This month was the month of chill. Or simulation/management games to be exact. A lot of people weren’t happy. These were both games that I wanted to try but didn’t want to buy, and that makes it the best type of PS Plus month in my opinion
Cities Skylines is a game that I had already tried on PC but did not get very far. I did manage to get further this time, but alas, I don’t think this game is for me.
Farming Simulator 19 was the second game of the month. Another game that I really wanted to try. I was happy with the time that I spent with it, but I have no desire to pick it up again. I had so many ideas that would make this game so much more fun. In my opinion if they took a few years off the yearly schedule and instead focused on one ultimate, game they would be onto a winner.
Do you think this month PS Plus were trying to replicate the Animal Crossing vibes that everyone was having at this point in time?
April arrived, and this time I only got to make one video. More on that below. PS. They went heavy with the Playstation Exclusives so far this year!
Dirt Rally 2.0 is a car game, the first racing/sports type game that we have got with PS Plus this year. I am not a fan of getting these games on PS Plus. We seem to get a few a year, but they just aren’t for me. I did have a laugh while recording though, even if I didn’t enjoy the game.
Uncharted 4 was the other game of April. Sadly, I haven’t finished the Nathan Drake collection yet so I obviously didn’t want to make a video.
I had mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, they already gave us the first 3 game so it should be ok for them to give us the sequel. On the other, I’m not a fan of sequels of story based games like this being PS Plus games. I kind like getting original games, then if we like it we can choose whether to buy the sequel or not. Maybe I am just being ungrateful, especially since I already paid for this game lol.
This was around the time that they game Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection to everyone for free as a gift for the Covid lockdown, so that is another reason that Uncharted 4 does make sense. What is your opinion on having game sequels as PS Plus games?
After being spoiled for the first two months of 2020, March brought us back down to 2 games.
Shadow of the Colossus is a game I had been hoping for for a long time. It was such an interesting experience, I don’t think I have ever been more uncomfortable playing a game in my life.
This game embedded itself into my thoughts. For weeks my brain kept defaulting back to it. Even though I decided not to continue playing, it had such a big impact on me. I watched the rest via Let’s Play and think I may pick it back up myself if the mood strikes.
Sonic Forces was the second game of the month. Although I grew up with some Sonic, I already established last year when Sonic Mania was free that it is just not for me. This one barely felt like Sonic, being all 3D and you even create your own character. Having said that, I think I enjoyed this one more. I think it is a solid kids game, the cut scenes felt like real cartoons you watch on the TV
Disappointed to get back to the normality of 2 games this month? Or satisfied with the selection? Shadow of the Colossus was a winner for me. Even if I never complete it, I feel like it is an important game in game history.
We got 4 games in January, so Sony decided they were going to one up themselves and give us 5 for February. Firewall: Zero Hour was a bonus PSVR game provided in February. Unfortunately I don’t have a video for that as I was having some PSVR/Capture Card issues.
BioShock: The Collection contains not only all of the current games but all of the DLC too. BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite are all included, except Infinite is on a separate download to the previous two.
The fact that I have watched this game before is the only reason I made it so far in my Let’s Try. The city of Rapture is a very cool setting, the sound design is great and the retro atmosphere is chilling.
The Sims 4 was a welcome surprise for me as a PS Plus game. I bought it at launch for PC and I can’t lie I was disappointed after 3. I played once, uninstalled it and shelved it. Since then I had another go and got more enjoyment out of it, however it is intensive on my laptop. So I was very excited to try it on PS4.
It turned out to be enjoyable enough. I’ll keep it on my console to scratch that Sims itch that comes around every few month. There is also the option of buying the expansion packs if you want more content, which go on sale fairly regularly.
Last month marked the beginning of my new thumbnail design, and this month I begun to use my new intro and outro! I am not 100% happy with it yet, it still needs some tweaks. What do you think of it?
The first month of 2020 and instead of 2 we were given 4 games! Sadly for me I already own both.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection contains all three of the Uncharted games, remastered in all of their glory. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted: Among Thieves and Uncharted: Drake’s Deception.
Drake’s Fortune was the second ever game that I Let’s Played, so instead of my regular Let’s Try videos, I just linked in the first episode of the Let’s Play.
Goat Simulator is a daft, sandbox goat simulating jank machine that can regularly be picked up for a couple of quid. It isn’t a game that you are going to play long term but it is a relatively easy platinum trophy if you are into that! Also, if you do enjoy it there are many different DLC’s that you can pick up just as cheap.
January also marked the introduction of my shiny new Round Up thumbnail design, what do we think?
I was a bit late to make this video but it was the first list type video that I made and I would like to continue over the years!
Disclaimer – these are my own personal picks that may or may not differ to everyone elses. There were a lot of good games in 2019 to choose from.
10. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection – The Handsome Collection contains two games. ‘Borderlands 2’ and ‘Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel’. Not being a FPS fan but being a Tales from the Borderlands fan, this was a great game for me. I would never have bought it but it was fun and interesting to get to explore the universe of Borderlands for myself.
9. The Last of Us Remastered – I have to admit, I am not as big of a fan of this game as everyone else seems to be. I had already watched a Let’s Play of it as it felt too much like horror to me, and for some reason the story/characters didn’t click with me. You have to admit though, it is a milestone in gaming history and it is such an important game that it is nice to get it on PS Plus. Especially for the people who maybe didn’t buy the remaster but wanted to replay before the sequel.
8. Hitman – I already had a few levels on my account that have been given away for free over the years. Still, the full game is a very welcome addition to my collection. The variety in missions and the vast amount of approaches you can take makes this game quite special. This version also works in the Hitman 2 game which is a bonus. You can download the base of Hitman 2 for free from the PS Plus store, then download the Hitman 1 chapters from within there to get the most recent versoin.
7. Nioh – I am not at all the type of person to play a Souls type game. I have tried at least 4 times now. There was something about this one though that made me enjoy the time I spent with it. I enjoyed the setting of the opening level, and I feel like a lot of people may have skipped over this game, which made me pleased that more people will try it now.
6. For Honor – For Honor is yet another game that I would never normally play. I am not a combat person. However, there was something about the steep learning curve of the combat, combined with the really cool online multiplayer modes that gave me so. much. fun.
5. Titanfall 2 – As I mentioned before, I am not an FPS fan. However, if there is any FPS that I can see myself finishing it is this one. It subverted my expectations and made for a really cool and varied experience.
4. Batman: Arkham Knight – I have only played a couple of hours of this game. I am a total Marvel fan girl that has never been able to get away with Batman. And even though I enjoyed playing Spider-Man PS4, but I think this game is better. As soon as I have played the previous installments I will most certainly be back to play this game.
3. Overcooked – The perfect couch co-op game. I have ranted and raved about how much I love overcooked so I won’t go on for too long here, but if you have family members that don’t really game but you want to have a laugh (or a fight), you should 100% make them play Overcooked. It has been the staple for our Christmas for the last 2 years and we never get bored.
2. Detroit: Become Human – I already bought this game at launch, completed it and also made a Let’s Play. But despite that, I was happy for other people getting to play it through PS Plus. David Cage gets a lot of shit, and yes some of the themes may be heavy handed, but if you go into this experience with no spoilers and make your own decisions, there are so many possibilities and in my opinion it is totally worth your time.
1. What Remains of Edith Finch – Edith Finch takes my top spot. It is the only game this year that I didn’t already own that I went on to complete. It is a short game that you can finish in one sitting, and it’s the type of experience that will keep you thinking for days. If you think of ‘walking simulator’ as a derogatory term I really urge you to play this. It’s a great game.
TLDR: The 10 minute video version –
Video of my Top 10 Picks from the whole of 2019 PS Plus!
Sadly I don’t have monthly blogs for PS Plus of 2019. I do, however, have a lot of content on Youtube. There are videos of every single game as well as Round Ups of every month. Then I did a longer video as a summary of the whole year.
For reference, I am going to list all of the PS Plus 2019 free games below!
January
Steep Portal Knights Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion
February
For Honor Hitman Rogue Aces
March
The Witness Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
I tried something a little different this time. Since I have now played so many of these demos, I thought it would be helpful for anyone new to the festival to have a guide to know where to start.
So this time I have made a more comprehensive quickfire guide of games that I think are worth your time.
Here is a list of all of the games. If you would like to see more of what they are about, my video at the bottom of the page covers all 18 of these games in under 5 minutes!
Port Valley – The (not so) classic Point & Click adventure where perspective changes everything! Witness Port Valley’s Election Day from 3 points of view and find out what’s really going on in this bizarre town.
One Helluva Day – An egocentric businessman is desperate to save his company from collapse. However, he is forced to save the whole city from an impending disaster.
Lord Winklebottom Investigates – It’s the 1920s and the world’s foremost detective is about to embark on his most challenging case yet. Thankfully, in this world that’s not quite like our own, there’s nobody better to crack the case than the great detective and gentleman giraffe, Lord Winklebottom.
Backbone – Backbone is a noir roleplaying detective adventure. You are raccoon private eye Howard Lotor, a second-class citizen of dystopian Vancouver, BC inhabited by animals. Interrogate a diverse cast of characters, collect evidence, and choose which leads to follow.
Roki – Röki is an adventure game inspired by Scandinavian folklore – a dark, contemporary fairy tale underpinned by a touching narrative, an alluring art style, ancient puzzles and atmospheric exploration.
Hazel Sky– Hazel Sky is a heartfelt adventure about a young engineer facing his destiny and his desires. Fix ramshackle flying machines and jump, climb, swing, and slide through a beautiful, mysterious world.
