Following several monthly announcements that have divided the opinions of PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) subscribers in regards to the quality of free games, this month’s additions will seemingly continue this trend. In the days leading up to the August 2019 instalment, there was great anticipation in the PlayStation community as rumours from various online sources included titles such as Spider-Man (2018), Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (2017) may be included as this month’s free games for players with a PS Plus subscription. Although the prospect of free games cannot be disputed as a blessing for gamers, this month’s titles will undoubtedly disappoint those who were expecting the aforementioned titles to be added to their library, as none will be featured in this update. However, with that said, this does not mean this month’s announcement is a flop. Believe me, it is far from it, particularly if you are a fan of sniper rifles or anti-gravity racing. The games available to download from August 6th are as follows.
Sniper Elite 4
Developer: Rebellion Developments
Publisher: Rebellion Developments
Genre: Tactical Shooter, Stealth
Originally Released: February 14th 2017
Certificate: 16
Consoles: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows
The fourth installation of Rebellion Developments’ acclaimed sniping game series places you in Italy, 1943, right in the middle of the Second World War. This title maintains the third-person perspective, precision combat found in its three predecessors. The signature X-ray kill cam ability is a joy to use as you track your bullets from long range in order to execute the most devastating shots to your enemies, fans of the series have come to love and expect with each new release and for good reason. Whether you target the head, torso or limbs of your enemies, the game will display the internal damage to bones and organs to such gory satisfaction. Timing, consideration for wind direction and studying your environment is essential for pulling off those deadly headshots, so be sure to take your time. The Sniper Elite series has always been experienced from the single-player perspective; however, this most recent instalment allows you to play cooperatively with a friend or in a twelve player online mode to put your sharpshooting abilities to the test. If you do not mind a bit of gore and enjoy shooters with an element of realism, I would definitely recommend adding this to your library.
WipEout: Omega Collection
Developer: EPOS Game Studios
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Racing
Originally Released: June 6th 2017
Certificate: 7
Consoles: PlayStation 4
The second game in this PS Plus instalment is WipEout: Omega Collection, a title that could not be more unlike Sniper Elite 4, meaning August’s free games has a little something for everyone. Depending on your age, some of you may remember the first WipEout title with fond nostalgia, playing on an original PlayStation or an MS-DOS computer all the way back in 1995. If you are one of these people then it ought to fill you with joy as you get the latest instalment in this series on your PS4, which is a remaster of WipEout HD (2008) and WipEout 2048 (2012). On the contrary, even if you have never played a single WipEout game before, you are still treated to a great futuristic racing game with single and multiplayer capabilities. This title is a futuristic racing game whereby players choose antigravity ships, each with their own custom features, such as top speed, handling and shield strength. The game provides a unique and exhilarating soundtrack that couples the high-octane gameplay for an adrenalizing experience. Furthermore, with the Omega collection, the game comes fully supporting the PlayStation VR headset, which allows players to be completely immersed in all of the thrills of this exciting title. If you are fortunate enough to own a compatible VR headset, this is a free game that you will assuredly not want to miss.
Summary
This month’s announcements will be met with mixed feelings; the games that were widely rumoured to feature have not done so, but instead, have been replaced by two quality titles that should at least come as pleasant surprises. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into these titles myself and I hope the same goes to all of you.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 – Good
