I know we’re all still amped up over all the announcements from Gamescom this week, especially for things like Ghost of Yotei and Black Ops 7 coming to PS5 in less than two months, but that doesn’t solve the problem of what to play this weekend. We still have to wait a bit for Metal Gear Solid Delta and Lost Soul Aside, but this month’s new PS Plus games might be one of the best drops of the year. We’ve got one day one title drop, plus two hidden gems that will surprise you with just how deep and thoughtful they are. It wasn’t intentional, but this weekend’s theme has ended up being a trio of smaller games that pack a huge punch.
Sword of the Sea
Let’s start with the day one addition, shall we? If the footage for Sword of the Sea reminds you of the sliding sections of Journey, that’s intentional — this is from the same team that made Abzu, Journey, and The Pathless, all of which featured silky smooth movement mechanics. This is yet another atmospheric and introspective game that doesn’t tell its story through dialogue but visuals and environmental detail. You will glide through the world on your sword, pulling off tricks, and exploring this world to bring life back to a desolate world. As you bring water back to each area, more of the map opens up to explore. There is some light combat here, too, but this game is all about the vibes and environmental message.
Sword of the Sea is available now on PS5 and PC.
Unicorn Overlord
I’ll be honest; this game’s title didn’t do it any favors. Unless you are familiar with Vanillaware, this is probably a game you let slip without a second thought, but now that it is on Plus, I am obligated to convince you to try it. Unicorn Overlord is a tactical RPG like nothing else you’ve ever played. You will build up various groups of units on a grid and direct them on a map to fight other groups and take over locations, but how those battles play out is where it gets interesting. Fights are all automated, and you can see the results before they even start, but what you’re in charge of is programming how your units behave. Almost like writing a script, you give your units conditions for who to attack, when to use skills, who to heal, and more. It sounds a little boring and tedious, but you have to try it for yourself to see just how rewarding it is in action. Plus, the art is unbeatable.
Unicorn Overlord is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch
Indika
I bet you’ve never played a game where you control a nun with the Devil speaking to her before. This indie game is a wild ride that you will never predict, so I will hold back from saying as much as I can to preserve the experience for you. What I will say is that it is a wonderfully strange, unpredictable, and striking game about faith, perspective, doubt, and reality. I know, that’s terribly vague, but this is a game that you need to go into with as little knowledge as possible. And don’t give up after the slow opening, either. It isn’t a very long game so just stick with it and trust that it knows what it’s doing.
Indika is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
