With September right around the corner, Sony has officially unveiled what titles will be joining the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection. While most of the games being added have previously been available, this month’s selections will also feature two brand new releases.
Starting with the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive Velocity 2X and Sportsfriends. A sequel to last year’s Velocity Ultra, Velocity 2X is a throwback to the classic top-down shooters of old, albeit with a couple of unique gimmicks. Players will be able to hop out of their ships, as well as teleport around each level, in their effort to stop the evil Vokh. On the other end of the gaming spectrum is Sportsfriends, a wacky mini-game collection. Designed exclusively for multiplayer mayhem, you can check out our review of the title here.
The PlayStation 3 receives the most-well known of the titles this month, as brawler PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale joins the Instant Game Collection. A variation on Nintendo’s uber-popular Super Smash Bros. franchise, All Stars Battle Royale allows up to four players to brawl with some of Sony’s biggest characters. So if you ever wanted to see Parappa the Rapper do battle against Kratos, here’s your chance. Also joining the collection this month is Hoard, a action-strategy title from Big Sandwich Games.
Finally, PlayStation Vita owners will receive Joe Danger and TxK, two completely different offerings. Riding onto the handheld for the first time next month, Joe Danger is a compilation of both of the previously released console offerings in the franchise. Players will get to control Joe as he navigates through the world of dangerous stunt-riding. The spiritual successor to the classic Tempest, TxK is a pulse-pounding shooter, with vector-based graphics and a soundtrack that matches the chaotic on-screen action.
While I’m sure people will complain once again that this month lacks big-name titles, this is another solid batch of additions to the Instant Game Collection. Velocity 2X looks like an absolute blast, and the innovative multiplayer fun of Sportsfriends will most like be an excellent party title. The offerings on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita are also solid, even if I had never heard of Hoard before today.
All of these titles will be available for free starting September 2nd for PlayStation Plus subscribers. So if you haven’t downloaded August’s batch of games (including Road Not Taken, Crysis 3 and Dragon’s Crown), you only have one more week to do so.
