It’s March, and that means it’s time for a whole new batch of PlayStation Plus games. If you’re curious about the PS Plus March selection, the Tom’s Guide team has some very good news: It includes one of the best games of 2020.
If you’re a PS Plus subscriber, you can expect four new games this month across the PS4, PS5 and PSVR. Better still: You’ll have an opportunity to get two additional games at no charge, one of which is yours to keep.
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Sony announced this month’s selection in a PlayStation Blog post, which details the four games included in this month’s PS Plus selection. The games themselves are free, but playing them requires PS Plus monthly subscription. On the PS4 side, there’s Remnant: From the Ashes; the PS5 gets Maquette; and the PSVR gets Farpoint. But the big draw for March is Final Fantasy VII Remake for the PS4.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII Remake is, as the title suggests, a remake of the beloved 1997 RPG. In addition to complete overhauls to the gameplay, graphics, sound and level design, FFVIIR also puts some extremely clever twists on the classic story. Without spoiling anything, it rewards your knowledge of what happened in the original game — then uses that knowledge to subvert your expectations.
However, fans should be warned that this version of FFVIIR won’t be quite as good as buying the game yourself. That’s because it’s not eligible for the free PS5 upgrade that Square Enix has planned for June. In Sony's recent State of Play livestream, we learned that on June 10, FFVIIR will get an extensive PS5 patch, in addition to a substantial piece of PS5-exclusive, paid DLC called Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade.
The PS Plus version of FFVIIR will not be eligible for this patch, nor the attendant DLC. As such, if you like the game enough to get invested in where the story goes next, you’ll probably want to buy your own copy.
Remnant: From the Ashes
It’s worth noting that the PS Plus version of FFVIIR is still perfectly playable on a PS5 via backwards compatibility. That’s also the case with Remnant: From the Ashes, a third-person PS4 shooter that pits you against monstrous beasts from other dimensions. Fans have described it as sort of an action-packed take on Dark Souls, so it’s worth a try if you like difficult, demanding gameplay.
Maquette
Maquette is this month’s PS5 title. Technically speaking, the game is available on PS4 as well, although the PS Plus promotion applies to only the PS5 version. In any case, Maquette is a puzzle game that draws upon the paintings of M.C. Escher, and challenges players to think three-dimensionally about solutions.
Farpoint
Finally, there’s Farpoint: a first-person shooter for the PSVR. It’s compatible with either the Aim controller or the DualShock 4, so take your pick. You can play solo or in online co-op as you explore a treacherous alien world.
Other free PlayStation games in March
While that’s it for this month’s official PS Plus lineup, Sony has extended the PS Plus availability on Destruction AllStars until April 5. This vehicular combat game was originally supposed to be a PS5 launch title, but instead debuted on the PS Plus service last month. It seems that Sony is trying to build the player base before offering it as an à la carte purchase.
Finally, even if you don’t have a PS Plus subscription, you can download Ratchet & Clank (2016) for the PS4 this month, and keep it forever. This is part of Sony’s Play at Home initiative, in which Sony makes a popular game free for a limited period of time, hoping to keep people indoors and entertained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ratchet & Clank will be available until March 31, and is well worth your time, if you’ve never played it.
If you’d like to pick up any of the games listed above, simply find them in the PlayStation Store and select Download. Your PS4 or PS5 will take care of the rest.
