PlayStation Plus August 2014 Games Preview
August will soon be here, with one of the perks being a new list of games available to PlayStation Plus members. Like last month, Sony is offering up six games across the PS4, PS3, and Vita. If you’ve missed July’s games, check them out here and get them before it is too late!
PlayStation 4
Road Not Taken
For August, the first game for free is actually a brand new to the store game from developer SpryFox. This game has a release date of August 5th, and is a puzzle game where you play as a ranger travelling through a vast forest after a winter storm where you have to rescue lost children.
“From the creators of Triple Town, Road Not Taken is a rogue like puzzle game about surviving life’s surprises. You play as a ranger adventuring through a vast, unforgiving forest in the aftermath of a brutal winter storm, rescuing children who have lost their way. Randomly generated levels deliver a limitless supply of possibilities to explore and challenges to overcome. Your actions will influence not only your own story, but that of the villagers you hope to befriend and the town you call home.”
Fez
The second game for the PS4 is the puzzle platform game Fez, originally released on April 13, 2012. Indie developer Polytron Corporation created this award winning game which has an interesting 2D gameplay model in a 3D world, where rotating the aspect ratio is a key component of the challenge. Fez will also be available on the PS3 and Vita. Fez for the PS4 received a 90 Metascore and 7.2 User score on Metacritic.
“Gomez is a 2D creature living in a 2D world. Or is he? When the existence of a mysterious 3rd dimension is revealed to him, Gomez is sent out on a journey that will take him to the very end of time and space. Use your ability to navigate 3D structures from 4 distinct classic 2D perspectives. Explore a serene and beautiful open-ended world full of secrets, puzzles and hidden treasures. Unearth the mysteries of the past and discover the truth about reality and perception. Change your perspective and look at the world in a different way.”
PlayStation 3
Crysis 3
Crysis 3 is the award winning first-person shooter released by developer Crytek in February 2013. This sequel to the 2011 game Crysis 2 is set in New York City in 2047, where players take on the role of Prophet. Based on the Cryengine 3, Crysis is a stunningly beautiful game which scored a 77 Metascore and 6.1 User score on Metacritc.
“Seven Wonders of the Urban Rainforest – New York City has been contained in a giant nanodome and grown into a unique rainforest with seven distinct environments. Master the ultimate sandbox and turn it into your own personal hunting ground.
Assess, Adapt, and Attack – Crysis’s highly-acclaimed sandbox gameplay is back with more open levels to let players choose their path and approach. Your upgraded Nanosuit allows brute force or stealth, always giving you more than one option.
The Biggest and Most Explosive Arsenal in Franchise History – In addition to giving you an arsenal of human firearms, Crysis 3 lets you scavenge alien weapons and deploy an all-new Predator bow.”
Proteus
Developer Curve Studios release Proteus in January 2013. This open world exploration game (or anti-game?) is a first-person perspective game drawn in the pixel art style. Proteus got a 77 Metascore and 8.1 User score on Metacritic. Proteus will also be available to PS3 owners.
“Proteus is a game about exploration and immersion in a dream-like island world where the soundtrack to your play is created by your surroundings. The primary means of interaction is simply your presence in the world and how you observe it.”
PlayStation Vita
Metrico
Also brand new to the store on August 5th is Metrico from Digital Dreams Games. This is a “atmospheric puzzle action game with a mindset of its own” which has received a lot of accolades by reviewers prior to it being released. The world looks fantastic with a great design theme.
“Metrico is a new world. A living world filled with infographics that react directly to your movement, actions and input. Metrico invites you to explore, experiment, test your skills and most of all: think outside the box.
Immerse yourself in this experience, exclusive to PlayStation Vita system, and see if you have got what it takes!”
Dragon’s Crown
Dragon’s Crown by Vanillaware Ltd was released July 25, 2013. This 2D fantasy RPG with side scrolling action is a multiplayer experience that lets players choose from six heroes with unique strengths and weaknesses. Dragon’s Crown received a 78 Metascore and 8.9 User score on Metacritic. This game will also be available to PS3 owners.
“Dragon’s Crown is a multiplayer hack and slash beat ‘em up game with breathtaking visual style, a design built around cooperative play and epic boss fights, and the ability to discover a new adventure in every play session. Dragon’s Crown allows up to four players to team up online to clear out monster-ridden dungeons, discover precious treasure, and destroy awe-inspiring bosses.”
Final Thoughts
August looks like a fantastic month for PlayStation Plus members, with a great selection of games from puzzles to first-person shooters to hack and slash games. Also nice to see is that two of these games will be brand new and instantly available to Plus members. Six games over three systems should keep owners entertained for the month of August.