Author: CtrlAltNoob

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Game Service Roundup – May 2023

Hey everyone! This is a round up of the games entering and leaving a variety of Game Services throughout the month, as well as free game giveaways that have been available throughout.

I like to try to keep track of what is coming and going in the world of game subscriptions but it is hard to find a singular place that does that, so I thought I would give it a go myself. I am going to trial it for a couple of months and see how it feels, whether I would like to add things and so on. Having it all in one place means that you can scroll to see if anything catches your eye, or you can Ctrl+F to whichever service it is that interests you.

Disclaimer: Sometimes dates aren’t announced and surprises are thrown in. I will do my best to make sure the information is as accurate as possible!

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s subscription service for PlayStation consoles. The service is split into three tiers. ‘Essential’, ‘Extra’ and ‘Premium’.

PS Plus Essential

‘PlayStation Plus Essential’ is the cheapest tier. This is the tier that is closest to what PS Plus used to be. When you are subscribed, you get access to playing games online and instant access to the PS Plus collection*. Additionally, Essential offers 3 monthly games**. If you claim them during that month then they are yours to play for as long as you have a PS Plus Essential subscription. If you drop your subscription then you will lose access, but they will still be on your account ready for the next time you subscribe. The monthly games get revealed on the final Wednesday of every month. They are then made available to add to your library and play on the first Tuesday, replacing the previous months games. The games offered occasionally vary by region.
* PS5 Only.
** Occasionally there will be more or less.

⚠ The PS Plus Collection ended on May 9th.

May PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 2nd May 2023 – Monday 5th June 2023
  • Chivalry 2 (PS5/PS4)
  • GRID Legends (PS5/PS4)
  • Descenders (PS4)
June PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 6th June 2023
  • Jurassic World Evolution 2 (PS5/PS4)
  • NBA 2K23 (PS5/PS4)
  • Trek to Yomi (PS5/PS4)

PS Plus Extra/Premium

‘PlayStation Plus Extra’ and ‘PlayStation Plus Premium’ are the next two tiers of PS Plus above Essential. They include everything that you get with Essential plus other benefits.
PlayStation Plus Extra – Extra is the middle tier and allows you access to a catalogue of games, available to play on your console. New games get added to the service part way through each month and stay for an unknown amount of time. Games also leave regularly and it isn’t always communicated well so it is worth checking when you are deciding what to play.
PlayStation Plus Premium – Premium is the most expensive tier. As well as giving you access to the Extra catalogue, it also has it’s own benefits. There is an extended catalogue available as Premium also includes ‘Classics’ – a seperate collection of games from older generations. In addition, game trials and cloud streaming are some more benefits to this tier.
You can find a full breakdown of the benefits here.

May 2023 PS Plus Extra Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 16th
  • Ratchet & clank: Rift Apart (PS5)
  • Thymesia (PS5)
  • Bus Simulator 21: Next Stop (PS5/PS4)
  • Humanity (PS5/PS4)
  • Lake (PS5/PS4)
  • Soundfall (PS5/PS4)
  • Watch Dogs: Legion (PS5/PS4)
  • Conan Exiles (PS4)
  • Dishonored 2 (PS4)
  • Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (PS4)
  • Rain World (PS4)
  • Rune Factory 4 Special (PS4)
  • Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (PS4)
  • Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (PS4)
  • The Evil Within 2 (PS4)
  • Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (PS4)
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4)
  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4)
  • Wolfenstein: Youngblood (PS4)
May 2023 PS Plus Premium Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 16th
  • Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered (PS4)
  • Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light (PSP)
  • Pursuit Force (PSP)
  • Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow (PSP)
Games that left PS Plus Extra/Premium in May 2023
  • Balan Wonderland
  • Batman: Return to Arkham – Arkham Asylum
  • Batman: Return to Arkham – Arkham City
  • Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!
  • Chronos: Before the Ashes
  • Deadlight: Director’s Cut
  • Dreamfall Chapters
  • FlatOut 4: Total Insanity
  • Graveyard Keeper
  • Homefront: The Revolution
  • How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition
  • Injustice 2
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance
  • Kona
  • Last Day of June
  • Left Alive
  • Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
  • Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Metro: Last Light Redux
  • Mighty No. 9
  • MX vs ATV All Out
  • NBA 2K Playgrounds 2
  • Pathfinder: Kingmaker
  • Pixel Piracy
  • Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered
  • Relicta
  • Resident Evil
  • Shenmue III trophies
  • Star Ocean: First Departure R
  • This War of Mine: The Little Ones
  • Tour De France 2021
  • TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2
  • Virginia
  • Windbound
Games leaving PS Plus Extra/Premium in June 2023 | Dates may vary
  • 9 Monkeys of Shaolin
  • Agents of Mayhem
  • Ash of Gods: Redemption
  • Black Mirror
  • Defense Grid 2
  • Descenders
  • Gods Will Fall
  • Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf
  • John Wick Hex
  • KeyWe
  • NSR: No Straight Roads: Encore Edition
  • Party Hard
  • Redeemed
  • Red Faction
  • Red Faction II
  • Wytchwood

Game Pass is Microsoft’s game subscription service. It is split into three different types. ‘PC’, ‘Console’, and ‘Ultimate’. I will currently only be covering ‘Game Pass for PC’.

