It’s been a year of ups and downs for Sony’s free offerings through their PlayStation Plus (PS+) subscription service, but the last few months have led to a particularly noteworthy upswing, especially their October titles. Unfortunately, that momentum has been halted with their November selections.  Lacking a significant AAA-caliber title isn’t something new to their slates, but the general lack of interest this docket generates with uninventive sequels, arty platformers, and a bland party-atmosphere fighting game really pulls down one’s enthusiasm.  Let’s hope they end the year strong; until then, let’s take a look at the game on offer for this round.

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Plastic

PS4

Worms Battlegrounds

For over two decades now, the Worms have been waging war amongst themselves in exuberant, humor-injected tactical combat, spawning clones and spinoffs aplenty. Battlegrounds isn’t a particularly innovative title for those aware of the series, as it’s largely a port of the previous installment, Worms Clan Wars, onto modern consoles.  Turn-based strategy combines with an arsenal of quirky weapons in the creation of relatively family-friendly warfare, containing over 60 types of weapons and the return of specific character classes for the worms. Both single-player campaign progression and multiplayer competition are available, though the lack of innovation in its gameplay components restrict the appeal of Battlegrounds to those seasoned to the series who aren’t expecting much beyond more of the same.

Bound

The mechanics of the side-scrolling platformer have a predictable, relatively strict rhythm to them, which has made it possible for developers to expand upon their framework in inventive ways. The folks at Plastic hope to dazzle with artistry and metaphorical representations in Bound, in which a lyrical dancer — also a princess — maneuvers through the responsive landscapes of her mind as she relives her memories.  This falls more into the style of experience that has made thatgamingcompany’s catalog so worthwhile, operating less on challenging level design and working more towards a beautiful and immersive landscape in which the player can get lost. An absence of difficulty and the game’s reliance on the framework of platform design have too heavily impacted the game’s reputation, though, overpowering its artistic merits.

Qi Studios

PS3

R-Type Dimensions

The strategy and precision involved with playing the pair of R-Type shoot-‘em-ups has given the franchise an enduring reputation as an arcade classic. Over the course of thirty years, the composure required to conquer those two games has continued to be a noteworthy gaming feat, to such a degree that the games have repeatedly been released on various formats since their heyday.  R-Type Dimensions bundles together both R-Type and R-Type 2, offering both the original graphical presentation and updated 3D visuals that can be switched at any point during play.  Cooperative play has also been included, while modern additions involving a “Continue” function lets the player pick up from a checkpoint.  If you want the original R-Type experiences, they’re there; if you want a more accessible version, that’s there as well.

Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic

It’s hard out there for indie fighting games, having to land brows with enough impact to make themselves known underneath the likes of Injustice, Street Fighter, and Smash Bros. To stand out, they’ve got to deliver an experience that’s both different from their competitors yet can scratch the same itches, including a novel hook in its concept and versatility of competitive modes.  Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic banks on its charming action-figure design winning over those who end up playing it, operating on the notion of the player’s combatant defeating waves of enemies in a 2.5D environment, with the PlayStation’s motion controls largely in mind.  Multiplayer tends to be its focus, either couch play or the online option that was added later on, but the simplicity of its fighting mechanisms fails to hit hard enough to really resonate among genre fans.

Hyper Awesome

PS Vita

Dungeon Punks

Side-scrolling brawlers have the tendency to strike a memorable chord with gamers, something that stretches back to the classic cabinet arcade days with Golden Axe and up to last generation with Castle Crashers.  The fun of the setting and controls might play a key role in their popularity, but a big part of the appeal comes when a second player joins in on the fun, either by popping in a quarter or hitting the start button. Dungeon Punks takes a little bit from all those games in the subgenre, from bits of Altered Beast to the exaggerated tempo of Dragon’s Crown, and combines them with RPG-lite customization, a half-dozen classes to choose from, and dense fantasy-inspired levels.  Certain limitations wall it off from being considered of the same caliber as the others, notably some clumsy controls and the inability to either play solo (without CPU teammates) or online, but it’ll get the job done as a couch beat-‘em-up.

