As we move into the new year with some countries considering new lockdowns to guard against increasing cases of COVID-19, PlayStation Plus subscribers will have a handful of new free games to keep them occupied. This month, subscribers will be able to pick up Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Greedfall on PS4, as well as shark simulator Maneater, which will be free exclusively on PS5.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the most recent instalment in the rebooted Tomb Raider series, bringing Lara Croft’s ongoing adventure to the jungles of South America to save the world from a Mayan apocalypse. As the classic AAA adventure game you would expect, GameSpot’s review of Shadow praised the thrill of exploration and the challenge of solving ancient tomb puzzles, but warned that the game’s traditional mechanics can make the journey a frustrating one.
Greedfall is a 2019 RPG that tasks players with exploring a mysterious island called Teer Fradee, filled with magical secrets to explore and monsters to hunt. The game caters to traditional RPG fans with character builds comprising of different abilities, spells, and skills, and objectives that can be completed in a myriad of different ways. GameSpot’s review of the game compared its compelling exploration and combat mechanics favorably to Witcher 3, though criticized its reliance on colonialist themes.
Maneater is this month’s PS5-exclusive game–while it’s also available on PS4, only players on the PS5 will be able to redeem it for free. Maneater is described as a ShaRkPG, an RPG where you take the role of a man-eating shark. Starting as a small pup, the player is tasked first to survive, and then to thrive as one of the ocean’s top predators. Just like RPGs with human characters, you’ll be able to tailor your shark’s skills to your play-style as it grows in size and strength.
As with previous PS+ games, all January’s games are PS4 titles that are also playable on the PS5. The recently launched next-gen console can play most PS4 games, with enhancements that vary between games including reduced load times, more stable frame rates, and increased resolutions. Greedfall’s developer has announced that the game will get an update and additional content for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, though it’s unclear as yet whether this will be a free update for all next-gen players.
December’s free games—Just Cause 4, Rocket Arena, Worms Rumble, and Bugsnax (for PS5)–are still available until January 4.