Sony’s PlayStation Plus is a subscription-based service that allows members to get weekly and monthly access to discounted games on the PlayStation Network, as well as the occasional free game. Sony has calculated that the $50/year service has granted thousands of dollars in savings.

Everyone loves free games, but nobody likes a free game that’s a piece of HDD-hogging garbage. “In PlayStation Plus We Trust” is a weekly feature outlining the new free addition(s) to the Instant Game Collection to help you decide whether that newest freebie in the Store is worth your time.

Grid 2

A surprisingly solid racing game from Codemasters, Grid 2 sets itself apart from the pack. While it’s not necessarily a “racing sim,” the arcade-y racing does have hints of simulation influence, such as realistic damage that can affect driving performance. The racing itself has an emphasis on drifting, but all of the cars feel great and handle slightly above an arcade skill level with some finesse required to master each new vehicle. There’s a great sense of speed and the crashes look and feel surprisingly brutal, but the “win button” in the ability to generously rewind at almost any time neuters some of the more intense moments. Still though…that drifting feels awesome.

After being severely jaded by the jaw-dropping beauty and ferocity of Need for Speed: Rivals, it might be easy to scoff at this game’s last-gen visuals, but they really don’t look that bad. The strong campaign finds a new racer entered into the World Series Racing league, with plenty of different race types and a surprisingly addictive metagame that involves gaining extra fans by performing well, and adding sponsorship logos to your car that yield additional rewards if specific objective are met. Grid 2 is a solid addition to your racing library.

Verdict: Worth Downloading

 Deals

Only a handful of good ones this time, but I’ve been passively interested in Remember Me for a while and might give it a shot. The real power player here is Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, which is far and away one of the best JRPGs in years and a strong contender for GOTY. Don’t miss that one. Tell us what you’re getting in the comments, and we’ll see you next week!