PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Are Better? (November 2018)

PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Are Better (November 2018)?

Sony PS Plus

As if there weren’t enough new games to play this fall season, November’s PS Plus has a big headline title that you really shouldn’t pass on. Yakuza Kiwami is the remake of the 2007 title, and it’s been stunningly reworked to feel almost as slick as the modern games.

It features a gripping tale set within Japan’s organized criminal underworld. Occasionally brutal, often whimsical, Yakuza’s story really stands apart from other games of its genre.

Of course, there’s also plenty of the series hallmark diversity of gameplay, from brawling combat to whacky mini-games to look forward to.

Elsewhere, Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition is your other PS4 title. This one’s a good ol’ fashioned linear shooter, featuring fast-paced gunplay using all manner of outrageous weaponry.

For those having just played Red Dead Redemption 2 or something of a similar size, it could prove a handy palette cleanser — the perfect weekend lighthearted entertainment.

For players still gaming with Sony’s previous generation hardware, Jackbox Party Pack 2 and Arkedo Series are your freebies. Both titles represent solid value given that they’re essentially collections of multiple games.

The first is a selection of fun Trivia games that unsurprisingly suit groups of four or more players. While Arkedo Series includes three solid retro-inspired single-player games.

Over on the PS Vita, you’ve got Burly Men At Sea and Roundabout, both of which can be played on PS4 via cross-buy. The first of which is a narrative adventure game, while Roundabout is a goofy open-world puzzle driving game that’s definitely worth checking out.

PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Are Better (November 2018)?

Xbox Games with Gold

Xbox Games with Gold has delivered an interesting line-up. Battlefield and Assassin’s Creed are two franchises that are getting new releases this fall, and Games with Gold members have the opportunity to play previous major installments to get themselves in the mood.

Battlefield 1, arguably 2017’s hottest shooter, is free for the whole month, and the original Assassin’s Creed from Nov. 1-15. It should be noted that Assassin’s Creed is actually the Xbox 360 offering, but is available for Xbox One via backward compatibility.

Either way, it’s a smart move from the publishers’ side to help garner a bit of extra advertisement for their two most recent titles. We’ve already seen the power of free games to generate interest in titles after Destiny 2 headlined Sony’s September line-up, and went on to debut in the NPD top 10 for that month. EA and Ubisoft will be hoping for similar results, no doubt.

Your other free games across Xbox One and Xbox 360 are Flippfly’s Race the Sun and Dante’s Inferno. Race the Sun is an endless runner-style experience that packs some addictive, fast-paced gameplay, while Dante’s Inferno is an action-adventure title from the now-closed Visceral Games studio.

Remember, you can still get last month’s Games with Gold if you’re quick!

PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Are Better (November 2018)?

Who Wins?

This month we’re giving it to Xbox Games with Gold. Any time there are two notable games included in the service over one it’s got a strong chance of coming out on top. Honestly, though, Battlefield 1 would probably have been enough to win November even without Assassin’s Creed.

The awesome shooter did wonders to revitalize the franchise last year, introducing the awesome vignette-style story-missions across a warzone that we really haven’t seen much of in gaming over the years.

That’s perhaps because the subject matter is considered pretty dark, but EA Dice did a great job producing an exciting but often poignant series of campaign missions. We just wish there more of them! The multiplayer is where things are at, though, and the scene is still thriving even with the impending release of Battlefield V.

As the first of a long succession of open-world games, Assassin’s Creed might not hold up today in terms of gameplay. Yet, it’s still worth checking out if only to either as a fun nostalgia trip or an education in the origins of the genre.

Let’s not breeze over Sony’s offering, however, as Yakuza Kiwami is a title that is absolutely praiseworthy. Yes, more modern Yakuza games look and play better, but this is the perfect opportunity for fans of the series to go back and experience its origins, nicely touched-up with an HD makeover.

It’s also obviously a good jumping-in point for anybody that hasn’t played a Yakuza title.

As for the PS3, Vita, and other 360 games –they pretty much all cancel each other out this month. There are some decent enough experiences but nothing to tip the balance in favor one way or the other.

What we will say is that Sony plans to phase out the non-PS4 titles in March of next year, and they already feel like a bit of an after thought.

On the other hand, the 360 titles continue to impress, with Microsoft thoughtfully including some notable games that are all backward compatible with Xbox One. Long may that continue.