PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Are Better? (July 2019)

Sony PS Plus

[UPDATE]: Sony has today announced plans to swap out Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 (PES) for Detroit Become Human. Why? They haven’t really said, simply apologizing for the inconvenience and crossing out the blurb related to PES on the blog post. You can read more about our take on the situation below in the conclusion to this article.

With only two games each month to look forward to each month these days, PS Plus subscribers will be hoping the quality makes up for the lack of quantity moving forward. So what have they got play in July? Konami’s PES, and Aquiris Game Studios’ Horizon Chase Turbo.

While the PES series has lagged behind EA’s FIFA for a number of years now, improved mechanics, weather effects, and the addition of new leagues and classic players have breathed life into it as of late. It’s certainly a quality soccer game, though its appeal is perhaps limited as a PS Plus title.

It’ll be of interest to curious FIFA players that haven’t tried PES, of course, but equally, I’d imagine many FIFA hardcore are uninterested in switching from the series they know, and most PES fans will presumably have their copies already.

As for Horizon Chase Turbo, well, I’ve seen plenty of tongue in cheek comments across the internet mocking the arcade racer as not up to par in terms of what many would consider a quality PS Plus game. That might be a bit unfair. Sure, it’s not the sort of AAA experience that’ll grab headlines and get people really excited, but it’s actually a highly rated game.

I think ultimately the big boo hoo of this month’s PS Plus offering is that both games are sports-focused titles that simply won’t be of interest to many players.

PS Plus Games (June)

• Pro Evolution Soccer 2019
• Horizon Chase Turbo

Xbox Games with Gold

Xbox Games with Gold players have two fantastic side-scrolling games to enjoy this month. In fact, Playdead’s INSIDE and Konami’s Castlevania Symphony of the Night are arguably two of the best side-scrolling games ever made.

Both are complete polar opposites in terms of gameplay experience: one a harrowing puzzle-platformer with a story that’ll have you pondering its meaning for days after you’ve rolled credits, and the other an iconic Metroidvania classic that helped to forge an entire genre.

INSIDE is absolutely one of the games of this generation, and if you’ve been sleeping on Playdead’s thrilling game then now you have no excuses to jump in.

And for anybody that’s played the recently released Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night but not Symphony of the Night, you really should go back and play Koji Igarashi’s original masterpiece. And even veterans of the game will surely welcome another playthrough.

Elsewhere, Games with Gold players have Big Crown, and Meet the Robinsons to play in July. The first is 3D action-platformer that blends chaotic combat with fast platforming, while the latter is a third-person adventure game based on a popular license.

Xbox Games with Gold (July)

• INSIDE
• Big Crown
• Castlevania Symphony of the Night
• Meet the Robinsons

Who Wins?

With the typical summer drought of video games well and truly underway, subscribers to both PS Plus and Xbox Games with Gold will be looking to their service for a top-up of quality games to tide them over until the busy Fall period. Unfortunately, only one service delivers.

By a country mile, Xbox Games with Gold has the better free games in July. Not only are there more of them, they’re of a better quality too. While I wouldn’t necessarily say either PES 2019 or Horizon Chase Turbo are bad games, there’s simply no comparison to INSIDE and Symphony of the Night.

Those two classics are required reading for any hardcore video game player, while the PS Plus offerings don’t carry anywhere near the same weight.

As we near the end of the console generation, I feel Sony needs to overhaul its PS Plus service before it starts souring what has otherwise been a quality service over the past two or so years. Further disappointment moving forward isn’t going to tee it up well for a transition to PS5, either, you’d have to imagine.

[UPDATE]: Could it be that the collective sighs of disappointment have encouraged Sony to reconsider? We’re not sure. What we do know is that Quantic Dream’s latest narrative-driven adventure game is a much more interesting choice and should appeal to a wider audience.

Also, as pointed out by one of our readers, the Digital Deluxe version comes with Heavy Rain as well, which means subscribers now have three games to play! Thanks for the reminder Rangerman15!

You can check out our review of the game here (spoilers, we loved it).

So the big question, then, is whether this surprising switcharoo has altered our overall pick for the month. And the answer to that question is no.

As good as Detroit Become Human is, and even with the revelation that the package also features Heavy Rain as well, we’re sticking with the collective might of INSIDE and Symphony of the Night as toppling even Sony’s second bite of the apple. There’s more gameplay on offer, and INSIDE arguably has a more thought-provoking narrative despite lacking a single line of dialog.

You can check out last month’s showdown here.