Sony has announced July’s PlayStation Plus lineup, though it’ll look a bit different depending on where you live. For PlayStation 3 players, there’s a different game depending on if you live in North America or Europe.
For those on the PlayStation 4, the first entry is Heavy Rain. Originally released for the PlayStation 3 in 2010, the game features four protagonists investigating the Origami Killer, a serial killer that attacks during the rain so he can drown the victims. If you have wanted to check out some more of David Cage's work either after playing Detroit or before purchasing that, this provides an opportunity to do so.
Next up is Absolver, a fighting game/action RPG whose main draw is the heavy amounts of customization. You can play a single player mode or against other people online. In single-player mode, you play as a fighter in training and seek out adventure in various ruins while fighting those that have failed in this very quest. Or something like that. Our review notes it’s a fun game, but it has a really vague story, even vaguer than Dark Souls.
For the PlayStation 3, this is where things will vary. Everyone is going to get Rayman 3 HD. An HD remaster of 2003’s Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, it was originally released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. The original version has been released on a myriad of consoles as well as PC, but these remain the only places to get the HD remaster. However, this game is largely considered a black sheep of the series, as we detailed in our retrospective.
North American gamers will be getting Deception IV: Blood Ties (aka Kagero: Dark Side Princess). This is an expansion of the original Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess. It’s a unique strategy game that requires the players to prevent enemies from reaching them by setting traps rather than direct confrontation.
European Union gamers will get Extreme Exorcism. This is an indie platformer that pits friends against each other. The catch is that the winner’s inputs are saved and replayed as ghost data in the next round, which can harm anyone on the battlefield.
Moving on to the PS Vita, the first game up is Space Overlords. There, four brothers called the Overlords have been imprisoned by their enemy. Years later, he has changed the universe for the worse. It’s an isometric shooter that includes the ability to create and share levels. This title is cross-buy with PlayStation 4, providing an extra game for PS4 owners.
Finally, there’s Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma. Released for the PS Vita and 3DS in 2016, the game follows a group that have been locked in a bomb shelter and are forced to play a fatal game called the Decision Game. It is up to the players to escape various rooms before their memory is wiped by the evil mastermind Zero. Our review rated it very highly, calling it the director's magnum opus.
In addition, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is available from now until July 11. Sony announced a new map pack for it at E3 this year. Beyond that, these are the last few days to redeem your copies of June's PlayStation Plus titles - so do so now before the time runs out.
What do you think of these games? Any you wish were included? Let us know in the comments.