Broken Sword 5

One thing that Sony has been really good about over the past year: they’ve routinely includes point-and-click style of adventures for a change of pace.  This month’s inclusion is Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse, the latest installment in a two-decades-old series, in which series lead characters George and Nicole embark on an adventure across the globe in search of a mysterious painting.  The graphics have naturally been updated, but by all accounts fans of the series feel it’s true to the tone and intentions of the franchise, while new players also seem to dig the mystery and the characters. Perhaps not as good as its predecessors, but still a worthy installment.

Worms, Dancers, and Rag Dolls Caught in November’s PS+ Slump

Credit where credit’s due to Sony: over the past months, they’ve really ensured that there isn’t a current theme to be found connecting the games offered through their PS+ subscription service.  And in recent months, they’ve even managed to include one semi-large release in their offerings, though the rest of ‘em stick to smaller independent releases of many different types. If variety is the spice of life, there’s plenty of flavor to relish in June’s games on offer, ranging from a horde-mode shooter and an interactive adventure to a pair of entirely different top-down games. Whether the flavors are satisfying will, of course, depend on the individual, especially when the games vary in critical reception the way these do.  Let’s take a closer look.

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Square Enix

PS4

Killing Floor 2

Ah, the horde mode. It’s become so popular and prevalent as an add-on component of single-player games that even those franchises heavily driven by narrative, such as Mass Effect, have incorporated it into their universe … and have done so with immense success. That leaves little room for games strictly focused on horde mode to thrive, and it’s got to have quite a number of novel things at work to draw attention away from those competitors if it does.  Killing Floor 2 comes exceptionally close to doing so, offering a concept in which a slew of biologically-warped beings known as Zeds, created by an outbreak from a bigwig experiment firm, rush toward the player and his teammates in dangerous waves.  A slew of guns, over a dozen intricate maps, and graphics responsive to the chaos amount to thrilling gameplay experience, though it’s hampered by repetitiveness and an absence of narrative.

Life is Strange

Oddly enough, the other PS4 game offered this month can be seen as the exact opposite to the pure multiplayer-focused game. Life is Strange is best labeled an interactive adventure instead of a standard videogame, telling the story of Max, a high-school student and photography wiz, who discovers that she has the ability to rewind time and impact events around her. This comes in handy as she prevents the accidental shooting of her childhood friend, Chloe, sparking Max to use her newly-discovered ability to alter other monumental events, thus creating several different alternate realities.  Choices made in terms of dialogue and investigating the surroundings can impact the course of the story, but not to such a significant degree as to meddle with the thematic path of Max’s fantastical experiences, which touches on deepening relationships and profound emotions generated between the well-drawn characters. This is a gem, folks.

Atlus

PS3

Abyss Odyssey

If artistic polish, a compelling narrative, and a direct feed into nostalgia were all a game needed to succeed, then Atlus’ Abyss Odyssey would be nothing but a triumph.  Beautifully intricate and earthy art nouveau visuals accentuate Metroidvania-style platform level design, as a cluster of heroes scour the lands for a warlock whose volatile dreams are seeping into the reality of 1800s Chile. Fighting-game controls interweave with the level design in creation of what should be a brisk and alluring combination of elements, but the game’s critics haven’t agreed upon the success of Abyss Odyssey’s fusion of ideas, some citing sluggish responsiveness and a lack of variety in combat situations.

WRC 5: World Rally Championship

Any racing game hoping to be released on consoles, especially on PlayStation, will have to works its way into a dense pack of competitors, both well-oiled machines leading the race and others that, well, just sort of clunk along in the back. WRC 5: World Rally Championship has the polish and horsepower to be a contender, boasting slick realistic graphics and well-tuned controls replicating the 2015 World Rally Championship season. Critics and fans didn’t seem to feel that was enough, though, citing lackluster physics and a lack of depth beyond what’s on the surface, an understandable concern considering other racing games strive for lots of options and versatility of modes.  Instead, this one kinda disappears in the middle of the pack.

