Right, so Foamstars has copped a fair bit of flack for being a Splatoon clone, but I had a decent amount of fun playing it, and it being a part of February’s PlayStation Plus Essentials lineup certainly helped. Even if you’re down on the competitive foam-based multiplayer title, Feb still gave us Rollerdrome (which we gave an 8) and Steelrising (which we gave a 7), so it wasn’t half bad. But, that’s the past, and we look to the future.
As announced on the PlayStation Blog, the PlayStation Plus Essential games for March are EA Sports F1 23, Sifu, Hello Neighbor 2 and Destiny 2: Witch Queen. These three games, and one expansion, will be available to download from March 5.
Admittedly, I know very little about F1, outside of admiring how fast the pit crew can change tyres, but hot damn it’s a popular sport. So, with vast popularity, comes a big-budget video game for fans to get around. The latest iteration allows players to play through a career mode, compete in online multiplayer races and even partake in some old-school split-screen shenanigans. With real-world tracks, drivers and cars, I’m sure F1 fans will be all too pleased with the game’s inclusion next month.
Now, here’s a game I can firmly recommend. Developer Sloclap has crafted an unbelievably smooth combat system that forces the player to learn and adapt as the challenge rises throughout its beautifully crafted levels. Sifu features an unforgiving roguelike gameplay loop, seeing you age each time you fall, gaining more power in combat, but losing your overall health. The gameplay would be enough to have you coming back time and again, so the impeccable presentation and style are just a bonus. Oh, and the game has seen heaps of updates and content drops since its 2022 release, so there’s even more to enjoy. We gave Sifu a 9.
In fear of sounding like a crotchety old bastard, kids are really into some odd shit these days. Five Nights and Freddy’s and Bendy and the Ink Machine are strange enough, but a game about a creepy neighbour with a proclivity for abducting children is on another level. Continuing the stealth horror gameplay of the original, Hello Neighbor 2 sees you play as an investigative reporter, sent to uncover the mystery of missing children, presumably at the hands of Mr Peterson (the creepy dude from the first game).
So this isn’t exactly a fourth game, as much as it is additional content for a free-to-play title. Destiny 2 is free for anyone to download, but the game’s expansions still require a purchase. The Witch Queen expansion sees the Guardians go head-to-head with the new big bad Savathûn, wielding the new glaive weapon. New missions, new weapons, new enemies, oh my. I’m a Destiny 2 novice, but one of our resident Guardians, Nathan, vibed with the expansion, giving it an 8.5.
If you haven’t downloaded Foamstars, Rollerdrome and Steelrising, you’ve got until March 4 to do so. As always, please remember that you can add these games to your library and download them later if you don’t have any precious space on your hard drive.
Which game will you be downloading first? What games would you like to see in April? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
Adam's undying love for all things PlayStation can only be rivalled by his obsession with vacuuming. Whether it's a Dyson or a DualShock in hand you can guarantee he has a passion for it. PSN: TheVacuumVandal XBL: VacuumVandal Steam: TheVacuumVandal
