As the month draws to a close, gamers always have one piece of news to look forward to: free games. Whether playing on Xbox or on PlayStation, gamers who subscribe to each platform's premium online service get a new batch of free video games each and every month.
Sony long advertised its free games as a huge benefit of the PS Plus service, so it wasn't long before Microsoft also jumped on the free game bandwagon.
Since then, the two video game companies have been duking it out each and every month, attempting to one-up one another by offering better games for the low, low price of zilch.
That begs the question: which platform is getting the better deal? Every month, we'll break down the numbers and reviews to see which platform is "winning" the month's free game war. We'll look at the money you're saving by getting each game for free as opposed to buying it on your own, as well as the game's Metacritic average, to determine just how much of a deal players are really getting. Let's dive in.
PlayStation Plus Free Games:
Helldivers — PS4, PS3, PS Vita
Value: $19.99
Metacritic Score: 81
Analysis: Helldivers is a game exclusive for Sony, and one of the more popular indie games of last year. Its focus on co-op should make it a big crowd pleaser.
Nom Nom Galaxy — PS4
Value: $14.99
Metacritic Score: 70
Analysis: Crafting games like Minecraft and Terraria are all the rage, so Nom Nom Galaxy's quirky take on the 2D miner genre is a welcome change of pace.
GRID Autosport — PS3
Value: $29.99
Metacritic Score: 75
Analysis: A racing game is always a good choice for a free title, and Grid Autosport is a solid pick.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax — PS3
Value: $39.99
Metacritic Score: 84
Analysis: Persona 4 Arena Ultimax looks like a good time, but likely won't appeal to a wide audience. It should help tide over fans of the RPG series who are still waiting for Persona 5, however.
Lemmings Touch — PS Vita
Value: $9.99
Metacritic Score: 63
Analysis: This puzzle title uses the Vita's touchscreen controls. If you're a fan of Lemmings, you'll get a kick out of it. If not, this game isn't a huge score.
Nova-111 — PS Vita
Value: $14.99
Metacritic Score: 75
Analysis: This turn-based sci-fi action title is quirky and fun, making it a solid pick for an on-the-go freebie for the Vita.
Total monetary value of free PS Plus Games for Feb. 2016: $129.94
Xbox Live Gold Free Games:
Hand of Fate — Xbox One
Value: $19.99
Metacritic Score: 80
Analysis: Hand of Fate made waves when it released last year thanks to its unique premise and interesting blend of gameplay choices. More than a few gamers have likely been eyeing this title, so for it to be a free is a big win for Xbox Live users.
Styx: Master of Shadows — Xbox One
Value: $29.99
Metacritic Score: 69
Analysis: The game doesn't have great reviews, but fans of stealth and a non-traditional fantasy storyline (you do play as a Goblin, after all) will likely find some fun is to be had here.
Gears of War 2 — Xbox 360
Value: $19.99
Metacritic Score: 93
Analysis: The second entry in the Gears of War franchise boasts the highest average Metacritic score of any of this month's free games, and certainly delivers some great shooting action. The only downside here is that a vast majority of Xbox 360 players probably already have this one, and Xbox One players who bought Gears of War: Ultimate Edition certainly do.
Sacred Citadel — Xbox 360
Value: $9.99
Metacritic Score: 63
Analysis: It's a tie between Lemmings Touch and Sacred Citadel for lowest average Metacritic score, but given Sacred Citadel's four player co-op, expect more than a few players to play with their friends and overlook some of the game's blemishes.
Total monetary value of Xbox Live Games with Gold Games for Feb. 2016: $79.96
Results
If you're looking at it from a pure value perspective, PlayStation knocks this one out of the park. That is only, however, if you own a PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and a PlayStation Vita. If you only own one platform, the value drops significantly.
Xbox One owners are getting the full value of their subscription, as all four free games are playable on the Xbox One thanks to the system's newly-added Xbox 360 backwards compatibility. If you only own a 360, once again, the value is significantly less. If you only own a PS4, you're getting $35 bucks worth of free games. If you only own an Xbox One, you're getting $79.96. Take from that what you will.
In terms of games offered, both platforms are offering up some indie heavy-hitters as well as some less-than-great titles. As a lot of what a player enjoys comes down to personal preference, it's a little hard to judge which batch of games is better, even if we are using Metacritic scores as a rough ball-park estimate of a title's overall quality.
For this month, we're going to say Xbox and PlayStation tie. If you have every Sony platform, you're getting a better bargain (and likely will almost every month), but the types of games and their quality are fairly comparable on each side of the equation.
No matter what platform you think wins the battle this month, gamers are the real winners. If you have both an Xbox and PlayStation console, you're getting a ton of new games each and every month with your memberships. If you only have one gaming machine? You're still in luck, with at least two games coming your way every month as part of your subscription. It's hard to complain about that.
