PlayStation Plus: September 2017 Free Games

It's the first Tuesday of a new month, and you know what that usually means on the PlayStation Store: new games to download for free if you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber.

As always, I'll include the current price of the games, add up the total, and show you how much you save this month with PlayStation Plus... assuming you don't own any of these games.

Looking at the list on the PlayStation Store, I don't have any of these games. I inFAMOUS Second Son when it was originally released. It's a fun game. The story is rather lackluster, but the gameplay is fun, so I do recommend giving it a try. Especially if you've played inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2 on the PlayStation 3.

Here's the list of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers:

PlayStation 4

inFAMOUS Second Son | $19.99

Strike Vector EX | $14.99

PlayStation VR

RIGS Mechanized Combat League | $29.99

PlayStation 3

Truck Racer | $9.99

Handball 2016 | $19.99

PlayStation Vita

We Are Doomed (Cross-buy with PS4) | $9.99

Hatoful Boyfriend (Cross-buy with PS4) | $9.99

This month's free games ends up saving you $114.93. That's nearly double what you end up paying for a year's worth of PlayStation Plus. Not bad. That being said, I don't know if I can vouch for all the games listed above other than inFAMOUS Second Son, but even then that saves you $19.99.

What do you think of this month's free games? Let me know in the comments section below.

REVIEW: inFAMOUS First Light

One of the biggest reasons I wanted a PlayStation 4 was to be able to play inFAMOUS Second Son. I really liked inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2 on the PlayStation 3, so knowing that there was another inFAMOUS game in the works made me excited. By far, inFAMOUS Second Son had the best gameplay, but I felt underwhelmed by its story. inFAMOUS 2 definitely had the better story (even though I really liked Delsin's personality). In my opinion, it still does, but inFAMOUS First Light is no pushover in the story development.

inFAMOUS First Light has us witness events prior to Delsin's adventure in Seattle. In First Light, we play as Fetch, a support character to Delsin in Second Son. Personally, I had a hard time connecting with Fetch. I wasn't too fond of any of the supporting cast besides Reggie and Augustine. That is, until I played First Light. Being able to hear Fetch's story really piqued my interest in the neon gifted conduit.

Much like inFAMOUS Second Son, inFAMOUS First Light looks amazing. My favorite powers in Second Son were the neon powers. It was flashy, bright, and the powers also made you zip through town like no other power in the game. The motion capturing in the game shows just how much of a difference it can make in body language and facial expressions. It brings more life to the game. Fetch's movements felt fluid while running around through Seattle. It was easy to stop flying through town one way and start going another way. That is an improvement I saw in this game.

Although you only get to visit half of the map that was made available in Second Son, I felt that it was enough for me. Even though we are only given on power in this game, Sucker Punch made sure to hold no punches when it came to Fetch's powers. At times, I felt overpowered, which I absolutely loved. You have to build up to feeling that way, but the more powers I unlocked, the more I fell in love with Fetch's unique neon powers.

Since First Light focuses on Fetch's backstory, it was interesting to see what role Augustine had in molding Fetch into the conduit we meet in Second Son. It also made me think about how Augustine attempted to manipulate the other conduits in her possession. The interaction between Fetch and Augustine was one of my favorite moments in First Light.

I personally enjoyed the story in First Light more than what we were given in Second Son. I felt there was a purpose behind the story. It was more engaging and emotional when it needed to be. The game doesn't last long, but it makes good use of the time it was allotted. And to be honest, I think I would have liked a full-fledged inFAMOUS game starring Fetch instead of Delsin.

Despite liking the upgrades found in this game, I did find it get progressively easier as I progressed through the game. That seemed to be the case in Second Son, which was kind of a shame since I was hoping for more of a challenge.

As far as gameplay is concerned, First Light isn't only one fourth the fun that Second Son was. I think I had just as much fun with First Light even though we were given one power to use. The controls are just as tight as they were in Second Son. The amount of powers in your control are great for a game that is only $14.99.

I really liked playing inFAMOUS First Light. I don't know if I will find myself playing through the game again anytime soon because I feel it is a one time experience. There are challenges in this game to complete if you're looking for some replayability. They aren't too difficult, but they do provide a nice challenge for those looking for something beyond the story. I think I managed to get most of them throughout the single player campaign, but there were some that did provide some frustration.

Lastly, if you have a completed save file of Second Son, you can play through challenges as Delsin Rowe. I thought that it was neat to include him into the game. If you like inFAMOUS, you should definitely get this standalone DLC.

