LAST MONTH ON PS PLUS

Maybe it’s just us but we always feel a little bit introspective towards the end of the year. This December was no different as we strained our brains to pick our top games of 2018 (see p30). Thankfully, in order to recover from such exertion, we had a delectable selection of PS Plus titles to tuck into. Existential horror

Soma got top billing and, thanks to the addition of Safe mode earlier this year, there was never a better time to play Frictional’s deep water descent. It had a lot on its mind, not least themes of transhumanism, and with Safe mode minimising the threat of enemies the story was able to breathe. If you were looking for something to sink your teeth into after stripping the turkey, this was a fine option.

Onrush offered a different kind of thrill with its take on racing. Wearing its arcade sensibilities on its sleeve, it was all about tricks rather than placing first. Of course, there’s nothing quite like bonding over a sick takedown either.

Iconoclasts bridged the gap between PS4 and PS Vita by being offered on both. This platformer followed the adventures of Robin, a mechanic with a heart of gold attempting to fix the world. Beautifully presented with a pixel art style, just watch the trailer and try to tell us you’re not endeared to it.

Also on PS Vita was Papers, Please. This politically-minded puzzle game interrogated the issue of immigration policy and, trust us, it was far more engaging than that description suggests.

Rounding out the month on PS3 was (first) Steredenn: Classic. This space shoot-’em-up was a roguelike with procedurally generated levels. Finally,

Steins;Gate is a visual novel that featured an unlikely time machine, texts to the past, and… jelly bananas? The basis for an anime, the original iteration was worth experiencing for yourself.