With the announcement of PS Plus’ free games for April 2021, it becomes clear that the service has changed one pattern for the month somewhat.
The truth is told, PS Plus has only one sacred rule: offer good games. Many agree that the games offered by Sony are no joke, even if it is not something they would play or something they have already played. However, PS Plus often moves from pattern to pattern. It may take time to realize, but it’s usually there. At the end of 2019 / early 2020, for example, Sony regularly offered 1 big game and 1 nipple most months. Recently, it was a little more complicated than that.
In short, PS Plus has changed the golden rule; it offers not only good games, but a variety of good games. It is also noteworthy that a pattern without a blip is sometimes not much of a pattern. It remains to be seen whether this is a transition or just a blip, but the argument can be made that PS Plus’ free games for April 2021 are the line of the pattern.
Click the button below to start this article in a quick view.
Setting up the PS Plus pattern
This cartridge has a fairly good catalyst. Practically since the launch of the PS5, Sony has pushed bigger and better and more diverse games onto the service. However, if we look back as far as November 2020, fans show how varied the games were. To keep in mind, each month offered a variety in terms of playing style but also quality. Destruction of AllStars reviews, for example, were not the best, but many still loved it. This is the strength of this approach; there is something for everyone.
- November 2020: Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (action RPG), Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition (Metroidvania) and Bugsnax (adventure)
- December 2020: Worms Rumble (action game), Case only 4 (action adventure), Rocket Arena (third-person online shooter), and Bugsnax (Prosecute)
- January 2021: Maneater (Shark RPG), Shadow of the Tomb Raider (action adventure), Greed Falls (BioWare-like RPG)
- February 2021: Management: Ultimate Edition (action-adventure game), Concrete Genie (Platform / Action Adventure), and Destruction of AllStars (multiplayer vehicle fighting)
- March 2021: Model (puzzle game), Final Fantasy 7 Remake (action RPG), Remains: From the ashes (third-person soul shooter), Farpoint (VR!), and Destruction of AllStars (Prosecute)
- April 2021: Days gone by (open world zombie action adventure), Zombie Army 4: Dead War (third person shooter), and Oddworld: Soulstorm (movie platform).
A cursory glance at these games shows that the overall tone is globally apart, even when genres clash. PS Plus, for example, offered two RPG games in January 2021, but in one players took on the role of a shark and in the other a more standard RPG approach. At the same time, February had two games that would qualify as action-adventure games, but the tone was once again global. If everything is from pure action and pure adventure to multiplayer and VR games, it’s weird that this month’s games are unique but show the same.
PS Plus April 2021 runs the line
In short, April 2021 has a theme: zombies. Recent months have played more like a kitchen board, with March as the perfect example. A month with a puzzle game, action RPG, third-person shooter, a VR game and continuous multiplayer game followed by two zombie games and a platform. Zombies are a classic, but April stands in stark contrast to March. The core principle is still there and offers good games, but the tone of this month’s games is odd in comparison.
Note, Days gone by is more action-adventure-y with huge hordes of zombies, while Zombie Army 4 is a more common alternative timeline WW2 with zombies. The game, the story and all that is clear enough that it does not break the pattern in terms of the game, but for those who do not really care about zombies, it is probably not the best month. Next months where the chances are high that there was something for someone, it really pushes the pattern of a free PS4 / PS5 game buffet.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the two-month offer is a day-one release on PS Plus. Oddworld: Soulstorm is the unique entry this month, a platform based on a classic franchise. It’s a remake and a renewal of the classic game, but it remains to be seen how good it is. As Destruction of AllStars a few gamers out there will definitely be loved, but hopefully get the attention of platform fans everywhere.
Finally, it remains to be seen what will come in May, but the next offer may inform the importance of April. If these are two similar games again, the PS Plus pattern may change again. If it goes back to the smorgasbord approach, it’s just a blip. What is important, however, is that the above core principle remains intact. PS Plus is rightly praised as one of the best PlayStation services.
PS Plus subscribers get a handful of free games every month.
About the author
