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December’s PS+ Freebies Deliver Worms, Just Causes and Jetpacks!

By on December 17, 2020

Well, we’re about a month into the release of the next generation of video game consoles, and it’s been a pretty shaky period for owners of the new PlayStation console. From continued struggles to even get one in the first place to consoles that crash, overheat, and sporadically uninstall data, entering this next-gen gaming atmosphere proves to be a challenge for those on the PS side of things … but at least there are more “enhanced” gaming options on this unit once you’ve jumped those hurdles.

Something else that’s rewarding for those on the PlayStation train, particularly PS+ subscribers? It also appears that Sony will be following a familiar path – unlike the other system’s lowest level subscription service – by including a PS5-capable title on a monthly basis.  Naturally, the selections will be slim for the next half year or so, but it’s a very smart way of sneaking in value for new adopters alongside what appears to be an uptick in the caliber of the titles being offered, too.  Let’s take a closer look, and be sure to Grab a Year’s Subscription to PlayStation Plus at Amazon so you can get it on the goods.

PS5

Worms: Rumble

The Worms line of video games has existed in some form for a tad over a quarter of a century now, and the core amusement factor of the premise hasn’t changed much since then: it’s about worms wielding guns and engaged in warfare.  And not the Earthworm Jim type of near-human worms, but full slithery worms that have little arms and facial features slapped on their smooth, pink little bodies.  While graphical fidelity elevated the games from the run until 2016, the turn-based tactical gameplay remained largely intact and untouched … until Worms: Rumble.

Shaking things up a bit, Rumble transforms the gameplay into a real-time side-scrolling shooting platformer and battle royale experience, with the worms’ signature high-pitched mumbling dialogue – sounding more and more like the Minions – swirling together with a bunch of artillery chaos.  This iteration of Worms has been described more as a spinoff than a permanent pivot in overall game design, yet despite some negative comments about the overall simplicity of the experience, the positive reception could make it more permanent.

PS4

Just Cause 4

Avalanche Studios seemed to know the exact time when the gaming arena needed a new Just Cause. Taking 4-5 years to develop between installments, these titles seem to hit exactly when there’s either an absence or a lull in open-world exploration experiences, beginning with Just Cause’s release early in the days of the 360 and leading into the vastly improved Just Cause 2 in the quiet sandbox patch leading into the heavy hitters of 2010. While they’ve all received fine enough reviews, the critical reception has been on the downswing since that second installment due to lagging cinematic satisfaction and lower graphical fidelity, reaching a head with Just Cause 4.

Even with some fan dissatisfaction regarding the environment details and technical hiccups, and even with a noteworthy been-there, done-that feeling to the experience, players have still enjoyed jumping into the open world of fictionalized South America amid a dictatorial regime. After some time to release patched and with new consoles, maybe it’s a good time to dive into this one.

Rocket Arena

While the early days of competitive online gaming predominately centered on first-person shooter games, that space has greatly expanded into one where vibrant, interactives games draw players in with alternatives to the repetitive, stern-faced aiming and trigger pulling of yesteryear. Rocket Arena meshes together the pacing of squad combat with the whimsy of science-fiction, pitting teams against one another as they fly around a battlespace on the propulsion of jet packs, magic, and other stuff in between.

The setup feels like EA and First Strike Games borrowed from Overwatch, Fortnite, and from Mass Effect’s third-person shooting multiplayer design, then added flight options for elevated mobility around the arena maps in which players attempt to blast off other combatants from the level’s space, not unlike the way knockouts occur in Super Smash Bros. Both critics and players haven’t let Rocket Arena’s similarities to other multiplayer games slide, but they’ve still embraced its appeal to a wider age audience and its flighty tweaks.

About Thomas Spurlin

Film, home-media, and videogame scribe who digs green tea and walking his dogs.

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