PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Win April?

Sony PS Plus

PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Win April?

Another month, another impressive line-up from PS Plus. Following on from what was a tantalizing combination of Bloodborne and Ratchet and Clank last month, we’re yet again pleasantly surprised by a pretty decent headline game in April. Max Max might not have quite the same gravitas as Bloodborne, but it’s still a significant AAA open world action game that was well received upon its release back in 2015. For many, it’s likely a game that was ignored in favor of playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which launched on the exact same day. But now you’ve got a chance to experience the exciting vehicular combat and stunning spectacle of its post-apocalyptic desert world for the first time as a PS Plus freebie.

Elsewhere, Trackmania Turbo is your other PS4 title. The arcade racer boasts over 200 hundred different tracks in which you can push the pedal to the metal, as well as a track editor to custom build your own circuits. Multiplayer gamers will appreciate the split screen action or competitive online play to test their skills, and there’s also co-op if you’re wanting to take on challenges with a buddy. There’s actually a handy PSVR mode for those with the hardware to take advantage of it, too.

Over on PS3, In Space We Brawl and Toy Home are your two games. Neither are particularly highly regarded but there is plenty of multiplayer action to be enjoyed in both. In Space We Brawl, in particular, works superbly as a local co-op experience with four players.

If you’re still hanging onto Sony’s handheld, Vita owners get 99 Vidas and Q-Bert Rebooted, the latter of which supports Cross-Buy with PS4 and PS3. 99 Vidas is a 2D fighting game heavily inspired by 90s classics like Double Dragon, while Q-Bert is a modernized version of the classic puzzle arcade games. It’s not a hugely exciting lineup, but fans of retro gaming will likely enjoy these two.

Xbox Games with Gold

PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Win April?

With all the hype surrounding PS Plus’ terrific offerings in recent months, Games with Gold has been in need of a decent showing, and this month it’s certainly delivered. Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate and The Witness is this month’s one-two punch of free games, and what a combination!

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate might not have met Ubisoft’s sales expectations, and that was probably a large part of the reasons why the franchise went on hiatus in 2016, but it’s actually a really great game. The open world is set in Victorian London, making it the most modern game in the series, and it’s detailed superbly with an ambiance that’s suitably grim for the industrial era. In terms of story, you’re in for a treat, as this is one of the better offerings in the series and two of the more interesting protagonists in Jacob and Evie Frye. Yes, the combat will feel clunky to anyone who’s recently played Origins, but it’s worth readjusting to experience this awesome realization of Victorian England.

The Witness is Jonathan Blow’s brilliant follow up to the acclaimed puzzle game, Braid. For many, The Witness is a masterpiece of design that’s absolutely a must-play of this console generation. If you were worried about your ability to solve its intricate puzzles, now is a perfect time to hop in and see whether it’s for you. And trust us when we say that it really is worth trying.

Over on 360, and also available on Xbox One thanks to backward compatibility, there’s Cars 2: The Video Game and Dead Space 2.

Cars 2 certainly isn’t a competent racer in comparison to the genre’s best offerings, but it’s pretty decent for a licensed game. The gameplay itself is entertaining, and the experience is made more enjoyable by a good dosage of charm.

Deadspace 2 is absolutely a noteworthy inclusion this month. The sequel to one of the best survival horror games of all time, those with the nerve to brave another Necromorph outbreak are in for awesome, albeit terrifying, gameplay experience. This is third-person horror at its very best – a classic that still feels every bit as good as did at launch.

Who Wins?

PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Win April?

Even with a game as substantial as Mad Max over on PS Plus, there’s no way we can deny Games with Gold in April. Microsoft’s online service takes the month with a fine selection of games, hitting the mark across three different genres. In fact, this might well be the greatest month the service has ever had in terms of average Metacritic review scores for its games. Aside from Cars 2, perhaps, the caliber of games is astonishingly high. Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, The Witness, and Dead Space 2 are all must-play titles for any keen gamer, and they stand at the top of their respective genres.

We’re super pleased to see Games with Gold take back the initiative in April, but if a AAA open world action game like Mad Max is considered a so-so month on PS Plus these days, that’s saying something pretty positive for Sony’s online service.

In the end, Xbox and PlayStation gamers should be content with what has been a very good showing across the board.