Game Pass For PC

Game Pass for PC and for Console are seperate subscriptions but are very similar, they just work on different machines. They have their own slightly different catalogues but function the same. Game Pass grants you access to a library of games on your platform of choice. They are then available for you to play as for as long as you have a subscription or as long as they are on the service.
Game Pass Ultimate combines the two, allowing your account access to the service on both PC and Console, along with more perks including XBOX Live Gold.
You can find a full breakdown of the differences here.

May 2023 Game Pass for PC Additions
  • Ravenlok
  • Shadowrun: Hong Kong – Extended Edition
  • Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut
  • Shadowrun Returns
  • Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2
  • EA Sports Fifa 2023
  • Eastern Exorcist
  • Supraland: Six Inches Under
  • Planet of Lana
  • Railway Empire 2
  • Chicory: A Colorful Tale
  • Farworld Pioneers
June 2023 Announced Game Pass for PC Additions | Available from various dates
  • Thursday 1st June – The Big Con
  • Thursday 1st June – Car Mechanic Simulator 2021
  • Thursday 1st June – Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer
  • Tuesday 6th June – Hypnospace Outlaw
  • Tuesday 6th June – Amnesia: The Bunker
  • Thursday 8th June – Rune Factory 4 Special
  • Thursday 8th June – Stacking
  • Tuesday 13th June – Dordogne
Games that left Game Pass for PC in May 2023
  • Monday 1st May – Tetris Effect: Connected
  • Monday 1st May – Dragon Quest Builders 2
  • Monday 1st May – Destroy All Humans!
  • Monday 1st May – Unsouled
  • Monday 1st May – Bugsnax
  • Tuesday 16th May – Umurangi Generation
  • Tuesday 16th May – My Friend Pedro
  • Tuesday 16th May – Before We Leave
  • Tuesday 16th May – Hearts of Iron IV
  • Tuesday 16th May – Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition
  • Tuesday 16th May – Her Story
Games leaving Game Pass for PC in June 2023 | 1st & 16th of the Month
  • Thursday 1st June – Europa Universalis IV
  • Thursday 1st June – Evil Genius 2: World Domination
  • Thursday 1st June – Fifa 21
  • Thursday 1st June – Floppy Knights
  • Thursday 1st June – Lawn Mowing Simulator
  • Friday 16th June – Bridge Constructor Portal
  • Friday 16th June – Chorus
  • Friday 16th June – Maneater
  • Friday 16th June – Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition
  • Friday 16th June – Serious Sam 4
  • Friday 16th June – Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

A lot of people do not realise that included in an Amazon Prime subscription is access to Prime Gaming. Not only does this get you a free subscription to a streamer of your choice on Twitch, they also give away free weekly games and other perks. The difference with this service is that often the games are for different launchers. Some are for Amazon Games, but they also give codes for Epic Games, GOG and more. The best part? As far as I can tell – you get to continue playing the games you have claimed after your subscription has ended.
You can claim your games here.

Amazon Prime Games | May 2023 | Weekly on Thursdays
  • Thursday 4th May – Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 4th May – Super Sidekicks (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 4th May – Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 11th May – Planescape Torment: Enhanced Edition (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 11th May – Lake (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 11th May – Robo Army
  • Thursday 11th May – Last Resort (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 18th May – Kardboard Kings: Card Shop Simulator (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 18th May – The Almost Gone (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 18th May – 3 Count Bout (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 18th May – Alpha Mission 2 (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 25th May – Lila’s Sky Ark (Legacy Games)
  • Thursday 25th May – Agatha Knife (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 25th May – King of the Monsters 2 (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 25th May – Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle (Amazon Games)
  • Bonus game – Beasts of Maravilla Island
  • Bonus game – Calico
  • Bonus game – DKO: Divine Knockout (Amazon Games)
  • Bonus game – Double Kick Heroes
  • Bonus game – Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King
  • Bonus game – Tandem: A Tale of Shadows (Amazon Games)
  • Bonus game – Tiny Robots Recharged
  • Bonus game – Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
Amazon Prime Games | Announced for June 2023
  • Thursday 1st June – Mutation Nation (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 1st June – Sengoku (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 8th June – Over Top (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 8th June – Soccer Brawl (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 15th June – SteamWorld Dig 2 (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 15th June – The Super Spy (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 15th June – Top Hunter (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 22nd June – Autonauts (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 22nd June – Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 22nd June – Revita (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 29th June – Gems of Destiny: Homeless Dwarf (Legacy Games)
  • Thursday 29th June – Once Upon a Jester (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 29th June – Roguebook (Amazon Games)

Ever since its inception, the Epic Game Store has offered free games to all. All you need is an account. Every Thursday at 4pm UTC at least one title will be set to ‘free’ and next weeks game/s will be revealed. All you have to do is log in and add it to your library while it is free if you would like to play it in the future. If you miss the window then there is nothing that you can do but you have a whole week to do it. Unlike the services above, you do not need a subscription to claim these games.
You can check out the Epic Game Store here.

