Resident Evil 7 (PS4 & PlayStation VR)
Reason: When April’s PlayStation Plus games release, Resident Evil Village will be a month out. Of course, a new mainline Resident Evil game doesn’t need any help generating hype, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt Capcom to make Resident Evil 7 free ahead of time to get players in the mood and ready for Resident Evil Village. And as you may know, Resident Evil Village is a continuation of Resident Evil 7, so it makes sense to make sure everyone has played it before Resident Evil Village releases. Some may say it’s foolish to make RE7 free ahead of Resident Evil Village as the latter will certainly cause a spike in sales of the former, but this argument forgets that Resident Evil 7 has been out for four years at this point. Everyone who was going to buy the game has done so already. Lastly, this also lets Sony check the PlayStation VR box, which is something it’s been seemingly striving to do more of lately.
About: “Set in modern-day rural America and taking place after the dramatic events of Resident Evil® 6, players experience the terror directly from the first-person perspective. Resident Evil 7 embodies the series’ signature gameplay elements of exploration and tense atmosphere that first coined “survival horror” some twenty years ago; meanwhile, a complete refresh of gameplay systems simultaneously propels the survival horror experience to the next level.”
Mass Effect: Andromeda (PS4)
Reason: Mass Effect: Andromeda has a similar pitch to Resident Evil 7. When April’s PlayStation Plus games release, Mass Effect: Legendary Collection will be a month out. If there was a time for Mass Effect: Andromeda to go free on PlayStation Plus, it would be in April. Not only does EA have nothing to lose, but the game is a far better product than it was at launch, when most people played it. In other words, this represents an opportunity for EA to erode part of the narrative around the game and replace it with something a bit more positive. Meanwhile, for Sony, adding Mass Effect: Andromeda lets them check the AAA box and it may lead to more players buying Mass Effect: Legendary Collection on PS4 over Xbox One and PC.
About: “Mass Effect: Andromeda takes players to the Andromeda galaxy, far beyond the Milky Way. There, you’ll lead the fight for a new home in hostile territory as the Pathfinder – a leader of military-trained explorers. This is the story of humanity’s next chapter, and your choices throughout the game will ultimately determine humanity’s survival.”
NieR: Automata (PS4)
Reason: “Just like Resident Evil 7 and Mass Effect: Andromeda, now is the time to make NieR: Automata free. For one, it’s now four years old and has sold millions of copies, aka how much more can Square Enix expect to squeeze from this stone? Two, and more importantly, later in April, “Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139…” will release, a remaster of NieR: Automata’s predecessor. So, again, this is another opportunity for synergy and it would be a great final hoorah for the game, which owes much of its success to its players on PS4. “
About: “NieR: Automata tells the story of androids 2B, 9S, and A2 and their battle to reclaim the machine-driven dystopia overrun by powerful machines. Humanity has been driven from the Earth by mechanical beings from another world. In a final effort to take back the planet, the human resistance sends a force of android soldiers to destroy the invaders. Now, a war between machines and androids rages on… A war that could soon unveil a long-forgotten truth of the world.”
Oddworld: Soulstorm (PS5) (Already Confirmed)
Reason: Already confirmed.
About: “Oddworld: Soulstorm represents a big visual and cinematic leap. With intelligent new mechanics and twisted new devices which enable highly explosive deviousness. This is a dark parable that tells an epic tale of a volatile society pushed to its limits.”