PS+ in February — Undisputed, Subnautica: Below Zero, Ultros, and Ace Combat 7
By the end of January, Sony employees revealed the traditional list of games that PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive next month, or more precisely, starting February 3rd. The titles listed below will be available on all subscription tiers. They can be claimed until March 2nd:
- Undisputed (PS5) — last year's boxing fighting game from Steel City Interactive.
- Scores: 73/100 on OpenCritic; 60% positive reviews on Steam.
- Subnautica: Below Zero (PS4, PS5) — a spin-off of the famous survival game from Unknown Worlds Entertainment.
- Scores: 83/100 on OpenCritic; 90% positive reviews on Steam; "Commendable".
- Ivan Loev: "Subnautica: Below Zero is not as pleasant, enveloping, and absorbing as the original game. It stumbles in many places, but when I say that, I don't mean 'stutters, falls, and breaks all its bones.' I mean 'works a bit worse' or 'differently,' and it's up to you to evaluate that as 'good' or 'bad.' Otherwise, getting a fresh portion of an excellent game that takes 20-30 hours to complete is a thrill. Especially since Subnautica is still one of the best representatives of its genre."
- Ultros (PS4, PS5) — a psychedelic Metroidvania from a co-creator of Hotline Miami.
- Scores: 79/100 on OpenCritic; 78% positive reviews on Steam; "Commendable".
- Alexey Likhachev: "Despite its shortcomings, you still want to spend time in Ultros. An unusual universe, non-standard gameplay features, and unique graphics help the game remain mysterious and unpredictable throughout the entire playthrough. There are characters to talk to, fruit descriptions you want to read, and secret passages to find interestingly — the map is quite convenient and shows unexplored nooks. The idea of adding roguelike elements is not perfect, but it doesn't spoil the impression. Ultros won't make it into the lists of the best Metroidvanias, but genre fans will like it. And it won't take much time — only about 10 hours."
- Pros: psychedelic story and graphics; original gameplay mechanics; amusing gardening idea; atmospheric soundtrack.
- Cons: simple combat system; roguelike elements seem out of place even considering the plot explanations.
- Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (PS4) — the latest installment to date of the cult series of arcade air-action games from Bandai Namco.
- Scores: 81/100 on OpenCritic; 87% positive reviews on Steam; "Commendable".
- Vasily Galperov: "Actually, the game is good. It's beautiful, dynamic, and engaging. You squeeze the gamepad until your palms sweat, and after tense battles, you literally sigh with relief. Or you're cursing again if a missile that came out of nowhere shot you down again. Plus, there aren't really any alternatives. Story-driven-arcade-military flight simulators are almost extinct. In the early 2010s, there was still Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X., but after two parts, it retired. And I can't remember any analogues at this level, with such a budget and approach. Technically, Ace Combat 7 has gained altitude, but gameplay-wise it still doesn't deviate from its familiar flight path. But the main thing is that it doesn't go into a tailspin, and that's 'Commendable.'"
- "But what amazed me was the VR mode. It was already clear that in any game where you sit in a plane cockpit (or behind the wheel of a car), the sensations from virtual reality would almost always be good, but SO MUCH! <…> The sense of presence is mind-blowing. Losing your orientation and forgetting where is up and where is down is generally easy. Flying through clouds with zero visibility, breathtaking dives, nap-of-the-earth flight, you even literally experience G-forces! It's very cool and there's very little of it. Only three full-fledged missions versus twenty story ones. You can handle them in an hour. It's understandable that optimizing all missions for helmet requirements is difficult and expensive, especially considering that virtual reality isn't that widespread. But these are exactly those new sensations, that very step forward that one would like from the series. It's just a small step, but a full-fledged one is desired. So, okay, guys. This time you pleased the fans by returning to the roots. Next time, probably on PlayStation 5, please me and make it so the whole game can be played in VR. Then it will simply be 'Amazing.'"