Free Epic Games | May 2023 | Must claim in the timeframe
  • Breathedge (April 27th – May 4th)
  • Poker Club (April 27th – May 4th)
  • Against All Odds (May 4th – May 11th)
  • Horizon Chase Turbo (May 4th – May 11th)
  • Kao the Kangaroo (May 4th – May 11th)
  • The Sims 4 Daring Lifestyle Bundle (May 11th – May 18th)
  • Death Stranding (May 18th – May 25th)
  • Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition (May 25th – June 1st)
Free Epic Games | Announced for June 2023*
  • Midnight Ghost Hunt (June 1st – June 8th)

*These games are announced one week in advance so you will need to check on the Epic Store weekly if you don’t want to miss out. Alternatively, I do always try to post them in my discord server.

I may add new sections as I go but for now, this section is for any other give-aways or notable deals that I come across in the given month. Most of these will have been and gone already but it is interesting to see what games have been given.

Steam Giveaways | May 2023
  • Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War

If you have found this helpful please consider sharing on social media or with a friend. You could also check out my other work on the blog, YouTube and Twitch, and/or sign up to get posts delivered into you inbox below. Finally, you could consider becoming a member, where you can financially support me and stay up to date with my work as CtrlAltNoob.

Sign up now to stay up to date with the latest posts!

A Noob’s [Mini] Review – Sea of Thieves

Ahoy, me hearties! The sea is calling.

Do you ever dream about sailing away, off into the sunset where there lies promise of sun, adventure, treasure and grog? If that sounds appealing then do I have the game for you. Sure, there may be the odd storm. A ghost ship or two. The occasional battle for your ship, lives and everything you have ever owned and loved against the fearsome, monstrous creatures of the deep. But it’s not just the party that makes the pirate, and when you’re approaching an outpost ready to cash in your haul, singing shanty’s of the sea into the dead of night, you will tell tales of previous voyages, laugh, and look forward to the next.

Sea of Thieves is an online multiplayer game in which you and up to three friends captain a ship. From there, the world really is your oyster. The game provides you with a huge sandbox world, full of random events. If you would like a fight then it is up to you to stock up your ship and seek out active forts, sea battles, or even other players. If you would prefer a calmer experience then you can instead find treasure maps, using the tools and clues provided to seek out the island you need. You can also become a merchant, follow story quests, or even just pick a direction and set sail, seeing what you find along the way.

What makes Sea of Thieves special is its core mechanics. Sailing a ship requires teamwork. Correctly navigating without incident and adapting when needed is always satisfying. The sea feels like a real sea and there is a learning curve to understand how the boat moves, all adding to the immersion. You will become as familiar with your compass and maps as you will with your sword and cannons. Not to mention, the stylised art style of the game offers an impressive beauty in all weathers, at all times of day.

The overall structure of the game creates an ever changing pace which makes no two sessions alike. The travel adds a downtime that is all the more appreciated after surviving three near disasters in a row, and all the more elevated when your ship is full of treasure and you have no idea what is in the water below, or over the horizon ahead.

Developer: Rare
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Release date: 20th March 2018
Available on: PC and Xbox (One, Series X/S, Game Pass)

If you would like to see a silly live stream, you can here!

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Let’s Play – Citizen Sleeper

Citizen Sleeper is a game inspired by tabletop RPGs. Set in deep space, we play as a sleeper – a human consciousness uploaded into a robot frame. Escaping a life of corporate slavery, we find ourselves on a space station full of outcasts and misfits, all just trying to get by. Though helping others, we can help ourselves in our mission of survival. But what even is it to live? That, ultimately, is up to us.

Join me in a journey of wonder, perspective and community. My complete full playthrough is available now, including the DLC!

Full playlist available on Youtube!

Game Service Roundup – April 2023

Hey everyone! This is a round up of the games entering and leaving a variety of Game Services throughout the month, as well as free game giveaways that have been available throughout.

I like to try to keep track of what is coming and going in the world of game subscriptions but it is hard to find a singular place that does that, so I thought I would give it a go myself. I am going to trial it for a couple of months and see how it feels, whether I would like to add things and so on. Having it all in one place means that you can scroll to see if anything catches your eye, or you can Ctrl+F to whichever service it is that interests you.

Disclaimer: Sometimes dates aren’t announced and surprises are thrown in. I will do my best to make sure the information is as accurate as possible!

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s subscription service for PlayStation consoles. The service is split into three tiers. ‘Essential’, ‘Extra’ and ‘Premium’.