Omno – A single player journey of discovery through an ancient world of wonders. Full of puzzles, secrets and obstacles to overcome, where the power of a lost civilisation will carry you through forests, deserts and tundras – even to the clouds.
Travellers Rest – You are an innkeeper, on a journey to transform a run-down inn into a bustling social space. Brew your own beer, run a farm, explore the world, and build relationships with your customers to create your own fantasy tavern!
Cartel Tycoon – Cartel Tycoon is a story-driven business sim inspired by the ‘80s narco trade. Expand and conquer, stave off rival cartels and authority attention, earn people’s loyalty and try to overcome the doomed fate of a drug lord with too much power.
The Final Earth 2– The Final Earth 2 is a vertical sci-fi city builder. Earth is unlivable, so you decide to create a space colony. Gather resources, then build and research your way to a better future! Grow your city from an exploration ship to a huge metropolis, full of advanced technology. What will you build?
Grounded– The world is a vast, beautiful and dangerous place – especially when you have been shrunk to the size of an ant. Can you thrive alongside the hordes of giant insects, fighting to survive the perils of the backyard?
The Survivalists – A living world full of surprises, secrets and danger awaits in The Survivalists, an adventure-filled survival sandbox set in The Escapists universe. Explore, build, craft and even train monkeys with up to three friends in a desperate bid to survive. Have you got what it takes to be a Survivalist?
Superliminal – Perception is reality. In this mind-bending first-person puzzler, you explore a surreal dream world and solve impossible puzzles using the ambiguity of depth and perspective.
Moncage – Moncage is an adventure puzzle game, where the player will explore a lonely world trapped in a mysterious cubic device. Each face of this cubic device will display a different scene. The player will navigate through the island and the factory by finding the connections among the scenes.
Love – A Puzzlebox Filled with Stories – Everylife has a story. Every story has regret. But what if you could change the past? LOVE is a puzzle game about finding the things we’ve lost in ourselves and the people who help us find them.
Summer in Mara – Take care of your own island and explore the ocean in this farming adventure. Summer in Mara mix farming, crafting and exploring mechanic in a tropical archipelago with a colorful style and strong narrative.
Jessika – Jessika committed suicide, and it’s up to you to find out why she did what she did by prying into her digital past. What at first seems to be a job like any other quickly develops into a dark drama with twists and turns.
NUTS – A single-player surveillance mystery set in a remote forest – record the squirrels, report your findings… and uncover the secret that the curious creatures are hiding.
My top game picks from the Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition 2020. 18 games in under 5 minutes!
The Steam Game Festival has well and truly grown, as shown at the Summer Edition 2020. Now containing hundreds of demos, the event has become something that everyone should mark on their calendar. With the event now spanning over 7 days, not only indie games are being showcased but AA and even some AAA titles.
I tried a good mixture this time, and after counting the games I already tried I put together a playlist of 40 demos! As usual, some were better than others but there are certainly some that should not be missed!
Full playlist of the Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition 2020, this time featuring 40 demos!
For my highlight video of the LudoNarraCon 2020 I only included the games that I played for the first time during this festival. Meaning, I didn’t want to repeat games from my Steam Game Festival: Spring Edition 2020 video. Instead, I hand picked my top 6 experiences from the new demos I played.
Here are my top games in Alphabetical Order! For more info on why they were great, what they are about and to see some game play, the video below will have you covered!
Backbone – Backbone is a noir roleplaying detective adventure. You are raccoon private eye Howard Lotor, a second-class citizen of dystopian Vancouver, BC inhabited by animals. Interrogate a diverse cast of characters, collect evidence, and choose which leads to follow.
Lost Words: Beyond the Page – Lost Words is a 2D narrative adventure game where players move words to solve puzzles. The game features a story written by Rhianna Pratchett and ties the narrative into the gameplay in an unusual way, by having the player running on and interacting with words to solve puzzles.
Over the Alps – Postcards written in invisible ink reveal a secret history… Travel back in time in the debut game from Stave Studios, OVER THE ALPS. Stay undercover, evade the police, and race across 1939 Switzerland in this Hitchcockian World War Two spy thriller.
Ring of Fire – Scour police records. Antagonize your suspects. Comb through a disturbing crime scene. You’ll stop at nothing to expose the truth. Ring of Fire is a search-based detective noir puzzler with a mature narrative set in the hyper-stylized streets of New London.
Still There – Every day is the same on the faraway Bento space-lighthouse – until a mysterious radio message breaks through. Evade the past, welcome oblivion, make the perfect Italian coffee. Still There is a psychological adventure game about grief, technical puzzles, wacky AIs and dark humour. How far is far enough?
Tangle Tower – Unravel a thrilling mystery by exploring a strange and twisted mansion, discovering curious clues, interrogating peculiar suspects and solving unique puzzles. Will you be able to uncover the secrets of Tangle Tower?
Video of my Top 6 Games from the LudoNarraCon 2020!
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