May 14th PlayStation Plus Update

Knytt Underground (PS3 and PS Vita – Cross Buy Enabled)

PSN Price: $14.99, Free for PS Plus members

With an array of thrilling quests, unique zen-like gameplay and plenty of dynamic characters to meet and guide you on your adventure – Knytt Underground delivers a captivating and unparalleled experience. Download today and begin your journey to ring the six bells of fate and save this vibrant and enchanted underground world before it’s too late.

GRID 2 – Pre-Order (PS3)

10% Discount for PS Plus members (PSN Price: $59.99; PS Plus Price: $53.99)

Be fast, be first and be famous as you join the elite in ‘World Series Racing’ where the greatest cars, drivers and events come together in the search for a new motorsport icon. Find your limit, then go beyond it. Welcome back to racing.

Metro: Last Light (PS3)

20% Discount for PS Plus members (PSN Price: $59.99; PS Plus Price: $47.99)

Beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro, civil war rages for control of a doomsday device that threatens to erase humanity forever. As Artyom, burdened by guilt but driven by hope, you hold the key to survival – the last light in the darkest hour.

What’s your favorite content from this week’s update?

Do PSP games add value to the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection?

You’ll find all the content detailed above with their Plus benefits active when the PlayStation Store updates tomorrow.

So tell us, what are you most excited for this week? How can PlayStation Plus get even better? Your comments and feedback matter, so leave them below, or, if you’re looking to engage with more of the PS community, make sure you head over to the PlayStation Community Forums to discuss this week’s news more, find other topics to contribute your thoughts to, or start one for yourself. See you in the comments!

Friendly reminder: The deal is on through March 4th: purchase a one-year membership of PS Plus and get three bonus months free. Current members can stack this value on to their existing membership as well. Learn more about the offer here, or click the link below to go to the SEN online store.

Don’t have PlayStation Plus, or just want to add more time to your existing membership? Go to the PlayStation Store on your PS3 or PS Vita or click here to get access via the Sony Entertainment Network online store.

February 5th PlayStation Plus Update

Guardians of Middle Earth (PS3)

Free for PS Plus members (Original Price: $14.99)

Take up arms in the clash over Middle-earth with the most powerful heroes from the greatest fantasy epic of all time. Form alliances with and against friends and jump into the wildly popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) gameplay. With 20 iconic guardians from Middle-earth, and new guardians coming all the time, it’s the perfect time to get lost in the multiplayer fray in epic 5 versus 5 battles.

Karateka (PS3)

50% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99; PS Plus price: $5.00)

A beautifully simple premise with a fun pick up and play fighting system, Karateka blends old school gameplay charm with fluid combat animations and gorgeous backdrops and music to provide an amazing adventure with a ton of replay value. Are you skilled enough to rescue Princess Mariko with the fighting finesse of her True Love? Or will you need the power of the burly brute to topple the opposition? For more on Karateka, check out PS.Blog’s post from Assistant Producer Heather d’Evelyn.

Big Sky Infinity (PS3 and PS Vita – Cross Buy Enabled)

40% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99; PS Plus price: $5.99)

Big Sky Infinity is a lightning-fast, randomly-generated game that adapts to how you play; which means, it’s never the same game twice. You pilot a spaceship that’s flying straight into an alien armada. The further you progress, the harder it gets, with giant bosses, streams of enemies, and unique events that shift the gameplay to keep you on your toes. It’s Cross Buy enabled, so this purchase will get you a version to play on both your PS Vita and PS3. Check out more Big Sky Infinity from the game’s director James Whitehead.

Knytt Underground (PS3 and PS Vita – Cross Buy Enabled)

40% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99 $14.99; PS Plus price: $5.00 $8.99)

Knytt Underground tells a quirky and strange tale that’s set in the future, hundreds of years after the humans disappeared from the planet. Sprites, fairies and various other lifeforms roam tunnels in the underground. With a curiousity about their origin and the meaning of life, they strike out to find those answers they try to understand the ones who had obviously figured it out: the humans. It’s a beautiful adventure with a vast environment to explore and story driven quests that will keep you hooked. Read more about Knytt Underground in the PS Blog’s post featuring the Creative Director Nicklas Nygren.

What’s your favorite content from this week’s PS Plus update?

Thanks for reading this week’s update. As usual, you can join the PlayStation community over on the PlayStation Community Forums in the PS Plus space to continue chatting about PS Plus, or find other PlayStation topics to discuss, or even start one yourself. See you in the comments!

Knytt Underground tells a quirky and strange tale that connects to various things in my own life. It’s set in the future, hundreds of years after the humans disappeared from the planet. Sprites, fairies and various other lifeforms roam tunnels underground. They are curious about their origin and the meaning of life, and to find those answers they try to understand the ones who had obviously figured it out: the humans.

One organization is devoted to understanding our science and language. They have successfully decoded that the letter J symbolizes a hook and O the full moon. Another group tries to combine the truths of our different religions. I mean, what if they’re all right — at the same time?

All mixed up in this is our protagonist Mi Sprocket, a sprite chosen to perform a religious ritual that supposedly saves the world. Odds are it’s superstitious nonsense…but you never know, right? Mi is joined by two fairies; Dora (who tries to find some truth in everything) and Cilia (who thinks people are stupid). Together they must travel the underground to complete the ritual, even though it’s very uncertain what they will actually accomplish — if anything at all.

Knytt Underground really tries to make a point, but I’m not sure what that point is.

When I designed Knytt Underground, I wanted to come up with a minimal number of mechanics that would allow lots of complex moves and interesting puzzles. By combining a very accurate platform character with a fast-paced bouncing ball and letting the player morph between the two forms at any time, the game got its very simple, yet deep controls. Each form also have some temporary powers like a grappling hook or the ability to fly a small distance. Chaining these different abilities in a single move feels super sweet.

Following the tradition of the previous Knytt games, a lot of the areas in Knytt Underground do not have enemies or dangers. Most of the world is designed to simply be a beautiful place where I hope the player wants to be. Despite the game’s huge world, each area has its own looks, music and atmosphere (which is why the level design alone took a year).

So why PS3 and PS Vita? The question for me when I was offered to work with Green Hill and Ripstone was more “Why not?” rather than “Why?”. Getting out on a new console means I can reach more people with my games. Besides, Knytt Underground is the type of game that plays best on a gamepad, so there’s no reason not to have it on a console.

In addition, the times I’ve talked to the people at PlayStation, they have been super supportive. They also made a very nice impression at GamesCom; where 90% of all other games at the conference were the average AAA games about stereotypical males killing other males with guns or swords, almost every different and interesting game I found was in the Sony section. I hope they continue to support those kind of game projects.

Look for Knytt Underground to hit PSN today for $14.99, which includes both the PS3 and PS Vita versions.