10tons

PS Vita

Neon Chrome

With a heavy soundtrack and vivid colors, Neon Chrome essentially embodies how a top-down, dual-stick version of Far Cry: Blood Dragon might look and feel. The key difference lies in the game’s roguelike design, where levels are randomly generated across several floors of buildings. That might add some variety, but the same-same functionality of the shooting and level design left players wanting more, and a lack of a substantive story doesn’t really help matters. That said, Neon Chrome does have a distinctive style and a quick pace to its encounters, which should make pick-up-and-play sessions worthwhile enough to give it a shot.

Spy Chameleon

If you want a top-down experience that’s a little bit calmer and novel in execution, then Spy Chameleon has just what you’re looking for.  A unique spin on the stealth game, this mission becomes a puzzle experience where the main character, obviously a chameleon, must change colors and evade obstacles while working their way through 75 different levels.   Praise has been heaped upon the novelty of its premise and the plain charm of its visual language, and the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay seems to hit the sweet spot between frustration, fun, and ultimate reward.

PS+ Serves Up an Emotional Story Alongside Shooters, Top-Down Side Dishes In June

Another month, another slate of unexceptional games from Sony to fill out their PS+ free offerings. This round, they’ve deliberately focused on a broad range of games with multiplayer capabilities, spanning from brawlers to shooters and Pokemon clones.  They’re once again lacking a potent title in their lineup, though, which makes it yet another month full of unique but shrug-worthy indies for their subscribers. Let’s dig into the games.

Click Here to Grab a 1-Year PlayStation Plus Subscription at Amazon

SIE

PS4

Drawn to Death

From Okami’s watercolor aesthetic to the upcoming game Cuphead that mirrors a classic cartoon, games that adopt the look of hand-drawn or handcrafted artwork come preloaded with a degree of charm. The experience in seeing analog artistry rendered in a digital realm can help games overcome run-of-the-mill controls or level design, even going so far as to provide a unique form of narrative in the reason for their existence. Drawn to Death doesn’t quite get to those depths, but the concept behind this multiplayer shooter does add a little something extra. Violent visuals are sketched out on lined paper to resemble the doodles of a school-aged kid, while also exploring the kind of warped imagination one might expect out of ‘em: belching zombies, machine gun toting teddy bears, and giant pencils as instant-death hazards in a wide array of landscapes.  Drawn to Death was released for free on its street date.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Just a few short months after appearing as a freebie for that other console’s membership service, Sony has made available Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime for PS+ members to download.  Before, I likened the experience to the cooperative synergy found between the band of misfits aboard the Millenium Falcon in the original Star Wars, notably the scene where they escaped and engaged in a dog fight with the Empire’a aerial forces.  It’s the kind of scenario that Han Solo probably couldn’t have gotten out of by himself, just like Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime isn’t really the kind of game one should be engage by themselves, as a big chunk of the fun here comes in multiple players bouncing between stations while navigating their airship.

CI Games

PS3

Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom

From Pokemon to Skylanders and everything in between, it’s hard to keep track of all those youth-oriented gaming franchises built around collecting certain kinds of critters. Invizimals has previously operated as a PS Portable version of Pokemon, in which the player collects and trains outlandish animals for the purposes of squaring off with others. This latest installment, The Lost Kingdom, was released in tandem with the PS Vita’s Invizimals: The Alliance for the purposes of cross-platform competition. Critics have summed up The Lost Kingdom as little more than a functional platform game with very little interest to those outside the game’s central demographic: kids who aren’t involved with the multitude of other catch-‘em-all franchises.