PS Plus Essential

‘PlayStation Plus Essential’ is the cheapest tier. This is the tier that is closest to what PS Plus used to be. When you are subscribed, you get access to playing games online and instant access to the PS Plus collection*. Additionally, Essential offers 3 monthly games**. If you claim them during that month then they are yours to play for as long as you have a PS Plus Essential subscription. If you drop your subscription then you will lose access, but they will still be on your account ready for the next time you subscribe. The monthly games get revealed on the final Wednesday of every month. They are then made available to add to your library and play on the first Tuesday, replacing the previous months games. The games offered occasionally vary by region.
* PS5 Only.
** Occasionally there will be more or less.

⚠ The PS Plus Collection ends on May 9th. If you have any tier of PS Plus and a PS5 then make sure to add the games to your library before it’s too late. As far as I can see, they have taken all traces of the collection from the PlayStation website already so you may have to manually search for each game. Please do take a look because there are many worthwhile games on there.
Here is a list of the games that you need to add to your library before May if you haven’t already –

April PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 4th April 2023 – Monday 1st May 2023
  • Meet Your Maker (PS5/PS4)
  • Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5/PS4)
  • Tails of Iron (PS5/PS4)
May PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 2nd May 2023
  • Chivalry 2 (PS5/PS4)
  • GRID Legends (PS5/PS4)
  • Descenders (PS4)

PS Plus Extra/Premium

‘PlayStation Plus Extra’ and ‘PlayStation Plus Premium’ are the next two tiers of PS Plus above Essential. They include everything that you get with Essential plus other benefits.
PlayStation Plus Extra – Extra is the middle tier and allows you access to a catalogue of games, available to play on your console. New games get added to the service part way through each month and stay for an unknown amount of time. Games also leave regularly and it isn’t always communicated well so it is worth checking when you are deciding what to play.
PlayStation Plus Premium – Premium is the most expensive tier. As well as giving you access to the Extra catalogue, it also has it’s own benefits. There is an extended catalogue available as Premium also includes ‘Classics’ – a seperate collection of games from older generations. In addition, game trials and cloud streaming are some more benefits to this tier.
You can find a full breakdown of the benefits here.

April 2023 PS Plus Extra Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 18th
  • Bassmaster Fishing (PS5/PS4)
  • Doom Eternal (PS5/PS4)
  • Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5/PS4)
  • Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PS5/PS4)
  • Paradise Killer (PS5/PS4)
  • Riders Republic (PS5/PS4)
  • Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5/PS4)
  • Anodyne (PS4) (4th April)
  • The Evil Within (PS4)
  • Slay the Spire (PS4)
  • Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PS4)
  • Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (PS4)
April 2023 PS Plus Premium Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 18th
  • Doom (PS4)
  • Doom II (PS4)
  • Doom 64 (PS4)
  • Doom 3 (PS4)
  • Dishonoured: Definitive Edition (PS4)
Games that left PS Plus Extra/Premium in April 2023
  • 2Dark
  • 428: Shibuya Scramble (EU Only)
  • Croixleur Sigma
  • Gabbuchi
  • Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign
  • Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
  • Steins;Gate Elite (EU Only)
  • The Caligula Effect: Overdose
  • The Wonderful 101: Remastered
  • Zanki Zero: Last Beginning (EU Only)
Games leaving PS Plus Extra/Premium in May 2023 | Dates may vary
  • Balan Wonderland
  • Batman: Return to Arkham – Arkham Asylum
  • Batman: Return to Arkham – Arkham City
  • Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!
  • Chronos: Before the Ashes
  • Deadlight: Director’s Cut
  • Dreamfall Chapters
  • FlatOut 4: Total Insanity
  • Graveyard Keeper
  • Homefront: The Revolution
  • How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition
  • Injustice 2
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance
  • Kona
  • Last Day of June
  • Left Alive
  • Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
  • Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Metro: Last Light Redux
  • Mighty No. 9
  • MX vs ATV All Out
  • NBA 2K Playgrounds 2
  • Pathfinder: Kingmaker
  • Pixel Piracy
  • Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered
  • Relicta
  • Resident Evil
  • Shenmue III trophies
  • Star Ocean: First Departure R
  • This War of Mine: The Little Ones
  • Tour De France 2021
  • TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2
  • Virginia
  • Windbound

Game Pass is Microsoft’s game subscription service. It is split into three different types. ‘PC’, ‘Console’, and ‘Ultimate’. I will currently only be covering ‘Game Pass for PC’.

Game Pass For PC

Game Pass for PC and for Console are seperate subscriptions but are very similar, they just work on different machines. They have their own slightly different catalogues but function the same. Game Pass grants you access to a library of games on your platform of choice. They are then available for you to play as for as long as you have a subscription or as long as they are on the service.
Game Pass Ultimate combines the two, allowing your account access to the service on both PC and Console, along with more perks including XBOX Live Gold.
You can find a full breakdown of the differences here.

