Anyone who hasn’t lived under a rock has seen the latest hacker attacks on the news. Sony suffered a severe blow on more than one occasion, disconnecting its PlayStation Network service for more than a month. The hackers also stole potentially sensitive information from thousands of PSN users in the process. What does this mean for loyal gamers who refrained from swapping their PS3 for Xbox 360 during this time? The welcome program. Sony responded to this alliance with a set of complimentary downloads and memberships to various services, such as its Qriocity music service and its premium gaming service PlayStation Plus.
PS3 owners can select 2 titles from the following list:
Dead nation
Infamous
Little big planet
Super Stardust HD
Wipeout HD + Fury
I’ve personally tried Dead Nation, Infamous, LittleBigPlanet, and Super Stardust HD, all of which are great options for free download.
Dead nation
A bird’s-eye, double-stick zombie shooter from Housemarque has a similar look and feel to the Dead Ops Arcade minigame from Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game supports split screen and online co-op, which is a great addition as all PSN users will have the opportunity to download this game and friends will most likely collaborate for a collective experience. Dead Nation allows for character upgrades, a multitude of levels, and numerous weapons to cut through hordes of mindless corpses.
Presentation: Nothing special aesthetically, successfully develops a spooky atmosphere. Unfortunately, the standard characters and a typical zombie suspense plot detract from the overall quality of the game.
Graphics – Varied environments are detailed and fun. Sometimes it is difficult to see too many zombies on the screen.
Sound: blood splatters, gunshots and hungry zombies, what more sound effects could you wish for? SFX is what you would expect, the action packed moments generate the best music this game has to offer.
Gameplay: Fighting crowds of zombies with a wide variety of weapons is entertaining. The differentiation in the types of zombies is appreciated and the controls are easy to learn.
Gaming Precision gives Dead Nation a 7/10
Infamous
What a perfect time for Sony to release Sucker Punch’s open-world comic book-inspired game just as the sequel launches. For those who missed the first one, the Welcome Back program has their backs. The ability to be famous or infamous, friend or foe, is a refreshing element that is often not explored in free games. Additionally, a powered and electric protagonist (Cole McGrath) adds to the power of the game.
Presentation – Great environments to explore at your leisure, stylish cut scenes, and an amazing ending. However, I felt that the city as a whole was often mixed up and did not stand out. The plot followed a very predictable pattern.
Graphics: Graphics are solid, not spectacular. The electricity looks fantastic and the effects of karma on Cole’s appearance are a nice touch.
Sound: not very memorable. Cole’s shoes squeak incessantly, which annoyed me throughout the game.
Gameplay: Variety of skills and moves for Cole to perform. Tons of side quests and collectibles add way too much play time. Sometimes too many enemies on screen will make you feel overwhelmed and constantly getting shot from rooftops can be frustrating.
Gaming Precision gives Infamous an 8/10
Little big planet
By far one of the most creative games I have ever played. It gives players the complete freedom to create just about anything they can imagine. A large community adds to the positive gaming experience with new user-created content being added all the time, especially now that the Welcome Back program has brought new life to LittleBigPlanet.
Presentation: Adorable graphics add to the whimsical nature of this side scrolling adventure. Sack Boy is as customizable as the game itself, allowing for a personal touch. Nothing of this nature or caliber has ever been done as successfully as LittleBigPlanet.
Graphics: Its graphics are unique, colorful and very attractive. The images are very impressive.
Sound: One word, perfect. The game incorporates tiered music in virtually every way. The sound effects are appropriate and fun. I’ve even heard some of my favorite video game topics at the community levels.
Gameplay: Variety defines this game in every way. The controls could be adjusted slightly as it sometimes felt like Sack Boy was controlling himself.
Gaming Precision gives LittleBigPlanet a 9.5 / 10
Super Stardust HD
Have you ever played the old arcade game Asteroids? Well this is his older brother on steroids. Super Stardust HD is a fast paced arcade shooter where you control a spaceship and shoot just about anything that moves. It has a very cool look that combines 2D functionality with 3D images, but they work really well together. The game features numerous weapons, including Gold Melter, Ice Spitter, and Rock Crusher, all of which can be swapped with the push of a button. And the cooperative capabilities make for a crazy fun ride.
Presentation: The game is quite simple. Your objective is to destroy rocks, get points and not get hit. There may also be more options available.
Graphics: The images are quite impressive. The bright colors and the myriad of things happening are impressive. Lasers and blasts of different shapes and sizes will fill the screen and overwhelm you … in a good way. Except for the occasional delay.
Sound – Music changes at every level, but isn’t overwhelmingly noticeable. The music adapts to the situation but is not memorable.
Gameplay: The gameplay is great. Manic shooting and addictive nature make this a game that you will want to replay often.
Gaming Precision gives Super Stardust HD an 8.5 / 10
We hope this helps you decide which welcome program game is right for you. Post with comments and suggestions!