Alien Rage

This shooter from CI Games doesn’t concern itself with innovation or gripping storytelling, instead sticking to the basics in its linear levels and first-person gunplay against, well, aliens.  The way it attempts to distinguish itself is through spiked difficulty, which instead yields a frustrating and bland shooting experience that doesn’t offset its mundane progression through uninteresting maps and bland boss battles. Some have cited its competitive multiplayer as a redeeming factor, though there’s no shortage of sci-fi MP experiences out there.

Four Circle Interactive

10 Second Ninja

The title is self-explanatory: you have ten seconds to zip your ninja character across platform levels to eliminate the robot baddies occupying the area. The quicker you do so, the higher star rating you’ll obtain … and getting a high star rating isn’t easy. Those who’ve endured the challenge of Super Meat Boy will find some similarities in 10 Second Ninja, especially when it comes to the escalation of difficulty and the swiftness of vaulting around the levels themselves. There’s a silly story taping it all together involving Robot Hitler, but the time-attack trials throughout a hundred different levels are the reason to hunt this one down.

Curses ‘n Chaos

In Curses ‘n Chaos, two bounty hunters quest after the Elixir of Life in order to lift the curse placed upon them, which draws waves of monsters and other hostile creatures to their location.  8-bit style graphics and distinctly retro music enliven this 2D beat-‘em-up, a blend of fighting-game level layout and mild inventory usage with a few quirky mechanics thrust in there for good measure. Its charms and challenges make for a rewarding experience in either single-player or with an online buddy, though critics have cited that the endurance of said charms will vary depending on the player.

Sony Fires Off Multiple MP Options in April’s PS+ Freebies

Last month, I made the comment that it seems as if Sony has been steering away from bigger releases for their PS+ offerings, that their recent slates have been devoid of those attention-grabbing AAA titles. Instead, they’ve been sticking to a medley of indie releases spread across all three platforms, something they continue to do in the month of February with several tribute-style platformers, a puzzle game and a kooky multiplayer duel game featuring a foursome of whales. However, they’ve also included a substantial sequel from one Sony’s more reputable franchises that should keep players occupied for some time to come, tying together the offerings into a moderately decent month. Let’s take a look.

 Click Here to Grab a 1-Year PlayStation Plus Subscription at Amazon

PS4

LittleBigPlanet 3

The LittleBigPlanet series has always been about creativity, stitching together an adequate story that powers the two-dimensional platforming gameplay with a hefty dose of freedom to build whatever levels and experiences you want – not limited to platforming — with the extensive level creator.  The progression from the first to the second entries in the series was fairly drastic, though, adding a wealth of new customization options for the adventures of Sackboy and beyond.  LittleBigPlanet 3 doesn’t offer quite the same profound improvements to the experience, but it delivers plenty of versatility and small innovations throughout, from near four times the amount of level-design “layers” to backwards compatibility with creations from the previous game.  Critics have cited some technical issues and half-baked concepts as negatives, but most feel this third installment isn’t coming apart at the seams whatsoever.

Not a Hero

Over the past couple of years, developers have discovered two very specific gaming niches that can be repeatedly mined without players losing much, if any, interest: retro presentations and punishing difficulty. Both have reached a certain saturation point, though, where the pixelated graphics and hurl-the-controller challenge have started to lose their luster. Not a Hero works really hard to offer something unique, depicting a purple bunny from the future as the protagonist in a side-scrolling, ultra-colorful shooter with a story reminiscent of the silliness in the later Saints Row games.  Stealthy mechanics and cover-based tactics add some spice to the mix, along with a bold penchant for violence, but critics and players seem to agree that repetitiveness and frustrating difficulty keep Not a Hero from going to another level with its throwback charms.

PS3

Starwhal

The concept behind Starwhal is pure silliness: players take control of a narwhal in a space/futuristic setting and endeavor to “pierce the heart” of three other opponents. Raucous charging, jabbing, and maneuvering ensues in a Geometry Wars-like grid atmosphere, where the brightly-colored whales flail about in a duel full of slow-motion shenanigans. While Starwhal contains a single-player function, it’s mostly a straightforward game centered on the fun a group can have while skewering one another, and even that seems to wear out its welcome rather quickly.