April 2023 Game Pass for PC Additions
  • Goat Simulator
  • Loop Hero
  • Ghostwire: Tokyo
  • Minecraft Legends
  • Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly
  • Homestead Arcana
  • Cassette Beasts
  • Quantum Break
  • BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
  • The Last Cast of Benedict Fox
  • Besiege
  • Redfall
  • Mass Effect 2 (2010 Edition)
  • Mass Effect 3 (2012 Edition)
May 2023 Announced Game Pass for PC Additions | Available from various dates
  • Thursday 4th May – Ravenlok
  • Thursday 11th May – Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2
  • Thursday 25th May – Railway Empire 2
Games that left Game Pass for PC in April 2023
  • Saturday 1st April – Cluster Truck
  • Saturday 1st April – Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
  • Saturday 1st April – Kracken Academy
  • Saturday 1st April – A Memoir Blue
  • Saturday 1st April – Chinatown Detective Agency
  • Sunday 16th April – The Riftbreaker
  • Sunday 16th April – Panzer Corps 2
  • Sunday 16th April – The Long Dark
  • Sunday 16th April – Life is Strange: True Colors
  • Sunday 16th April – The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos
  • Sunday 16th April – Moonglow Bay
  • Sunday 16th April – Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction
Games leaving Game Pass for PC in May 2023 | 1st & 16th of the Month
  • Monday 1st May – Tetris Effect: Connected
  • Monday 1st May – Dragon Quest Builders 2
  • Monday 1st May – Destroy All Humans!
  • Monday 1st May – Unsouled
  • Monday 1st May – Bugsnax
  • Tuesday 16th May – Umurangi Generation
  • Tuesday 16th May – My Friend Pedro
  • Tuesday 16th May – Before We Leave
  • Tuesday 16th May – Hearts of Iron IV
  • Tuesday 16th May – Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition
  • Tuesday 16th May – Her Story

A lot of people do not realise that included in an Amazon Prime subscription is access to Prime Gaming. Not only does this get you a free subscription to a streamer of your choice on Twitch, they also give away free weekly games and other perks. The difference with this service is that often the games are for different launchers. Some are for Amazon Games, but they also give codes for Epic Games, GOG and more. The best part? As far as I can tell – you get to continue playing the games you have claimed after your subscription has ended.
You can claim your games here.

Amazon Prime Games | April 2023 | Weekly on Thursdays
  • Thursday 6th April – Wolfenstein: The New Order (GOG)
  • Thursday 6th April – Ninja Commando (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 6th April – Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 13th April – The Beast Inside (GOG)
  • Thursday 13th April – Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 13th April – Crossed Swords (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 13th April – Ghost Pilots (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 20th April – Beholder 2 (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 20th April – Terraformers (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 20th April – Metal Slug 4 (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 20th April – Ninja Masters (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 27th April – Looking for Aliens (Legacy Games)
  • Thursday 27th April – Grime (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 27th April – Sengoku (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 27th April – Magician Lord (Amazon Games)
Amazon Prime Games | Announced for May 2023
  • Thursday 4th May – Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D
  • Thursday 4th May – Super Sidekicks
  • Thursday 4th May – Samurai Shodown IV
  • Thursday 11th May – Planescape Torment: Enhanced Edition
  • Thursday 11th May – Lake
  • Thursday 11th May – Robo Army
  • Thursday 11th May – Last Resort
  • Thursday 18th May – Kardboard Kings
  • Thursday 18th May – The Almost Gone
  • Thursday 18th May – 3 Count Bout
  • Thursday 18th May – Alpha Mission 2
  • Thursday 25th May – Lila’s Sky Ark
  • Thursday 25th May – Agatha Knife
  • Thursday 25th May – King of the Monsters 2
  • Thursday 25th May – Kizuna Encounter

Ever since its inception, the Epic Game Store has offered free games to all. All you need is an account. Every Thursday at 4pm UTC at least one title will be set to ‘free’ and next weeks game/s will be revealed. All you have to do is log in and add it to your library while it is free if you would like to play it in the future. If you miss the window then there is nothing that you can do but you have a whole week to do it. Unlike the services above, you do not need a subscription to claim these games.
You can check out the Epic Game Store here.

Free Epic Games | April 2023 | Must claim in the timeframe
  • The Silent Age (March 30th – April 6th)
  • Shapez (April 6th – April 13th)
  • Dying Light Enhanced Edition (April 6th – April 13th)
  • Mordhau (April 13th – April 20th)
  • Second Extinction (April 13th – April 20th)
  • Beyond Blue (April 20th – April 27th)
  • Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) (April 20th – April 27th)
  • Breathedge (April 27th – May 4th)
  • Poker Club (April 27th – May 4th)
Free Epic Games | Announced for May 2023*
  • Against All Odds (May 4th – May 11th)
  • Horizon Chase Turbo (May 4th – May 11th)
  • Kao the Kangaroo (May 4th – May 11th)
  • The Sims 4 Daring Lifestyle Bundle (May 11th – May 18th)

*These games are announced one week in advance so you will need to check on the Epic Store weekly if you don’t want to miss out. Alternatively, I do always try to post them in my discord server.

