Sony PS Plus
PS Plus vs. Xbox Games with Gold: Which Free Games Win December?
For December, PS Plus’s PS4 lineup is headlined by Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition, a remastered version of the 2012 action game. This version includes all of the original release’s DLC along with a variety of technical improvements. For those interested in this year’s Darksiders III and Darksiders Remastered announcements, here’s a chance to download and play the series’ most recent outing. The hack-and-slash gameplay is entertaining, and the series tells an interesting story with a colorful cast of characters.
Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends is the other freebie title for PS4 this month. The brawler is essentially a Smash-like, featuring a virtually identical gameplay loop in which players battle to reduce each other’s health low enough to each other off the level. Although it has its own selection of unique characters, don’t expect a roster nearly as compelling as the iconic Nintendo franchise.
PS4 owners get a bit of bonus in the form of the Metroidvania platform game Forma 8, which is a Cross-buy title with PS Vita and can be downloaded and played on either platform.
Continuing on from last month, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood remains a free PSVR title for December. The on-rails spin-off of the popular and acclaimed story-driven adventure game for PS4 is more reminiscent of a scary ride at the theme park than the original game. Rush of Blood has had mixed reviews, but it’s still a fun VR experience with decent production standards.
Over on PS3, Xblaze: Lost Memories and Syberia Collection comprise this month’s offerings. Xblaze: Lost Memories is a visual novel based on the BlazBlue franchise, in which players are tasked with finding “Memory Fragments” that serve as keys to advance the mystery of the game’s narrative. The Syberian Collection, meanwhile, is a collection of the Syberia point-and-click adventure games, featuring clever puzzles, solid writing, and plenty of style.
In addition to Forma 8, PS Vita owners can take advantage of Wanted Corp, a top-down action game in which you play as two intergalactic bounty hunters with different powers.
It’s also worth noting that in addition to the free game downloads, PS Plus members get exclusive access to the Monster Hunter World beta, which runs from Dec. 9 through Dec. 12 on PS4.
