Spring is a time of change. PlayStation fans will see some differences in PS Plus next month, as the service will no longer offer PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 titles as part of its routine catalog. This may indicate that Plus will include more PlayStation 4 games to remain competitive with Microsoft’s Games with Gold, though that remains to be seen. Whatever the case may be, there’s plenty of software that either service can offer next month to ensure it has an advantage over its closet rival. The following are the free titles that Sony and Microsoft may be willing to include in March 2019.
March Games with Gold and PS Plus predictions – The big ones
Visceral Games and EA’s Battlefield Hardline released four years ago on March 17, 2015. It’s a departure from other titles in the franchise, as it’s set in Los Angeles and focuses on the “war on crime” rather than actual military warfare. Hardline on either PS Plus or Game with Gold could help drum up more attention for the property’s latest title, Battlefield 5, whose battle royale mode is set to arrive in March. The game also has three expansion packs and other forms of DLC available to players when they’re finished enjoying the main campaign.
It wouldn’t too much of a shock if Mass Effect: Andromeda shows up on Sony or Microsoft’s service, as the title was released two years ago on March 21, 2017. EA may want to draw attention to the game’s developer, BioWare, seeing as how the studio’s latest franchise, Anthem, just launched a month before.
More niche titles could be offered, especially considering how PS Plus may include more PlayStation 4 titles in its monthly lineup. Danganronpa 1-2 Reload, Nier: Automata, and Salt and Sanctuary are three games with cult followings that average video game fans can appreciate, if only for how they diversify the monthly lineup.
Of course, each platform holder could reach into its respective first-party games for March 2019. Gravity Rush Remastered, Gravity Rush 2, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack, and Knack 2 still haven’t been featured in PS Plus’ North American lineup yet (despite being offered in other regions around the world). The same logic applies to Gears of War 4 and Halo 5, as both haven’t shown up on Games with Gold yet either.
March Games with Gold and PS Plus predictions – The indies
The well-received Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is poised to be included in PS Plus’ lineup, considering how the game released four years ago on March 10, 2015 and the first entry appeared on the service in 2013. For those that are unaware of this franchise, it tasks players with murdering scores of Russian mafia members with whatever items are strewn across the environment. A variety of gory executions can be triggered with crowbars, pans, and chainsaws. It’s definitely not for kids. The first one was also offered on PS Plus in October 2013.
Ori and the Blind Forest is a more family-friendly title that may be included on March 2019’s Games with Gold lineup, as it originally released on March 11, 2015. Inspired by emotional movies like The Lion King and The Iron Giant, the game offers curious fans a compelling story to experience alongside gameplay mechanics reminiscent of Rayman and Metroid. Ori is a title worthy to be played by people from all walks of life.
Axiom Verge, Styx: Shards of Darkness, Has-Been Heroes, and Snake Pass also originally released in March, making each just as eligible for either service next month. It helps that all of these have earned favorable reviews from critics and fans since they’ve been on the market.
Competition drives innovation. At the end of the day, its video game fans who wind up winning the most. Sony and Microsoft’s services will undoubtedly be modified in the months ahead, especially with new hardware on the horizon. It remains to be seen which company will offer consumers the best option going forward. Whatever the case may be, here’s hoping that each manufacturer delivers on the promise of change.