I may add new sections as I go but for now, this section is for any other give-aways or notable deals that I come across in the given month. Most of these will have been and gone already but it is interesting to see what games have been given.

GOG Giveaways | April 2023
  • Under the Moon
Steam Giveaways | April 2023
  • Battlestar Galactica Deadlock

If you have found this helpful please consider sharing on social media or with a friend. You could also check out my other work on the blog, YouTube and Twitch, and/or sign up to get posts delivered into you inbox below. Finally, you could consider becoming a member, where you can financially support me and stay up to date with my work as CtrlAltNoob.

Sign up now to stay up to date with the latest posts!

A Noob’s [Mini] Review – Astro’s Playroom

Pure joy in a Video Game.

Astro’s Playroom may seem like a strange game to spotlight due to the nature of its release. This is a game that arrived with the PS5 and came pre-installed on all consoles. Because of this, anyone could be forgiven for thinking that it is just a tech demo or tutorial that isn’t worth the time. Thankfully, I would like to let everyone know with great enthusiasm that this couldn’t be further from the truth. While it does do a great job of showing off the features of the DualSense controller, it definitely manages to stand on its own two feet as a full fledged – albeit short – game.

At first glance the game may seem like it is for children due to its cute characters and colourful settings. This is accurate to an extent – it can be enjoyable for all ages – but the true genius of the design is that the parents can have even more fun than the kids. Especially if they have any history at all with PlayStation.

The concept is that this game takes place inside of your console and every time you power it up, this is the magic that is happening within. It is a giant party. We take control of a robot named Astro, making our way through wonderful and bold levels based on different components, such as the ‘SSD Speedway’ and the ‘GPU Jungle’. It is a 3D platformer so your job is to explore, hop, skip, jump, roll, glide and fly your way to your objective, avoiding and/or dealing with obstacles, taking in your environment and collecting everything you can find.

The more that you look around, the more you will get from this game as you notice all of the attention to detail. Every level is full to the brim with references of famous scenes from many different games, providing delight around every corner. Every environment that you enter is built from technology parts in ways that you would not expect. Every area makes use of a unique mechanic, showing off the potential of the haptic feedback in the controller. At the end of each section, you will be rewarded with a nostalgia that – if you are anything like me – could bring a tear to your eye. On top of that, the sound track is fantastic and completes the atmosphere perfectly.

Unfortunately, the only way to play this one is on the PS5. But, if you do have a PS5 then that means that you already own the game and it is absolutely worth the few hours it takes to play through it. It is like the most fun, interactive, joyful museum that you could ever go to, celebrating PlayStation’s past, present and future.

Developer: Team Asobi
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release date: 12th November 2020
Average play time: 4 hours
Available on: PlayStation 5

If you would like to see my live playthrough, here it is!

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A Noob’s [Mini] Review – SOMA

If you play one horror game in your life, I believe it should be this one.

Explaining in too much detail why you should play SOMA runs the risk of ruining the reason that you should play SOMA, but I am going to give it a shot.

SOMA is a narrative experience like no other I have ever had. While it isn’t gameplay heavy, it is a classic example of a story thats impact is amplified due to the medium and the player input that brings.

In this game we play as Simon Jarrett, an ordinary young man who has suffered the misfortune of a brain injury. Taking part in some experimental treatment, Simon arrives to get his brain scan but it does not go as expected. As he comes to, it rapidly becomes clear that all is not how it seems. 

This is a game of linear exploration. From a first person perspective, we guide Simon through an ordeal, moving forward through circumstances that are horrifying on a spectrum from deeply personal, to unfathomable.

If you are a person that does not enjoy playing horror games for reasons like jump scares, intensity and/or gore (like me), then all is not lost. While the atmosphere is indeed spooky, the most worthwhile aspects of the game come from the themes and events that can stay on your mind for weeks, as opposed to a cheap scare. To account for these people, the developers added a ‘Safe Mode’. This is how I played and it prevents any lose state, allowing you to be confident that you won’t lose any progress while you explore the environment (which I highly recommend doing to get all of the context).

SOMA is not a pleasant experience. It is haunting, dark and bleak. But, it is up there with the most thoughtful games I have ever played and I think about it on at least a monthly basis. It presents the player with choices that have no easy answer and deals with existentialism among other topics in very interesting ways. It is the only horror game that I would encourage anyone unsure to try to look past the genre, and if you are a horror fan? Turn off the lights, get fully immersed and enjoy.

Developer: Frictional Games
Publisher: Frictional Games
Release date: 22nd September 2015
Average play time: 10 hours
Available on: PC, PlayStation (4, 5) and Xbox (One, Series X/S, Game Pass)

If you would like to see my live playthrough, here it is!

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Game Service Roundup – March 2023

Hey everyone! This is a round up of the games entering and leaving a variety of Game Services throughout the month, as well as free game giveaways that have been available throughout.