Anna: Extended Edition

The reception for Dreampainters’ Anna wasn’t exactly positive upon its release, earning criticisms for its dated horror-survival mechanics, excessively obscure puzzles, and a lack of effective thrills. Its only saving grace ended up being that there was another horror game released the same year, Amy, that fit the same girl’s-name-that-starts-with-A title design, one that garnered far worse reviews. Not one to take the situation lightly, the developers returned to the drawing board and scared up an Extended Edition of Anna, which has been dramatically renovated in response to fan feedback. Polished graphics, reworked puzzles, and a few new spooks enliven Anna, earning this do-over some positive marks for its efforts.

PS Vita

Ninja Senki DX

In the most positive of ways, Ninja Senki DX reminds one of a blend of Mario, Mega Man, and maybe a touch of Flappy Bird in what feels like a very direct tribute to the genre from … fittingly, developers Tribute Games. Built by some of the same folks who worked on well-received Scott Pilgrim and Ninja Turtles action games in the same vein, this platformer proudly bears its influences in both visual and game design, where players take control of a nimble little ninja who lunges through a series of obstacle-covered levels.  Straightforward, retro game mechanics and derivative design choices seem to have some expected effects, though: Ninja Senki DX provides a bit of fun for short periods of time, but grows repetitive if the bouncing and star-tossing goes on too long.

TorqueL

Sometimes, the simplest of ideas can be the most innovative. Take, for instance, TorqueL: there’s little to the game beyond a rotating cube, a button-pressing mechanics that extends the walls of the cube, and start and finish points at opposite ends of a stripped-down, two-dimensional level. Pools of lava and sliding platforms provide the obstacles for the game, in which the player rolls the cube from point to point while using the extending walls however they see fit. Will they be used to bridge gaps across danger points, or to propel the cube with forward moment, or even to save the cube from last-minute destruction as a balancing pole?  The graphics and concept itself are simple, yet there’s a distinct amount of creativity and versatility going on in the execution.

Sony Keeps Things Simple, Retro, Little With February’s PS+ Freebies

At the PlayStation Plus camp, a trend began forming at the end of last year that seems to be carrying over into 2017. Instead of offering a few noteworthy AAA games in the free download roster, they’re keeping the focus on rather small and independent titles, with the most recognizable one this month going to a remastered version of an early-90s point-and-click adventure game. A sequel, no less. Granted, this ensures that a good number of subscribers will certainly be treated to something completely new, yet the absence of any strong value heavy-hitters might start to become a bit trying for some folks. A steampunk stealth platformer, an oceanic tile-matching puzzle app, and a grim tactical war experience attempt to offer enough diversity and novelty to compensate for the lack of a bigger title. Let’s explore the games.

 Click Here to Grab a 1-Year PlayStation Plus Subscription at Amazon

Double Fine

PS4

Day of the Tentacle: Remastered

Developed and released in the late-80s by LucasArts, the original Maniac Mansion has been credited as one of the most influential installments in the point-and-click adventure series, both in graphical presentation and storytelling. The sequel, Maniac Mansion II: Day of the Tentacle, continues the universe of the original game, focusing on bespectacled Bernard and his friends as they attempt to save the world from … well, a tentacle, and they do so by solving puzzles and vaulting across time. Despite the reputation of the original game, Day of the Tentacle is also seen as its own monumental advancement, spit-polishing and beefing-up what worked really well before, an experience that was, as featured here, remastered early in 2016 by Double Fine Productions to largely critical acclaim. Also playable on the Vita.

