Every month since 2010, Sony has given away 6+ games as part of the PlayStation Plus Instant Games Collection. The IGC comes with your monthly (or annual) PS Plus subscription and offers great value for money. PlayStation owners get over 60 games a year on PS3, PS4 and PS Vita, all of which have a Metacritic rating of 70 or above.
A year’s subscription of PS Plus costs £39.99, or $49.99, which works out to little over £3 a month. Playstation Lifestyle reported that PS Plus subscribers received over $1300/£841 worth of games last year. So yeah, PS Plus is a very good service that helps players discover games they may otherwise never have even looked at.
This is the first (ongoing) review of the Instant Games Collection for each and every month. So, once a month, when the IGC goes live we will post a review – a synopsis and mini-review of each game, the value for your money, and whether or not we recommend you pick them up.
Ether One (PS4)
Ether One was released for PC last year and turned heads for its subject matter: dementia. This first-person adventure game (which are so popular right now) tasks you with restoring the memory of a 69-year old dementia patient.
You traverse a picturesque landscape and pick up anything and everything along the way, which can be stored in your hub-world. You can solve puzzles and learn more about the world and what happened to the patient’s memory, or just progress freely and get the basic gist of the tale. If you enjoy plot and exploration that’s free from combat, check this out.
Ether One is a beautiful game, in both its aesthetic and the story it weaves.
Guacamelee: Suber Turbo Championship Edition (PS4)
Guacamelee is one of many MetroidVania-style games to be released in recent years but it’s also one of the very best. Top-notch platforming, wonderfully colourful visuals, and a hilarious cast of characters are just a few of the reasons why Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition holds an 87% on Metacritic, despite having been released across 9 platforms.
If you enjoy old-school platforming games, ridiculous humour and fun, Guacamelee: Super Championship Edition is for you!
Race The Sun (PS4, PS Vita)
Race The Sun is an infinite runner developed by Flippfly and released last October. It’s not a typical endless runner in that you are flying a silver spacecraft, but Race The Sun is fast-paced and slightly addictive.
Admittedly, I had never heard of this game until I saw it on the IGC. Regardless, I downloaded it and gave it a shot. I’ve only played it a couple of times, but I get what it’s trying to do. I’m not a huge fan of endless runners, but this is a pretty good one – especially if you use Spotify on your PS4 and listen to whatever you want!
Race The Sun is frenetic and very difficult, perfect for anyone wanting a quick and challenging experience.
Hohokum (PS3, PS4, PS Vita)
Hohokum is reminiscent of Journey, Flower, LocoRoco, and many other, smaller, Playstation exclusives. You may be wondering how the heck any of those games are similar, but they share the same simplistic and artistic lineage.
Hohokum doesn’t require much in the way of gameplay or deep thought, but that’s the point. It’s very simple and very enjoyable. You play as a long worm-like creature that carries people to their destination, be it a wedding or through a cave. It’s a relaxing game that suits anyone who enjoyed the aforementioned titles.
The Unfinished Swan (PS3, PS4, PS Vita)
The Unfinished Swan is a very special game. This is probably the first indie game I ever played that really caught me. I downloaded the demo for The Unfinished Swan and immediately bought the game after the demo finished. I highly recommend it to everyone.
You play as a young boy who has lost his mother and follows a swan that escapes from its painting. The swan leads you to a completely white room, and that’s where the game starts. The only gameplay mechanic is to throw paint, which guides your way through worlds in order to find your mother. It’s a simple, elegant game that completely hooked me. The Unfinished Swan is beautiful and unique, and 100% worth checking out.
Murasaki Baby (PS Vita)
Murasaki Baby is a really weird, Tim Burton-esque game that is great on the Vita. Similar to The Unfinished Swan, Murasaki Baby has you playing as a child, looking for your mother. The difference? Murasaki Baby is creepy as hell.
In Murasaki Baby you guide Baby through different levels, literally holding her hand, and help her avoid all the evil in the world. You, as the omnipotent finger, can change the background to affect the elements and progress. The gameplay is very simple but effective and the art-style is wonderful. The story is nice and it’s a bite-sized experience that fits the device it’s on.
If you own a Vita and want a game that utilizes its forgotten features (i.e touch screens and motion control) Murasaki Baby is for you.
Overall
May was a really great month for PS Plus. The Instant Games Collection offers 6 unique games this month, 3 of which are cross-buy. Every game on this list is worth checking out and offers something different. Sure there might not be any AAA titles, but there’s definitely something here for everyone.
