Skip to main content

‘Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’ headlines January’s free PlayStation Plus games

January 2018 Free PS4 Games Lineup | PlayStation Plus
The holiday season is coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop playing great games. In January, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be treated to one of the best lineups of free games in recent memory, including a slow-burn stealth-action sequel from 2016.

Beginning on January 2, PlayStation Plus members can download seven free games, and they don’t stick to just one or two genres, either. The biggest title included in the batch is Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. The sequel to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the PlayStation 4 game once again follows augmented agent Adam Jensen as he attempts to keep the peace between natural humans and those outfitted with machine parts. The game mixes stealth and action elements together and can be played either as a pacifist or a genocidal maniac.

Also free on PlayStation 4 is Batman: The Telltale Series. With the studio’s famous comic book-inspired art style, the game places players into the role of both Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, and features appearances from characters like Catwoman and Harvey Dent. The sequel series, Batman: The Enemy Within, recently released on the console as well.

PlayStation 3 owners will be able to grab Sacred 3 for free in January. The action-role-playing fantasy game wasn’t particularly well-received when it released back in 2014, with critics taking issue with the way it streamlined role-playing mechanics. Also free on the console is The Book of Unwritten Tales 2. The point-and-click adventure game released for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in 2015, but it’s strangely not a cross-buy title through PlayStation Plus.

The PlayStation Vita is still getting freebies from the program again and this month’s games are also free on PlayStation 4. First up is Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness, a visual novel based on the anime series. Vita and PlayStation 4 owners will also receive the pixel-art survival-horror adventure Uncanny Valley.

If you picked up a PlayStation VR headset during one of this holiday season’s ridiculous sales, you will also get a freebie. Starblood Arena is a competitive aerial shooter with a sense of humor reminiscent of Borderlands, and it should be the perfect game to try out with fellow virtual reality newcomers. If you want to try out the free-to-play Warframe, you can also receive a special booster pack containing credits, weapons, boosters, and a mod pack through February 13.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
3 underrated PS Plus games you should play this weekend (May 3-5)
The main character of Tales of Kenzera: Zau stands with two elemental items.

PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra have been around for almost two years, and during that time the subscription service has established itself as an ample competitor to Xbox Game Pass. That means there is a wealth of great games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners to check out if they're looking for something to play this weekend. I think PS Plus subscribers should be looking toward some of the more underrated games in the subscription service this weekend too.

I have three particular picks in mind. The first is an enjoyable Metroidvania that came to PS Plus' game catalog when it launched just a couple of weeks ago and deserves a lot more attention than it's getting. After that, there's an action-platformer that pays homage to series like Ninja Gaiden that you should check out before it leaves the catalog. Finally, there's a PS2-era Star Wars game that fills the niche a recently canceled game would have.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Read more
If you love Amazon’s Fallout, play the series’ best games on Game Pass and PS Plus next
Two characters in power armor in Fallout 4.

The Fallout TV series just released on Amazon Prime, and it's one of the best video game adaptations out there. It perfectly captures the tense, humorous feel of the postapocalyptic video game series while telling a new story with original characters. If you've just watched the show, you're probably itching to play a Fallout title again or check out one of the games the series is based on for the first time. Thankfully, if you're subscribed to one of the major video game subscription services, that's very easy to do.

Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 are all on at least one gaming subscription service. While PC and Xbox players will be looking to Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation owners can get in on the fun with PS Plus Extra's game catalog. We've combed through what's available on PC Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass, and PS Plus Extra, and there's no shortage of options. Here are the best starting points on each service.
PC Game Pass

Read more
I was a PlayStation Portal hater. Now it’s one of my go-to gaming devices
A PlayStation Portal plays Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

In November, I reviewed the PlayStation Portal. I was mixed on Sony’s streaming handheld at the time, frustrated with a corner-cutting execution of a good idea. It seemed like a poor value compared to simply slapping a cheaper Backbone controller on a phone. As is often the case with tech reviews, though, I only had a short window to test it out where I was more focused on the more objective side of what the Portal does and doesn’t do. Would my feelings change when I was using it naturally?

I’ve gotten the answer to that question over the past few months. While I barely touched my Portal after reviewing it in 2023, it’s quickly become a go-to device in my home as of January. I’m now breaking it out at least once a week, finding some practical use cases for it. Though my overall assessment of it hasn’t changed, I have a more tangible understanding of where it can be a useful -- if superfluous -- PS5 companion. It’s a needless luxury, but one that I’m finding that I'm happy to indulge in.
Second screen
The PlayStation Portal’s launch just so happened to come right before a major life change that would shift my perspective. After living alone for three years, my girlfriend moved into my apartment last December. It’s been a natural change that’s working great so far. That shift does come with some lifestyle changes, though. We’re both crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, which means we’re sharing a tight space. We remotely do our jobs feet apart in the same room, and most evenings are spent lounging on the couch.

Read more