This War of Mine

The true grimness of war frequently gets put on the back-burner in the realm of video games, simply because the developers understand that a healthy dose of entertainment value needs to even out the bleak tones. In This War of Mine, 11-bit Studios sees how far they can push the limits with that: they drop the player in the middle of a fictional war-torn city inspired by mid-’90s Bosnia, into the perspective of one of many different unseasoned conflict survivors who must use their skills to continue surviving in and around their volatile location. The game heavily relies on tactical decisions and depicts the proceedings in a 2D interface, which produces a deliberate and methodical strategy survival experience. That’s worth keeping in mind before charging into the fray.

Size Five Games

PS3

BlazeRush

Different types of competitive vehicle games have spiked in popularity as of late, largely due to the arrival of Rocket League. Recalling the likes of Micro Machines and Rock ‘n Roll Racing, BlazeRush keeps its ambitions simple while tapping into a relatively similar competitive streak: it offers a series of cars and tracks to pick from, then pulls back the camera and views the fast-paced destruction as players race and fire upon one another. Three modes are spread across three game world on which the races take place, where the cars can snag different kinds of artillery along the way to help take out opponents. BlazeRush centers itself on local multiplayer, split-screen and offering up to four players at once on the track with the option to hop in at anytime.

The Swindle

Featuring a delightfully colorful art style that captures a dusty steampunk spin on London, The Swindle offers something of a rogue-like experience in its random generation of buildings for a group of thieves to infiltrate. The character navigates through a platforming maze of levels, in which the focal rogues are aiming to take control of an artificial intelligence designed to prevent high-tech robberies. They also work in some of their other regular business ventures in hacking computers and creating sources of income, squeezing in the activity while working against a 100-day timer before the AI takes effect. Critics have noted the difficulty of The Swindle as a deterrent, but its quirky style and rate of reward seems to offer enough of a bounty to continue pilfering. Also playable on the PS4 and the Vita.

10tons Entertainment

PS Vita

Azkend 2: The World Beneath

If you’ve played item-matching games like Hexic or Puzzle Quest, then Azkend 2: The World Beneath will feel incredibly familiar. What’s different — well, slightly — lies in the story being told alongside the match-3 gameplay, taking inspiration from the stories of Jules Verne in its nautical-themed adventure. Vivid icons of shells, fossils, and binoculars complete the desired voyager aesthetic as animated cutscenes help to remind the player of the narrative alongside the puzzle gameplay, which also comes equipped with a few different gameplay modes based on time trials and re-completing the dozens of levels made available. It’s a sequel to a mobile app and follows a specific formula, but there’s a little something extra there wading under the surface.

Titan Souls

While playing a classic 8-bit game, have you ever had the thought: “Hm, I wonder what just a little bit more modern graphical strength would do to this level?” Perhaps enhancing the depth of an obstacle or the complexity of a boss. Titan Souls seems like it constantly operates under that desire. Acid Nerve’s game is rendered in beautifully ornate pixelated graphics as the enigmatic hero crawls through levels of a dungeons, engaging big and challenging “titans” with a single arrow within each layout. Acid Nerve’s game certainly has nostalgia and whimsy going for it, though the repetitiveness and punishing difficulty might sour some on the experience.

PS+ Offerings for January Ring In New Year With Small-Scale Fizzle

From ancient Japan and Civil War-era America to the depths of the biblical underworld itself, Sony’s docket of free PlayStation Plus games for July reaches far and wide in its variety of settings and time periods. The majority of them are fast-paced action games, both classic and modern, though there’s a JRPG and a quirky real-time strategy outing thrown in for good measure. One commonality can be easily spotted among all of ’em, and it’s that they’re all bursting at the seams with distinctive personality, making for a diverse and splendid array of free PS+ downloads for subscribers this month.  Ready to jump into the titles?

