Since the beginning of the on-going coronavius pandemic, video games been bringing players together, digitally, as they socially distance from each other. For example, Final Fantasy 14 players recently hosted an in-game funeral for a friend who passed away from COVID-19, while companies like EA have been providing initiatives for gamers to stay at home. Sony stepped up the plate yesterday and announced its own Play at Home initiative.
Alongside a few other benefits, one of the biggest draws Sony's new initiative provides is two free games to stay at home and play: Uncharted's Nathan Drake Collection and Journey. It's worth mentioning that these games are in addition to April 2020's free PS Plus games as well, which includes Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Dirt Rally 2.0. In short, Sony is giving its fans the tools to isolate, have fun, and stay safe. Here's what everyone interested in the initiative needs to know about it and its free games.
Sony's Play at Home Initiative
When downloaded, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey will be for keeps, so players will want to download them as fast as possible. Internet speeds are reduced, of course, because of the on-going pandemic, but this shouldn't be too big of a concern. They are available now, beginning at 8 AM PT this morning, and will last until 8 PM PT on May 5.
What'll be interesting to see if the world returns to normal or not in May; many predict that this virus is currently at its peak in April, yet the virus will likely stay around long. This stands to reason then that May 5 may not be an expiration date for this new Sony initiative, but a plausible continuation of it with new games, even alongside May's PS Plus games?
Sony's second pillar is in support of indie developers who may be enduring financial hardships during this pandemic. The Play at Home initiative's second pillar is a $10 million fund to support these developers.
It's uncertain how long the money is available, likely until claimed or whatnot, and it's uncertain overall how long the game-giving initiative will last. After all, it would be nice if the world return to normal in May, but given cancellations like E3 2020, it just doesn't seem plausible. Here's what players will want to know about the games.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Genre: Action-adventure
Metacritic Rating: 86
Multiplayer? No. However, Uncharted: A Thief's End, the fourth game unavailable in this collection but one of April's free games, has multiplayer.
File Size: 44.46 GB
Game Description:
"From the storytellers at Naughty Dog comes the epic that altered adventure storytelling, rebuilt by Bluepoint Games with the power of the PS4 system. Follow the harrowing journey of Nathan Drake across the globe, from humble beginnings to incredible discoveries. Meet a unique cast of characters as Drake puts life and friendships on the line in a race against ruthless enemies to uncover unimaginable treasure. UNCHARTED: The Nathan Drake Collection includes the single-player campaigns for UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves , and UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception ."
Technically, while Sony is giving away two games as part of this initiative, it's actually more like 4. There's actually a lot to dive into as well, as Drake's Fortune takes 8-9 hours to beat, Uncharted 2 takes 10-12, and Uncharted 3 takes about 11 or so. Combined with A Thief's End, it's a good a time as ever to play through each game if players haven't before.
Journey
Genre: 3D Action Platformer
Metacritic Rating: 92
Multiplayer? 2 Players Online
File Size: 2.51 GB
Game Description:
"An exotic adventure with a more serious tone, Journey presents TGC's unique vision of an online adventure experience. Awakening in an unknown world, the player walks, glides, and flies through a vast and awe-inspiring landscape, while discovering the history of an ancient, mysterious civilization along the way. Journey 's innovative approach to online play encourages players to explore this environment with strangers who cross their path from time to time. By traveling together, they can re-shape the experience creating authentic moments they will remember and discuss with others."
It's no surprise that Journey is critically acclaimed, as its graphics, score, and so much more come together to deliver a unique and beautiful story that doesn't rely on cheap tricks. Especially now, if players have never checked out this 2012 game (ported to PS4 in 2015), they have little reason not to now.
