titles on offer here.
Color Guardians (PS4, PSV)
Underneath the colorful, kiddy-like facade of Color Guardians is a side-scrolling platformer that demands skill. You’ll move in a single direction along three tracks, collecting orbs to bring color back into the world. It gradually introduces new mechanics along the way to ramp up the difficulty, although consensus on the game appears to be mixed.
Whatever the case, we’ll be getting Color Guardians for “free” so it’s worth giving the game a spin, especially if you enjoy the old Nintendo and Sega classics and their level of difficulty.
Spelunky (PSV)
The final game on the list is Spelunky, a household name amongst indie fans and observers. As its name suggests, the platformer has you exploring underground in search for treasure, all the while avoiding the many traps and monsters that are out to get you. And yes, it’s inspired by rogue-lites so the levels are procedurally generated every time.
Spelunky‘s pretty old when it comes to gaming but the game does promise plenty of fun if you’re new to it. Additional modes such as deathmatch and local co-op help extend its lifespan further.
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