Click Here to Grab a 1-Year PlayStation Plus Subscription at Amazon

The Game Bakers

PS4

Furi

Furi marks the first original console release from The Game Bakers, the team behind the mobile indies like Squids and Combo Crew, and it’s a bit of a departure from their traditional fare. Character designs from the mind of Afro Samurai creator Takashi Okazaki fill the spaces of battle arenas, where a white-haired protagonist wielding a sword dashes his way through elaborate obstacles and energy expulsions to reach his targets. Fast-paced strategic maneuvers and gunplay work in tandem to create a good balance of challenge and reward, building to what’s already been deemed one of the year’s sleeper hits. Furi hit the PlayStation Store on July 5th.

Saints Row IV: Gat Out of Hell

Saints Row IV transformed what was planned to be a DLC upgrade of Saints Row: The Third into its own bonkers standalone game, which took the gangsta Saints to outer space as they fled alien invaders who imprisoned them in Matrix-like simulations. After taking on the challenge of making the Saints Row franchise even more outlandish than it already was with the superpowers and science-fiction spoofing of IV, it makes perfect sense that Volition would send the Saints somewhere even more out-there for a big standalone expansion. Thus, they released Gat Out Of Hell, which, yeah, sends them to Hell. Specifically, it sends two of the characters — Johnny Gat and Kinzie Kensington — to the fiery depths to rescue The Boss, the player’s custom character from Saints Row IV. An insane sense of humor, the hot new sandbox to explore, and a bevy of weapons can’t quite mask the short length and lack of polish, but fans should still get a charge out of this finale to the Saints Row experience.

Techland

PS3

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Before Rockstar aimed heaps of attention at the wild, wild west genre with Red Dead Redemption, Techland and Ubisoft beat the open-world kings to the draw with the prequel Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. The first-person shooter sends the McCall Brothers across mid-1800s America and south of the border for a rip-roaring, emotional adventure, one that delivers engaging yet old-hat shooter controls and rigid level design. Despite getting positive marks for the setting and writing, the critical and commercial reception was about as lukewarm as a water trough, citing that Bound in Blood did little to innovate its genre and lacked the right kinds of multiplayer functionality that’d take it to another level.

Fat Princess

Titan Studios baked up quite a gem way back in 2009 with Fat Princess, their real-time strategy game. The concept is simple: rescue your team’s princess from the opposing team’s stronghold. There’s a catch, though, and it comes in the form of cake slices that immediately make the princess heavier, and thus much more difficult to carry from place to place. The quirks little charms interweave with the brisk strategy of the battlefield and the game’s various modes, and while its multi-chapter campaign works perfectly well as a single-player experience, the bulk of the fun can be found either in its split-screen duels or online multiplayer.

Alfa System

PS Vita

Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines

In the vein of other Japanese RPGs that came before it, Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines — also known as Over My Dead Body 2 — carries over the setting from its previous game without a direct plot continuation. Set 100 years after the events of the original, this installment from storied role-playing developer Alfa System involves progressing through multiple generations of a family as the player works to lift a curse placed upon their clan, shortly after they were found guilty of crimes they didn’t commit. Interacting with Japanese mythology in the process, Tainted Bloodlines fuses together the turn-based dungeon grinding rhythm of Final Fantasy with some of the watercolor-like styling of Okami,  producing an experience that critics have praised for its visual splendor and fabled grandeur of the plotting.

Prince of Persia: Revelations

Finally, we’ve got Prince of Persia: Revelations. The title may throw off some who haven’t owned a PSP in the past, since that’s actually the rebranded name for a port of the PS2-era installment in the franchise, Warrior Within. It’s a noticeably different take on the atmosphere and the Prince himself, giving the game a harder, darker edge than its whimsical predecessor, Sands of Time, with its gloomy protagonist and brutal violence. The franchise’s signature platforming, exploration, and responsive swordplay combat return underneath the M-rated gristle and the shift toward a metal-inspired soundtrack, conjuring an engrossingly fluid action game despite how it abandons some of Prince of Persia‘s Arabian Nights-like charms.

Sony Furiously Rides Through July With Eclectic PS+ Freebies