PS Plus and Xbox One Games with Gold have been announced for May 2018.
The latest freebies include Rayman Legends and Beyond: Two Souls for PS4, which will be available from May 2.
PS3 users will be able to download Risen 3: Titan Lords and Eat Them, while PlayStation Vita adds King Oddball and Furmin.
Over on Xbox One, subscribers can pick up Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, as well as new release Super Mega Baseball 2.
Thanks to Backwards Compatibility, Xbox One users can also pick up Xbox 360 games like Vanquish and the Streets of Rage trilogy.
It’s a strong lineup for Xbox One and PS4, but which offering is best?
Express Online pits Xbox Games with Gold against PS Plus for May 2018…
Rayman Legends: “The Glade of Dreams is in trouble once again! During a 100-year nap, the nightmares multiplied and spread, creating new monsters even more terrifying than before! These creatures are the stuff of legend… Dragons, giant toads, sea monsters, and even evil luchadores.
“With the help of Murfy, Rayman and Globox awake and must now help fight these nightmares and save the Teensies!”
Beyond Two Souls: “Experience an emotionally charged, immersive thriller starring Academy Award nominees Ellen Page (Juno) and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man).
“Create an action-packed story through your choices and actions as you live the life of Jodie Holmes – a girl born with a link to a supernatural entity.
“By playing as both Jodie and the entity, you’ll face spectacular physical and psychological challenges to understand what truly lies… beyond.”
Metal Gear Solid 5 – The Phantom Pain: “Ushering in a new era for the franchise with cutting-edge technology powered by the Fox Engine, MGSV: The Phantom Pain, will provide players a first-rate gaming experience as they are offered tactical freedom to carry out open-world missions.
“Nine years after the events of MGSV: GROUND ZEROES and the fall of Mother Base, Snake a.k.a. Big Boss, awakens from a nine year coma. The year is 1984. The Cold War serves as the backdrop as nuclear weapons continue to shape a global crisis. Driven by revenge, Snake establishes a new private army and returns to the battlefield in pursuit of the shadow group, XOF.”
Super Mega Baseball 2: “The critically acclaimed Super Mega Baseball series is back with gorgeous new visuals, deep team and league customization, and long-awaited online multiplayer modes.
“Accessible mechanics. Deep skill curve. Visceral pacing. Light-hearted vibe. Serious simulation.”
PS4 gets things off to a bang this month, with Rayman Legends earning an impressive 90% score on Metacritic. The Ubisoft platformer is praised for its gorgeous cartoon visuals, superb level design and challenging boss battles.
Beyond: Two Souls, on the other hand, only manages 72% on Metacritic. Despite being a port of a PS3 game, the critics are impressed by the visuals, but the storytelling and characters let it down.
Over on Xbox One, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain scores an incredible 95% on Metacritic. Hideo Kojima’s farewell to the Metal Gear series is praised for its writing, visuals, design and open-world gameplay.
Super Mega Baseball 2, meanwhile, launches on May 1, so reviews are yet to be revealed. However, the original game in the series scored 80%, so unless the sequel drops the ball, we should have another hit on our hands.
PS Plus and Xbox Games with Gold are fairly evenly matched this month, but the strength of Metal Gear 5 – plus Backwards Compatible hits like Vanquish and Streets of Rage – means that Microsoft scores a victory for the second month in a row.
