PS Plus Games for September

 

Coming on the 1st of September we have Street Fighter V and PUBG. The good thing about this bundle is that it will give the online multiplayer of both titles a huge surge, delighting both veterans and newcomers. 

For trophy hunters both are probably a no go. Both needing a predicted 150 hours of playtime and Street Fighter V being one of the few games rated a 10/10 difficulty and also 150 hours. However if you just want some good old fashioned online fun, then you have a lot to look forward to.

July's PS Plus Games Announced

July not only brings the 10th anniversary of PS Plus for Sony but also with it three titles for the month. These are as follows:

NBA2K20

With the release of NBA2k21 potentially on the horizon, for those excited at getting in on the latest release of the franchise they will be happy to know that it is free this July. The replay mode also allows you to take some brilliant photographs. Perhaps something a little different from your usual virtual photography habits. 

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Rise of the Tomb Raider comes to us for free also this July. The second in the series of the Tomb Raider reboots. Getting high critical acclaim of 90% or over from a huge host of respectable reviewers, it is certainly worth a play from anyone who hasn't taken the time to already. 

Erica

The least known out of the three giveaway games, Erica takes place following the deaths of both her parents, she finds herself floating through life alone in an apartment as the world passes her by. Her repressed memories come in the form of nightmares that eventually lead to the reopening of the murder case.

The game is only two hours long and is entirely FMV. Players interact with the story through button prompts on screen. It received mostly very favourable reviews and is certainly going to be a different experience from what gamers are used to.

Plat Runner: My Path into Trophy Hunting

Assassins Creed Origins shot by me
Aim high, the hardest Platinums give the greatest satisfaction.

I was a late adopter to gaming. I did not enter the hobby until I was 15. But my entry was strong. I was handed down to me a Gameboy Colour and a N64 by a friend and then began my journey. At first games were a distraction from the pains and hardship of my reality, but as time went on they became more of a casual hobby. 

Choosing to knuckle down on a career my gaming took a backseat. I chased responsibility and financial gain and worked my way up the ladder. My work ethic is strong and I tend to work at an alarming rate making myself an asset to any company I work for, however such dedication comes at a cost. At the end of last year in November I snapped somewhere inside and probably never will recover fully, January things got worse and then it was a steady downward spiral. 

Resident Evil 5 shot by me
A wonderful and underrated Co-op platinum experience.

However, it was during the end of October I bought my first non-hand me down console. The PS4 pro. I traded in my Xbox One, a ton of games and sold a few rare Pokemon games on ebay, netting me enough not only for the Pro but a wide selection of games. This choice really was one of the best choices I have made without knowing it at the time. 

Gaming for me comes with feelings of guilt. If I game for more than an hour or two I and hit hit with shame and self hate, knowing I am doing anything productive with my time. If I am not earning or benefiting my life in some way I considered it a waste of time. 

Uncharted: Drakes Fortune shot by me
It was free for all PS Plus members and briefly for all PSN Users
An attainable and rewarding plat.

Thanks to the encouragement of my girlfriend and also being on home care for two weeks after my breakdown point, I had little option but to press on with the PS4 gaming. Eventually the guilt subsided and I was gaming like a 14 year old with no concern for life pressures and responsibilities. Of course this only lasted a few days but it is what I needed at the time. 

It was during this time the Playstation Trophy System caught my eye. No longer did I have to get every achievement in a game to "complete" the entry in my achievements list. The addition of DLC, especially multiplayer DLC to single player games on the Xbox killed my love of achievement hunting. Resident Evil 5 and 6 were probably the last two games I 100%, after the slap dash multiplayer aims, I vowed never to waste my time on a game like game again. 

Control shot by me
An easy and enjoyable 15 hour platinum. Well worth a play even just for the game itself.

At first I was spurred into this by LeonardoxAngel over on Instagram as he had 8 Platinums in his cabinet that he was particularly proud of. I vowed to get four by the end of the year, which I attained. I achieved 6 through 4 easy indie titles Magus on a PS Now 7 day trial and Spider-man.

I found by applying my same work ethic to my gaming I found that it felt less trivial. Not only did I get to play games that I loved but also explore them in depth and do things I would not normally do, such as headshoting two enemies in a set time at a set distance with a sniper rifle, or doing every location objective on the map. 

Far Cry 5 shot by me
All Far Cry titles and most Assassin's Creed games are very achievable Platinums and great fun!

Since being more open about my trophy hunting I get asked questions about it daily on Instagram and have inspired others to join in on the journey. NotGarav just secured his Platinum in the Resident Evil Remake, a feat that is no easy task, while others have gone on to chase their first platinums or pressed onto get more. Through this journey I have had the support and encouragement from many in the community that were already Trophy Hunters themselves. Dragngirle Gaming helped me attain the multiplayer trophies in Far Cry 4 and is a constant source of inspiration and encouragement. 

Quiet Wolf84 also spurred me early on with his wise words of encouragement and pointed me towards good more prestigious games to Plat, while TheInnerclick at 961 platinum trophies really inspired me and helped fuel the hunting fire. Most recently I hit it off with Enthusiast Gamer and we have been helping each other attain co-op trophies and trading games. 

My current standing after 7 months of PS gaming.

The sense of community, leader-boards and goals have kept me going over the past few hard months. Due to this along with the VP features I am also going to be running a new feature series under Plat Runners, which will feature posts from trophy hunters on recommended games and how they felt attaining certain prestigious trophies. If you would like to be featured contact me here. 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare shot by me.
All trophies are story related, checkpoints are very generous and the plat takes around 10 hours.

Stay at Home: PSN Free Games

Uncharted: Drakes Fortune shot by Me

Just a short post to say that all PSN users can pick up the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection for Free as well as Journey (between Wednesday, April 15 - Tuesday, May 5). This is in addition to the usual PS Plus free games and a little extra for anyone with a PS4. This is part of the corona virus support initiative designed to keep people indoors and indie studios in business.

"During these days of physical distancing, fans have turned to gaming for moments of respite and enjoyment. At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we are privileged to bring this much-needed entertainment. We know this is just one small step and we are thankful to be able to offer this support to our players, our communities, and our partners." Jim Ryan the President of Playstation stated.

All three Uncharted games in the collection have a photo mode and even with the eldest in the series you can get some wonderful scenic shots. Although for users in China and Germany, Sony is offering Knack 2.

Claim them for free at the store here.