The last Wednesday of the month is when PlayStation usually announces their upcoming free PlayStation Plus games for the next month. Unfortunately for us, the last Wednesday of the month coincided with the last day of the month. This gave way to more time for speculation and rumors, the biggest of which was the false leak for February’s free games: Far Cry 4 and Dark Souls 2. To the disappointment of many, neither of these titles show up for the month.
Here are the confirmed games:
Rime (PS4)
A young boy awakens on a strange island following a severe storm. A large tower looms in the distance; the goal is to reach it. On the way, you get to explore the island and its secrets through puzzle-based gameplay. I’m excited that this artistic game is on the list this month.
Knack (PS4)
Knack is a strange humanoid made completely of relics, and he is the game’s playable hero. Goblins threaten the safety of humanity, leaving Knack and his creator to band together and stop them. The gameplay combines platforming with beat-’em-up combat. It has received some fairly mixed reviews.
Spelunker HD (PS3)
This remake of the classic Spelunker from the NES days has not been welcomed with entirely open arms. Its extreme difficulty has deterred many players. Spelunker HD can be played with the original 8-bit style or with the new HD style. As you can tell from the picture above, it sure isn’t pretty. The HD remake is mostly identical to the original’s gameplay, but now there is a four-player multiplayer mode available.
Mugen Souls Z (PS3)
Mugen Souls Z is a comedic RPG game with a turn-based combat system. If you enjoyed Hyperdimension Neptunia MK2, then I’d definitely give this game a try.
Exile’s End (PS Vita)
Exile’s End’s seeks to bring you back to the ’90s PC gaming era with its 2-D graphics and gameplay. The game was created by Japanese developers and designers. They add an aspect of Japanese culture into the game that makes it all the more interesting.
Grand Kingdom (PS Vita & PS4)
This JRPG has received a very positive reception. Its complexity, diversity in battles, and strategical emphases has made this game much loved. Grand Kingdom does an excellent job bringing players into a medieval world filled with fantastical monsters.
None of these games may be Dark Souls, but it’s definitely not a bad month for PSN users.