Every month, Sony adds a bevy of free games to its PlayStation Plus premium program. August 2018 is no different. PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita owners each get a couple of cool games to add to their collections for as long as they remain PS Plus subscribers.
On PlayStation 4, the main attractions are Mafia III and Dead by Daylight. PlayStation 3 owners will get their hands on Serious Sam 3: BFE and Bound by Flame. Finally, owners of Sony’s underappreciated handheld will gain access to Draw Slasher and Space Hulk.
As an added bonus, Plus subscribers can play two additional free games: Here They Lie for PS VR, and Knowledge is Power, a PlayLink title which aims to be accessible to casual players and hardcore competitors alike.
Mafia III was one of publisher 2K’s biggest games of 2016. Set in a fictionalized version of New Orleans in the late 1960s, the game dives headfirst into the political and racial tensions of the era. Upon its original release, the title earned significant acclaim for its narrative, characters, and excellent utilization of music from the era to enhance key moments in the story, but the gameplay was criticized for feeling bland and repetitive. Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical mulitplayer horror game, in which one player controls a crazed serial killer while the other four players are tasked with surviving his rampage. It’s a truly unique experience and one of the most unusual online titles out there.
PlayStation 3 users can get their hands on Serious Sam 3: BFE. Before First Encounter is a prequel, but nobody plays Serious Sam for the story; just for non-stop gun battles against faceless alien monsters. In that respect, BFE delivers in spades. Bound by Flame is a narrative-driven RPG from developer Spiders, who have made quite a name for themselves with ambitious titles like The Technomancer and their upcoming game, Greedfall.
For Sony’s handheld customers, Draw Slasher is a jolly little mobile title about an adorable ninja trying to get home, cutting down any Pirate Monkey Zombies who get in his way. It makes extensive use of the Vita’s touch screen, and is clearly inspired by the likes of Fruit Ninja. Meanwhile, Space Hulk is a direct adaptation of the legendary Warhammer 40K board game of the same name. What it lacks in tactical depth, it makes up for with a heartfelt reverence for its source material and faithful reproduction of its classic board game mechanics.
Finally, the additional offerings, while ostensibly icing on the PS Plus cake, are great titles in their own right. Here They Lie was initially released alongside PlayStation VR, and offers a deeply immersive horror experience. While gameplay is relatively minimal compared to some VR titles, it’s all in service of providing surreal and uncomfortable moments of pure terror, the likes of which are only possible thanks to the power of virtual reality. Meanwhile, Knowledge is Power is a party-style quiz game for up to six players. Each person uses their cell phone app to play, so even non-gamers can get in on the fun.
August 2018 is proving to be a another strong month for PlayStation Plus. Mafia III is a unique look at the more tumultuous parts of the 1960s, Dead By Daylight is a horror experience like no other (especially considering the behind the scenes drama which ruined Friday the 13th), and the last-gen and handheld offerings are equally varied, unique, and entertaining. In a year which has already given Plus subscribers games like Bloodborne, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Mad Max, Trackmania Turbo and more, hopes are high Sony can maintain this stellar momentum in the coming months.
