Skip to main content

Leap tall buildings in January’s PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection freebies

InFamous First Light screenshot 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The next set of Instant Game Collection freebies for PlayStation Plus subscribers in January 2015 include the super-powered action of inFamous: First Light and Prototype 2, along with a few revitalized classics and indie treats.The upcoming round of complimentary games was announced in a video on the PlayStation Facebook feed.

PlayStation 4 owners can grab inFamous: First Light, the standalone prequel to inFamous: Second Son from Sucker Punch Productions. This action game casts you as Fetch, a supporting character from Second Son who possesses the power to manipulate high-energy neon. PS4 gamers can also grab The Swapper, a clever puzzle platformer from Facepalm Games. Puzzles in this atmospheric, sci-fi game revolve around using a device that clones the protagonist up to four times to manipulate the environment.

For PlayStation 3, the selection includes another third-person superhero action game, the darker Prototype 2This sequel casts you as a mighty mutant on a quest to kill the first game’s protagonist, as revenge for losing your family to a viral outbreak that has connections to the manifestation of superpowers. Also featuring high-flying leaps for PS3 owners, Duck Tales Remastered is a 2013 remake of the beloved 1989 platformer for the original Nintendo console.

The classic Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition is coming to PS Vita, including an enhanced version of the original 1996 shooter along with three expansions and a multiplayer mode. Also headed to Vita is Woah Dave!, a fast-paced, lo-fi action game reminiscent of 80’s arcade titles but with modern flourishes.

All of these games will be available for free download to any PlayStation Plus subscriber for the month of January 2015.

Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
PlayStation Plus just set a new first-party precedent with Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon: Forbidden West

Sony revealed the games coming to PlayStation Plus Premium and PlayStation Plus Extra this month on February 21, and it's the best month that the service has had since it launched in the summer of 2022. Not only are some great PS1 classics like The Legend of Dragoon and Wild Arms 2 coming to the service, but Horizon Forbbiden West is getting added as well.
Horizon Forbidden West coming to the service one year after launch is a big deal because Sony has been resistant to putting recent first-party PS5 games on its subscription service. While it's still not adding first-party titles on day one like Xbox Game Pass does, this is possibly our first indication of how Sony will handle adding its own games to the subscription. It's not the only PS4 and PS5 title coming to the service this month either, as the following strong lineup of games was also confirmed to be coming on February 21.

The Quarry (PS4, PS5)
Resident Evil VII Biohazard (PS4)
Outriders (PS4, PS5)
Scarlet Nexus (PS4, PS5)
Borderlands 3 (PS4, PS5) 
Tekken 7 (PS4, PS5)
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (PS4)
Earth Defense Force 5 (PS4)
Oninaki (PS4)
Lost Sphear (PS4)
I Am Setsuna (PS4) 
The Forgotten City (PS4, PS5) 
Destroy All Humans! (PS4)

Read more
PlayStation VR2’s launch lineup features more than just Horizon Call of the Mountain
Horizon Call of the Mountain key art.

At CES 2023, Sony confirmed that there would be over 30 launch titles for PlayStation VR2. Today, we learned specifics on what exactly 37 of those PlayStation VR2 launch window games are on PlayStation Blog.
This announcement also contains 13 new titles that we didn't know were coming to PlayStation VR before. Particular new highlights include Before Your Eyes, an emotionally moving game where blinking is the main form of interaction, Tetris Effect: Connected, a multiplayer-enhanced version of one the original PlayStation VR's best games, and What the Bat?, a comedy game where the player's arms are bats. Of course, the crown jewel of PlayStation VR2's launch is still Horizon Call of the Mountain, a VR spin-off of one of PlayStation's most successful recent franchises.

 
Check out the full list of confirmed launch titles: 

Read more
The Last of Us Part I should launch on PlayStation Plus Premium
Ellie looking concerned.

The Last of Us Part I is one of the most notable PlayStation 5 games to launch this fall. It’s also one of the year’s most controversial titles.
Despite the acclaim associated with The Last of Us series, there is heated debate surrounding the remake’s $70 price tag, which is more than the original release and The Last of Us Remastered cost at release -- even though it's lacking the multiplayer mode that came with both. This situation turned what should be a certified slam dunk for Sony into a divisive release, and Sony could fix it with one key change: making The Last of Us Part I a day-one title on PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium.
This isn’t because The Last of Us Part I isn’t worth $70. In fact, its improved visuals and the vast amount of new accessibility features clearly warrant the price tag in the eyes of some. That said, even defenders of the heightened price can recognize the controversy arising from charging more than ever for a remake of a twice-released game. The Last of Us Part I is in a rough situation, and being a PS Plus game would ease some of those concerns.
Why being on PS Plus would work
As The Last of Us is one of Sony's most popular modern franchises and has a TV show on the way, it's understandable why Sony and developer Naughty Dog eagerly want a modernized version of The Last of Us Part I on store shelves at full price. Still, those who've already bought the game twice and aren't impressed by the visual and accessibility overhaul don't seem as compelled to pick up the game for the third time. Sony would remove this significant roadblock plaguing The Last of Us Part I by putting the game on a subscription service.
The Last of Us Part I Rebuilt for PS5 - Features and Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games
There are plenty of examples showing why this would be a wise idea. The Age of Empire series' Definitive Edition games showed how well remakes work on subscription services. Several years after their original release, many players are still actively engaged with the first three Age of Empire games. While interested players can still purchase the remakes individually, putting those games on Game Pass for PC on day one ensured that the community didn't have to pay full price for a game they were already playing daily. Instead, they could just get the remake through their subscription and continue.
The Last of Us Part I is in a similar situation, even with the multiplayer content removed. This demonstrates why a subscription service release could lessen some of the negative stigmas around the game. The successful Stray, which was included in PS Plus at launch, shows that day one PlayStation Plus games can still generate plenty of positive buzz. The game's subscription service availability ensured that the conversation stayed on the game's cute cats, not the fact that it was a $30 game that only lasted about five hours.
Sony has recognized the power PS Plus can have on embattled games before. Destruction All-Stars was originally a $70 PS5 launch title, but ultimately launched as a PlayStation Plus game that was free to subscribers. Although The Last of Us Part I seems like it’ll be a better game than Destruction All-Stars, a day one game makes even more sense on PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra now than it did on PS Plus in February 2021.

Despite all of those factors, Jim Ryan made it clear that he does not want AAA PlayStation Studios games on PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra on day one during an interview with Games Industry.
“We feel like we are in a good virtuous cycle with the studios where the investment delivers success, which enables yet more investment, which delivers yet more success,” Ryan said. “We like that cycle and we think our gamers like that cycle … We feel if we were to do that with the games that we make at PlayStation Studios, that virtuous cycle will be broken. The level of investment that we need to make in our studios would not be possible, and we think the knock-on effect on the quality of the games that we make would not be something that gamers want."
His argument makes sense from a business standpoint, but data from Microsoft shows that people play more games (and games they might not have played initially) when they are available on a subscription service. Even if it seems unfair to judge, many people weigh the amount of new, entertaining content a game offers to its price tag. Sony's can't truly say whether The Last of Us Part I is worth $70, but it can shift the discussion in its favor with an act of goodwill.
The Last of Us Part I will be released for PS5 on September 2, 2022.

Read more