I like to try to keep track of what is coming and going in the world of game subscriptions but it is hard to find a singular place that does that, so I thought I would give it a go myself. I am going to trial it for a couple of months and see how it feels, whether I would like to add things and so on. Having it all in one place means that you can scroll to see if anything catches your eye, or you can Ctrl+F to whichever service it is that interests you.

Disclaimer: Sometimes dates aren’t announced and surprises are thrown in. I will do my best to make sure the information is as accurate as possible!

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s subscription service for PlayStation consoles. The service is split into three tiers. ‘Essential’, ‘Extra’ and ‘Premium’.

PS Plus Essential

‘PlayStation Plus Essential’ is the cheapest tier. This is the tier that is closest to what PS Plus used to be. When you are subscribed, you get access to playing games online and instant access to the PS Plus collection*. Additionally, Essential offers 3 monthly games**. If you claim them during that month then they are yours to play for as long as you have a PS Plus Essential subscription. If you drop your subscription then you will lose access, but they will still be on your account ready for the next time you subscribe. The monthly games get revealed on the final Wednesday of every month. They are then made available to add to your library and play on the first Tuesday, replacing the previous months games. The games offered occasionally vary by region.
* PS5 Only.
** Occasionally there will be more or less.

⚠ The PS Plus Collection ends in May. If you have any tier of PS Plus and a PS5 then make sure to add the games to your library before it’s too late. As far as I can see, they have taken all traces of the collection from the PlayStation website already so you may have to manually search for each game. Please do take a look because there are many worthwhile games on there.
Here is a list of the games that you need to add to your library before May if you haven’t already –

March PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 7th March 2023 – Monday 3rd April 2023
  • Battlefield 2042 (PS5/PS4)
  • Code Vein (PS4)
  • Minecraft Dungeons (PS4)
April PS Plus Essential Games | Available to claim from Tuesday 4th April 2023
  • Meet Your Maker (PS5/PS4)
  • Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5/PS4)
  • Tails of Iron (PS5/PS4)

PS Plus Extra/Premium

‘PlayStation Plus Extra’ and ‘PlayStation Plus Premium’ are the next two tiers of PS Plus above Essential. They include everything that you get with Essential plus other benefits.
PlayStation Plus Extra – Extra is the middle tier and allows you access to a catalogue of games, available to play on your console. New games get added to the service part way through each month and stay for an unknown amount of time. Games also leave regularly and it isn’t always communicated well so it is worth checking when you are deciding what to play.
PlayStation Plus Premium – Premium is the most expensive tier. As well as giving you access to the Extra catalogue, it also has it’s own benefits. There is an extended catalogue available as Premium also includes ‘Classics’ – a seperate collection of games from older generations. In addition, game trials and cloud streaming are some more benefits to this tier.
You can find a full breakdown of the benefits here.

March 2023 PS Plus Extra Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 21st
  • Ghostwire: Tokyo (PS5)
  • Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (PS5)
  • Haven (PS5/PS4)
  • Immortals: Fenyx Rising (PS5/PS4)
  • Life is Strange: True Colors (PS5/PS4)
  • Tchia (PS5/PS4)
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (PS5/PS4)
  • Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS4)
  • Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (PS4)
  • Life is Strange 2 (PS4)
  • NEO: The World Ends With Us (PS4)
  • RAGE 2 (PS4)
  • Street Fighter V: Champion Edition (PS4)
  • Untitled Goose Game (PS4)
March 2023 PS Plus Premium Game Additions | Available from Tuesday 21st
  • Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS1)
  • Ape Escape 2 (PSP)
  • Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PSP)
Games that left PS Plus Extra/Premium in March 2023
  • WWE 2K22
  • Danger Zone
  • Dungeons
  • Ghost of a Tale
  • Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 5
  • Override 2: Super Mech League
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
  • Velocibox
  • Victor Vran Overkill Edition
Games leaving PS Plus Extra/Premium in April 2023 | Dates Vary
  • 2Dark
  • 428: Shibuya Scramble (EU Only)
  • Croixleur Sigma
  • Gabbuchi
  • Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign
  • Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
  • Steins;Gate Elite (EU Only)
  • The Caligula Effect: Overdose
  • The Wonderful 101: Remastered
  • Zanki Zero: Last Beginning (EU Only)

Game Pass is Microsoft’s game subscription service. It is split into three different types. ‘PC’, ‘Console’, and ‘Ultimate’. I will currently only be covering ‘Game Pass for PC’.

Game Pass For PC

Game Pass for PC and for Console are seperate subscriptions but are very similar, they just work on different machines. They have their own slightly different catalogues but function the same. Game Pass grants you access to a library of games on your platform of choice. They are then available for you to play as for as long as you have a subscription or as long as they are on the service.
Game Pass Ultimate combines the two, allowing your account access to the service on both PC and Console, along with more perks including XBOX Live Gold.
You can find a full breakdown of the differences here.

