PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Win May 2018?

Sony PS Plus

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

Just in case the Detroit: Become Human free demo wasn’t enough to whet your appetite for a new Quantic Dream interactive story, Sony is giving away the studio’s last game, Beyond: Two Souls, to get you in the mood. While it never quite built on the success of Heavy Rain as much as we would have liked, there’s still plenty to enjoy here if you’re a big fan of the genre. There are all the hair-raising split-second decisions and consequential choices that have the narrative branch off in different directions as you’d expect. The issue, however, is that Beyond Two Souls just isn’t as compelling a story as it might have been, and the game’s controls can be a little finicky at times.

The other PS4 PS Plus title is Rayman Legends, a complete change of pace from the measured gameplay of Beyond: Two Souls. This vibrant and charming platforming experience moves at lightning pace, and it really is one of the best indie side-scrollers out there, introducing new and unexpected ideas to a gameplay genre that’s as old as the hills. Rayman Legends was a smash-hit back when it launched in 2013, earning critical acclaim from multiple publications.

PS3 owners have a substantial RPG offering in Risen 3: Titan Lords. This swashbuckling pirate adventure features some decent sword-play and satisfying progression, but its dull story and frustrating boss battles weren’t well received by critics. There’s also some co-op action to be had in Eat Them, a game in which you smash your way through cities as a giant creature, Godzilla-style.

Over on Vita, there are two puzzle games in Furmins and Oddball, the latter of which is playable on PS3 and PS4 via cross-buy. Both games launched to fairly positive reviews and should prove an entertaining distraction while on the go.

Xbox Games with Gold

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

Not to be outdone, Microsoft’s Games with Gold line-up is matching the awesome content that Sony stunned its userbase with last year. The critically-acclaimed action game, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, is free this month on Xbox’s service, and it’s an absolute must-play if you haven’t already. The brilliant stealth gameplay goes open-world for the first time in the series, and it adds a whole new dimension to the tactical espionage action that’s been such an icon of the gaming industry for years. While the story doesn’t pack quite the same clout as previous entries, this is unquestionably the high watermark with respect to combat and gameplay. Hideo Kojima’s final Metal Gear Solid hoorah is available from May 16.

Before that, Super Mega Baseball 2 is available from May 2. While it might not offer quite the depth of a proper sports sim, its simple and intuitive controls make for an accessible baseball game that’s made all the more enjoyable thanks to a hilariously over-the-top 90s theme, and plenty of witty writing. Super Mega Baseball 2 is a flamboyant sports game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s certainly great fun for short play sessions.

Retro enthusiasts will appreciate Streets of Rage being offered in the first half of May. Those looking for something a bit more modern can look forward to Vanquish, an acclaimed shooter with an interesting slide mechanic that allows you to quickly dash between cover – Gears of War fans will enjoy this one, even if it does copy a few of the series’ tricks along the way.

Who Wins?

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

As keen as we are to whet our appetites with Beyond: Two Souls in preparation for Detroit: Become Human, Sony’s offering is not enough to steal the show from Xbox Games with Gold this month. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a superb game that stands tall as one of the generation’s most outstanding, and it practically wins May’s online service showdown by itself. It’s just that good.

For those new to the series, don’t worry if you haven’t been an MGS-head for years, because although it’s the end to Big Boss’ saga (spanning three previous games), you don’t necessarily need the context to enjoy this adventure. The stealth gameplay feels brilliant thanks to the sublime Fox Engine, which runs at a butter smooth 60fps on Xbox One.

In terms of the other games available, PS Plus’ Rayman Legends is certainly a noteworthy inclusion that almost tips the scales back in Sony’s favor, but Super Mega Baseball 2 genuinely is an absolute hoot to play, and Vanquish is an accomplished enough third-person shooter that we’re still giving the nod to the Microsoft here too.

In the end, both services are offering AAA experiences as part of the package for this month, and that’s exactly what we want to see as standard moving forward. Thankfully, the past six or so months have seen the quality steadily increase, and as a result, regardless of which service you use, Xbox and PS4 owners are being spoiled with some excellent options.