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GOT THE JANUARY BLUES? BANISH THEM WITH THESE GREAT SUBSCRIPTION GAMES
JANUARY can be the bleakest of months. There’s divorce day, Blue Monday, and after being paid early in December – payday feels like a lifetime away.
But for gamers on a budget, there’s a small light in the darkness.
Microsoft and Sony both run schemes which give gamers access to free titles every month – for a nominal fee.
Sony’s Play Station Plus subscribers can download free games every month, which are theirs to access as long as they’re Plus members.
Microsoft Games with Gold subscribers also get access to Xbox One games while their Gold subscription is active. Games for the 360 however, are yours to keep whatever.
Plus, players signing up to Gold-level memberships for Xbox Live also get access to titles via Games Pass, a free library of 200+ titles, including some brand new releases.
PS+ and Gold members also get exclusive offers and discounts.
A monthly Gold subscription on Xbox Live is £6.99 – or you can pay an annual fee of £49.99.
Add Game Pass to that, and it’s £10.99 a month – but you get 200 extra games to access.
A monthly PS Plus subscription is £6.99 – or you can pay £19.99 a quarter, or an annual fee of £49.99.
Still undecided? Here are a few of the titles Gold and PS Plus members can get this January.
GAMES WITH GOLD STYX: SHARDS OF DARKNESS PEGI 16
THIS 2017 stealth/fantasy adventure sees you take on the role of a goblin thief in a city of Dark Elves.
With a surprisingly funny script, and a plot that doesn’t stink, Styx offers some solid – if a little tired gameplay.
Like a pointy-eared Deadpool, Styx is the best thing about the game, quick-witted and lethal.
It’s not a game that will change your life, but it will certainly help you while away a good few hours.
BATMAN: THE TELLTALE SERIES PEGI 18
UP there with The Walking Dead in terms of Telltale Games’ masterpieces, this collection features all five Batman episodes.
Rendered to look like a living, breathing comic book, as with all Telltale games the choices you make as you play, directly affect how the game unfolds.
The narrative offers a “fresh interpretation of the universe, not tied to any existing iteration of Batman in games, film, or comics.
It’s fairly short, coming in at around eight hours of gameplay, but it shines brightly.
LEGO STAR WARS II: THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY PEGI 3+
AN XBOX 360 classic that’s still a hit with young and old alike.
It’s not the most testing of games, but it offers hours of entertainment that everyone can enjoy.
Packed full of tongue-in-cheek LEGO style and humour, this offers some genuine, action puzzler fun.
Build characters, drive vehicles, and share the fun in co-op mode. It may be 14 years old, but just like the movies it’s based on, this game has withstood the test of time.
PLAYSTATION PLUS UNCHARTED: THE NATHAN DRAKE COLLECTION PEGI 16
INCLUDING the single player games for Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, you can relive – or discover – some of the best games of the last decade or so. This compilation includes the remastered versions of the first three games – which, to be fair are some of the best remasters available on the PS4.
While a few bits and bobs haven’t stood the test of time, for my money, these are still great fun.
GOAT SIMULATOR PEGI 12
UP there with some of the oddest games ever made, Goat Simulator is the Tony Hawks Underground of the animal kingdom, with points awarded for the mischief and mayhem you unleash as you explore the open-world environment.
Jump, run, bash things, or lick objects – and there are scores of little mini games too which see you doing daft things like scale heights, complete flips, and destroy objects.
It’s not the greatest game ever committed to console, but it’s utterly compelling.