OVERALL SCORE:

8.1/10

inFAMOUS Second Son

When Sony showed off a new inFAMOUS game during their unveiling of the PlayStation 4, I nearly exploded with excitement. It wasn’t enough that they announced the PS4 to the world—another inFAMOUS game was the icing on the cake—a delicious PS4 cake. Now I want cake…

One year later, inFAMOUS Second Son is finally released for the PlayStation 4. I managed to get my copy the day it came out. With great anticipation, I loaded the game into my PS4 and waited as the game started. Being familiar with Sucker Punch games, I knew that as soon as I hit the Start button (well, in this case the Options button), something grandiose was going to happen. Much to my surprise, it wasn’t nearly as explosive as when you start the original inFAMOUS.

Needless to say, I didn’t mind the quiet beginning. I was interested to see how Delsin Rowe would fit into the picture. Delsin is very different from Cole. Before the game’s release, we were safe in assuming that Delsin loves his powers. Cole, on the other hand, was troubled with his power. I like the direction that Sucker Punch took with Delsin. If we had another Cole, then there wouldn’t have been a need for a new character period. I would have wanted to see Cole instead of someone who acts and plays like Cole, but isn’t Cole.

For the first time in an inFAMOUS game, Second Son takes place on the west coast—Seattle, Washington to be precise. The previous two games took place in Empire City and New Marais. Despite being models of real cities (Empire City being New York City and New Marais being New Orleans), Second Son is also the first to use the actual name of the city it represents. Living on the west coast myself, I will admit that I have never explored Seattle. I have driven through it, but I am not familiar with the city.

I didn’t expect inFAMOUS’ Seattle to be an exact replica of the actual city, but that didn’t stop me from being impressed. It was really cool seeing where their inspiration came from. inFAMOUS’ Seattle is beautiful. Even when there aren’t any enemies to fight, it is just nice to be able to venture around the city and be mesmerized by how detailed everything is. From Delsin’s character model to the trees and the NPCs and the buildings, everything is stunning. inFAMOUS Second Son is definitely the best looking game I have seen on the PlayStation 4.

inFAMOUS Second Son takes place seven years after the events of inFAMOUS 2. Delsin, the main character of the game, is of Native American descent and lives in the Akomish reservation. We are quickly introduced to Delsin as he is vandalizing a billboard. Delsin and his brother, Reggie, are complete opposites. Reggie, the local sheriff, arrests his brother on a regular basis because of his acts of vandalism. The beginning of inFAMOUS Second Son is no different. As Delsin attempts to evade his brother, a unbeknownst power awakens within Delsin. It is then that Delsin begins to have the time of his life. To make Delsin even more enjoyable, Troy Baker was the man chosen to bring Delsin’s character to life. Baker does a fantastic job as Delsin. He makes the character very likeable, despite the fact that Delsin can be a jerk and a punk sometimes. Travis Willingham portrays Delsin’s brother, and the two do a great job as acting as one another’s brother.

Even though I was pretty fond of Delsin and Reggie, I had a hard time with the story. inFAMOUS Second Son isn’t quite as good as inFAMOUS 2. You had a sense of urgency and despair in inFAMOUS 2. The supporting cast can also be a little forgettable. I often found myself trying to remember what Delsin’s purpose was in the game. Second Son’s shining moments are most certainly in the gameplay department. I enjoyed the story, but it falls short of the great story that was told in inFAMOUS 2. In spite of my problems with the story, inFAMOUS Second Son is a great game and I never once regretted my purchase.

As I have stated countless times, gameplay is where Second Son shines the most. And I’m not just talking about the flashy powers that Delsin gets. Second Son is a lot of fun. Some of the missions get a little repetitive (there is only so many times I want to use my DualShock 4 as a spray can), but more often than not I found myself loving Delsin’s powers. I felt that Second Son truly allows you to “enjoy your power.” From being able to shift Delsin into smoke to the agile abilities gained through neon powers, Second Son does a profound job of demonstrating how awesome each power is.

inFAMOUS Second Son also uses the DualShock 4 in a way that isn’t annoying. I never felt forced to use the touchpad and most of the controls made sense. I’m just glad that I never had to use the DualShock 4 to guide a projectile.

Being an open world game and much like its predecessors, Second Son features a karma level. You can choose to play the game as the hero or as the villain. Whenever I am given the opportunity to make choices in a game, I tend to play as the hero first. It is interesting to see how Delsin’s persona differs in the choices he makes. He may be a jerk, but I never thought he would do half of the things he would do choosing the evil karma.

I may have had some issues with the story and its characters, but inFAMOUS Second Son really is a great game. As far as gameplay is concerned, it is the best in the series. The use of multiple powers is pretty awesome and quite beautiful to behold. Second Son’s Seattle is a sight one has to see in order to believe. This game does a great job of utilizing the power of the PS4. From fluid gameplay to amazing lightning, inFAMOUS Second Son is a worthy successor to Cole’s legacy.

OVERALL SCORE:

8.8/10