Bugsnax Is Free In November, With A Big Catch

This November, Sony is offering a game for free to its PlayStation Plus members that's something of a big deal: Bugsnax. It's a brand new game — a launch title for the PlayStation 5 from Young Horses that will also be available for play on the PlayStation 4 and PCs starting Nov. 12. 

There is a catch, however. Bugsnax is designed to be the first freebie for the PlayStation 5, which means those on PlayStation 4 are seemingly out of luck.

The PlayStation Blog reported that PlayStation 5 owners who are part of PlayStation Plus will be able to get the game for free not just in November, but through Jan. 4, 2021. So, even if you don't score a new PlayStation immediately, you have a few months to nab it. Young Horses noted, however, that downloading the free PS5 version of Bugsnax will not automatically get you the PlayStation 4 version. You can only get both versions if you buy the game for either system. You can currently pre-order Bugsnax for 15% off its $24.99 price.

Bugsnax is a whimsical first-person adventure game, first shown at Sony's June 11, 2020 games showcase. Players take on the role of a newspaper reporter who is invited to mysterious Snaktooth Island by explorer Elizabert Megafig. When you arrive, Megafig is missing and you must figure out what happened to her while solving the mysteries of the island. The island is inhabited with more than 100 species of half-bug, half-snack creatures that can be captured and fed to local Grumpuses. Young Horses says its mission is to make games that are "odd, charming, and mildly concerning," so presumably Bugsnax fits the bill with its animals that will affect whomever eats them in unusual ways.

if you have a PlayStation Plus membership, you're used to getting free monthly games to download along with the perks of your regular PlayStation Plus membership, such as online multiplayer gaming, exclusive PlayStation store discounts, and 100GB of cloud storage for game saves. The two free games PlayStation Plus will offer in November to all PlayStation subscribers are Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Hollow Night: Voidheart Edition. 

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a 2017 game developed by Monolith Productions for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, set in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world and based on the books. It takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels and is a sequel to the game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The action role-playing game features familiar creatures like orcs, wizards, and elves and continues an original storyline in which the player, as ranger Talion, must go behind enemy lines to dominate Mordor from within. The game includes what the developers call a Nemesis System, which creates personal stories for every enemy and follower. It has received good reviews, including an 80 out of 100 Metacritic Metascore. 

Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition is an immersive, open-world 2D exploration-based platform game (think Metroidvania) from 2017, which was first funded as a Kickstarter campaign. Players take the role of the mysterious Hollow Knight, making their way through an old and vast underground kingdom called Hallownest. This land contains tainted creatures, thieves, and bizarre bugs. Players unlock skills and weapons as they explore cities, caverns, and wastes in an effort to discover the kingdom's secrets. Kotaku reported that this game sold more than 1.25 million copies across PCs, Macs, Linux and the Nintendo Switch even before the digital Voidheart edition was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with four extra content packs in 2018. 

The two free PlayStation games will be available starting Tuesday, Nov. 3, and you'll be able to download them for free (if you're a PlayStation Plus member) through Nov. 30. 

PlayStation Plus members get another perk on the PlayStation 5, too. On Nov. 12, the previously-announced (but slightly altered) PlayStation Plus Collection becomes available to PlayStation 5 owners. This curated group of games includes many of the PlayStation 4's defining titles. These include both first-party and third-party titles: 

• Batman: Arkham Knight
• Battlefield 1
• Bloodborne
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 — Zombies Chronicles Edition
• Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
• Days Gone
• Detroit: Become Human
• Fallout 4
• Final Fantasy 15 Royal Edition
• God of War
• Infamous Second Son
• Ratchet & Clank
• The Last Guardian
• The Last of Us Remastered
• Monster Hunter: World
• Mortal Kombat X
• Persona 5
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
• Until Dawn
• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Sony said that once you redeem a game from the Collection, you can keep it as long as your PlayStation Plus membership lasts. And once you play them on the PlayStation 5, you'll experience next-generation upgrades like faster loading and more stable frame rates.