March 2023 Game Pass for PC Additions
  • Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
  • Guilty Gear -Strive-
  • Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
  • Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition
  • Infinite Guitars
April 2023 Announced Game Pass for PC Additions | Available from various dates
  • Tuesday 4th April – Goat Simulator
  • Tuesday 4th April – Loop Hero
  • Wednesday 12th April – Ghostwire: Tokyo
  • Tuesday 18th April – Minecraft Legends
  • Thursday 20th April – Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly
Games that left Game Pass for PC in March 2023
  • Wednesday 1st March – Alien: Isolation
  • Wednesday 1st March – Crown Trick
  • Wednesday 1st March – Dragon Ball FighterZ
  • Wednesday 1st March – FAR: Changing Tides
  • Wednesday 1st March – Lightning Returns: FFXIII
  • Wednesday 1st March – Madden NFL 21
  • Wednesday 1st March – Octopath Traveler
  • Thursday 16th March – Goat Simulator
  • Thursday 16th March – Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
  • Thursday 16th March – Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Thursday 16th March – Paradise Killer
  • Thursday 16th March – Undertale
  • Thursday 16th March – Young Souls
  • Thursday 16th March – Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
Games leaving Game Pass for PC in April 2023 | 1st & 16th of the Month
  • Saturday 1st April – Cluster Truck
  • Saturday 1st April – Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
  • Saturday 1st April – Kracken Academy
  • Saturday 1st April – A Memoir Blue
  • Saturday 1st April – Chinatown Detective Agency
  • Sunday 16th April – The Riftbreaker
  • Sunday 16th April – Panzer Corps 2
  • Sunday 16th April – The Long Dark
  • Sunday 16th April – Life is Strange: True Colors
  • Sunday 16th April – The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos
  • Sunday 16th April – Moonglow Bay
  • Sunday 16th April – Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction

A lot of people do not realise that included in an Amazon Prime subscription is access to Prime Gaming. Not only does this get you a free subscription to a streamer of your choice on Twitch, they also give away free weekly games and other perks. The difference with this service is that often the games are for different launchers. Some are for Amazon Games, but they also give codes for Epic Games, GOG and more. The best part? As far as I can tell – you get to continue playing the games you have claimed after your subscription has ended.
You can claim your games here.

Amazon Prime Games | March 2023 | Weekly on Thursdays
  • Thursday 2nd March – Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 9th March – Adios (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 9th March – I Am Fish (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 16th March – Faraway 3: Arctic Escape (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 23rd March – Book of Demons (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 23rd March – Peaky Blinders: Mastermind (Amazon Games)
  • Thursday 30th March – City Legends: Trapped in Mirror – Collector’s Edition (Legacy Games)
Amazon Prime Games | Announced for April 2023
  • Thursday 6th April – Wolfenstein: The New Order
  • Thursday 6th April – Ninja Commando
  • Thursday 6th April – Art of Fighting 3
  • Thursday 13th April – The Beast Inside
  • Thursday 13th April – Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
  • Thursday 13th April – Crossed Swords
  • Thursday 13th April – Ghost Pilots
  • Thursday 20th April – Beholder 2
  • Thursday 20th April – Terraformers
  • Thursday 20th April – Metal Slug 4
  • Thursday 20th April – Ninja Masters
  • Thursday 27th April – Looking for Aliens
  • Thursday 27th April – Grime
  • Thursday 27th April – Sengoku
  • Thursday 27th April – Magician Lord

Ever since its inception, the Epic Game Store has offered free games to all. All you need is an account. Every Thursday at 4pm UTC at least one title will be set to ‘free’ and next weeks game/s will be revealed. All you have to do is log in and add it to your library while it is free if you would like to play it in the future. If you miss the window then there is nothing that you can do but you have a whole week to do it. Unlike the services above, you do not need a subscription to claim these games.
You can check out the Epic Game Store here.

Free Epic Games | March 2023 | Must claim in the timeframe
  • Duskers (February 23rd – March 2nd)
  • Rise of Industry (March 2nd – March 9th)
  • Call of the Sea (March 9th – March 16th)
  • Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War (March 16th – March 23rd)
  • Chess Ultra (March 23rd – March 30th)
  • World of Warships – Starter Pack: Ishizuchi (March 23rh – March 30th)
  • Tunche (March 30th – April 6th)
  • The Silent Age (March 30th – April 6th)
Free Epic Games | Announced for April 2023*
  • Blazing Sails (April 6th – April 13th)
  • Dying Light Enhanced Edition (April 6th – April 13th)

*These games are announced one week in advance so you will need to check on the Epic Store weekly if you don’t want to miss out. Alternatively, I do always try to post them in my discord server.

I may add new sections as I go but for now, this section is for any other give-aways or notable deals that I come across in the given month. Most of these will have been and gone already but it is interesting to see what games have been given.

GOG Giveaways | March 2023
  • Lorelai
  • Neurodeck: Psychological Deckbuilder
  • Deep Sky Derelicts
Steam Giveaways | March 2023
  • Figment

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