Something we’ll start doing going forward is discussing the PlayStation Plus freebies each month and what we think of them. Instead of getting every single PSLS writers’ opinion on the matter, as we do with every other Ask PSLS, we’ll just have one or two people addressing the North American free games, with Sebastian handling the European free games.
As a refresher, be sure to check out the North American August 2013 and European August 2013 line-ups.
Ready? Let’s go:
What Do You Think of the August 2013 PlayStation Plus Free Games in North America?
Chandler Wood – Trophy Hunter/Buyer of Games (@FinchStrife)
Well look at what we have here! Hitman: Absolution is one that I have been considering for a while, but never taken the plunge on, so I’m okay with that one being the “big” game this month. Pinball is my guilty pleasure, so I will probably waste more time with Star Wars Pinball than is healthy for me, and Runner2 is another one that I probably would have never picked up on my own, but am very excited to see for free.
I never play any of the PSP titles. With so many other games on PS3 and Vita in my backlog (both through purchases and Plus) to play that actually have trophies, I can’t see myself wasting time on older games that don’t have trophy support. Granted, these weeks are actually kind of nice to have a bit of a break to attempt to catch up, especially with having to do game reviews as well.
As for Machinarium, I hate that the PS3 version is currently free and we are getting the Vita one now as well. It’s very redundant, especially if you’ve already beaten Machinarium once on the PS3 (and let’s be honest, almost anyone with a Vita has a PS3 as well and probably already got this). Point and click puzzle games like this are generally only fun the first time through. I may burn through the Vita version with a guide just for the extra trophies, but that doesn’t mean I’m in any way happy about its addition to the Plus catalog this month.
Normally I am very happy about getting lesser known titles with the NA Plus that I don’t already own (most of the EU Plus lineup each month is stuff I have already bought), but a repeat game that adds no intrinsic portable value if you’ve played the console version is quite a bit of a bummer.
Jason Dunning – Not a Trophy Hunter/Can’t Afford Games (@Jasonad21)
As my header suggests, I don’t really have the money (or time) to play any of the new games that come out, so I do rely heavily on PlayStation Plus for my influx of gaming.
For this month, I’m actually quite happy with some of the entries, but when it comes to something like Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, it’s yet another fighter (for PSP no less) that I’ll probably never play. I can say the same thing for Zen Pinball 2: Star Wars Pinball, which will just join the pile of barely played pinball games.
On the brightside, even though I’m not a huge fan of stealth games, Hitman: Absolution was on my radar, and I’m excited to be able to play it whenever I find the time. The same goes for Runner2, which I had actually planned on getting for the PlayStation Vita when it finally releases, so this free PS3 version is a nice surprise.
Finally, we have Machinarium for PlayStation Vita. Chandler already talked about this above, but it is a big point of conversation as it’s already free on PlayStation 3, and because it doesn’t include Cross Buy, we get it as a repeat. For something like Machinarium, I’d actually prefer to play it on the Vita, and this way people with just a PlayStation Vita can experience it, though I am disappointed that 1 game is taking up 2 spots in our Instant Game Collection.
What Do You Think of the August 2013 PlayStation Plus Free Games in Europe?
Sebastian Moss – Angry British Person (@SebMoss)
Everyone’s always complaining on the internet, saying “Ermagerd, the EU PS+ gets all the big games, they’re way better”. Shut up, all of you. The problem with big games is that I already have the big games. Nearly everyone and their dog had already bought Battlefield 3, so that was pointless last month. This month I get Need for Speed: Most Wanted, but it’s a racing game without split screen, and I hate those. I already have all the other games. Buzz me next month.
What do you think of the August 2013 PlayStation Plus free games in your territory? Was Sebastian angry enough for you? Let us know in the comments below.
