Truth be told, PS Plus has but one sacred rule: offer good games. Many would agree that the games offered by Sony are no joking matter, even if it's not something they would play or something they have already played. However, PS Plus often moves from pattern to pattern. It can take some time to realize, but it's usually there. For example, late 2019/early 2020 saw Sony frequently offering 1 big game and 1 niche game most months. Recently, it's been a little more complicated than that.
In short, PS Plus modified the golden rule; it wasn't offering just good games but a variety of good games. It's also notable that, sometimes, a pattern without a blip isn't much of a pattern. It remains to be seen if this is a transition or just a blip, but the argument can be made that PS Plus' free games for April 2021 toe the line of that pattern.
Establishing the PS Plus Pattern
This pattern has a rather good catalyst, overall. Practically since before the PS5 launched, Sony has been pushing bigger and better and more varied games on the service. Looking as far back as November 2020, though, shows fans just how varied the games were. To keep in mind, every month offered a variety in terms of style of game but also quality. Destruction AllStars reviews, for example, were not the best, but many still loved it. That is the strength of this approach; there's a little something for everyone.
- November 2020: Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (action RPG), Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition (Metroidvania) and Bugsnax (adventure)
- December 2020: Worms Rumble (action game), Just Cause 4 (action adventure), Rocket Arena (third-person online shooter), and Bugsnax (Continued)
- January 2021: Maneater (Shark RPG), Shadow of the Tomb Raider (action adventure), GreedFall (BioWare-esque RPG)
- February 2021: Control: Ultimate Edition (action-adventure game), Concrete Genie (Platform/Action Adventure), and Destruction AllStars (multiplayer vehicular combat)
- March 2021: Maquette (puzzle game), Final Fantasy 7 Remake (action RPG), Remnant: From the Ashes (third-person soulslike shooter), Farpoint (VR!), and Destruction AllStars (Continued)
- April 2021: Days Gone (open world zombie action-adventure), Zombie Army 4: Dead War (third-person shooter), and Oddworld: Soulstorm (cinematic platformer).
A cursory glimpse over these games show that, even when genres collide, the overall tone is worlds apart. For example, PS Plus in January 2021 offered two RPG games, but in one players took on the role of a shark and in the other players took on a more standard RPG approach. At the same time, February had two games that would qualify as action-adventure games, but the tones were, once again, world apart. When everything from pure action and pure adventure to multiplayer and VR games, it's odd that this month's games are both distinct but tonally similar.
PS Plus April 2021 Walks the Line
In short, April 2021 has a theme: zombies. Past months have felt more like a smorgasbord of games, with March being the perfect example. A month offering a puzzle game, action RPG, third-person shooter, a VR game, and continued multiplayer game is followed by two zombie games and a platformer. Zombies are a classic, but April stands in stark comparison to March. The core tenet is still there, offering good games, but the tone of this month's games is odd in comparison.
Notably, Days Gone is more action-adventure-y with huge hordes of zombies, while Zombie Army 4 is more general alternate timeline WW2 with zombies. The gameplay, story, and all of that are distinct enough that it doesn't break this pattern in terms of gameplay, but for those who do not really care about zombies, this is probably not the best month. Following months where chances are there was something for someone, it really pushes that pattern of being a PS4/PS5 free game buffet.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the 2-month offering is a day-one release on PS Plus. Oddworld: Soulstorm is the unique entry this month, a platformer based on a classic franchise. It's both a remake and renewal of the classic game, yet it remains to be seen how good it is. As Destruction AllStars proves, though, it's bound to be loved by a few gamers out there, hopefully gaining the attention of platforming fans everywhere.
It ultimately remains to be seen what comes in May, but the next offering may inform the importance of April. If it's two tonally similar games again, then the PS Plus pattern may be transitioning once more. If it goes back to the smorgasbord approach, it's just a blip. What's important, however, is that aforementioned core tenet remains intact. PS Plus is lauded as one of the best PlayStation services, for good reason.
PS Plus subscribers get a handful of free games every month.