The start of summer is well underway as of July rolls around, meaning a new selection of free games is available for everyone holding a subscription to PlayStation Plus. This month’s selection features a reasonable variety in regards to genre and niches, so without further ado, here are the PlayStation Plus Free Games in July 2021.
A quick disclaimer, like in previous months, this instalment features PlayStation 4 and 5 titles for you to sink your teeth into for the healthy fee of £0. Meaning only two are available for PlayStation 4 users.
Image source: PlayStation Universe
A Plague Tale: Innocence
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Developer: Asobo Studio
Genre: Survival/Stealth
Series: A Plague Tale
Released: May 14th 2019
Certificate: 18
Console: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/X/S, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
The first game on this list is exclusively for PlayStation 5 users, A Plague Tale Innocence. This Focus Home Interactive title is a third-person stealth experience set in fourteenth-century France at the height of the black plague. The centre-point of the game is rats, as you would expect. As you traverse the dingy streets of France, you will encounter hoards of man-eating rats that can be trained to attack enemies on your behalf with the use of fire and unlocking abilities.
Stealth and survival are the aims of the game, so the emphasis is placed on moving in the shadows and picking the right moments to take out enemies. Overall, the visuals are stunningly gloomy and dingy, especially on the PlayStation 5 port. There is a genuine feel for mood and atmosphere, with dimly lit, grey-cobblestoned streets and drippy underground walkways. Scoring mostly eights-out-of-ten from reputable reviewers, A Plague Tale: Innocence is a great feature for PlayStation 5 users. Click here to check out some stunning gameplay footage that explores the new PlayStation 5 port’s graphical output.
Image source: Wallpaper Cave
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Treyarch
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Series: Call of Duty
Released: August 3rd 2018
Certificate: 18
Console: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Next up on our list is a Call of Duty title, which is something of a rarity on these monthly instalments. Activision’s Black Ops 4 is up for grabs this month, the first Call of Duty to focus entirely on online multiplayer and zombies modes. This means there is no traditional single-player campaign as the developers Treyarch prioritised perfecting online modes and their first soiree into the battle royale craze with the Blackout game mode.
The title received negative press initially due to the lack of a single-player campaign; however, moods quickly changed towards Black Ops 4 when fans discovered that the extra time invested into the multiplayer modes reaped massive benefits. The fast and snappy gunplay and impressive visuals associated with the franchise are wonderfully showcased in this title; however, unimaginative map designs and questionable spawn points undeniably hold the mode back.
Treyarch themselves commented on this, claiming they were focussed on the modes players invest most of their time. This makes sense as reviews generally vary in the 8-9/10 ranges. Are you interested in the Black Ops series? Check out our comprehensive review of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Image source: Steam
WWE 2K Battlegrounds
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Saber Interactive
Genre: Beat ‘Em Up
Series: WWE 2K
Released: September 18th 2020
Certificate: 12
Console: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia
Last and likely least on our list is the odd but charming WWE 2K Battlegrounds. Following a temporary hiatus of the franchise after a series of releases regarded as technical disasters. WWE 2K returns to the fore with Battlegrounds, ditching the ‘wrestling simulator’ formula for a cartoonish, ‘pick up and play’ wrestling experience. Imagine a ragdoll beat ‘em up where many legitimate wrestling elements are replaced by goofy fighting mechanics, like feeding your opponent to an alligator.
Designed for casual players and not die-hard wrestling fans looking for an accurate simulation. WWE fans may feel particularly let-down as a year’s break for the franchise has not rendered very positive results. The good news however, this is easily the most approachable wrestling game for complete newcomers. Reviews range from 3-5/10, so do not expect anything ground-breaking but it could be quite fun.
Final Words
So there you have it the PlayStation Plus free games in July 2021. This month’s instalment presents a decent amount of variety in regards to genre and style, meaning that there should be something here for anyone to be entertained with. That being said, variety is not a precursor for quality but there certainly has been less favourable instalments.
With an overall saving of £90, there are still some bargains to be had.
