PlayStation Plus member s are treated every month to a selection of free videogames, the list of which occasionally includes PlayStation VR titles. It has been a while since a virtual reality (VR) title was last included but that’s now been rectified this month, with The Tangentlemen’s dark thriller Here They Lie making into the roster.
Originally released alongside the headset in 2016 Here They Lie is a surreal, psychological horror that put players in a nightmarish world that doesn’t go for jump scares, rather a slower more methodical build up of fear and dread. The Tangentlemen achieve this not only through the visual art style, but also with spatial audio and lighting to increase the suspense.
Players will have to explore a nightmarish city inhabited by strange, malevolent creatures in this first-person horror title, where unsettling encounters and environments come to life.
In 2017 the studio released an update for PlayStation 4 Pro owners, making Here They Lie 4K compatible whilst adding PlayStation VR features including better shadows, post-processing effects, dynamic flashlight shadows, and ambient occlusion.
In addition to Here They Lie this month’s PlayStation Plus lineup also includes:
- Mafia III, PS4
- Dead by Daylight, PS4
- Bound by Flame, PS3
- Serious Sam 3 BFE, PS3
- Draw Slasher, PS Vita
- Space Hulk, PS Vita
- Knowledge is Power, PlayStation Link
All these videogames will be available from 7th August, with Here They Lie downloadable until 2nd October for free.
In addition to the free videogames PS Plus members can also make use of some double discounts this week, with the likes of Along Together, Arizona Sunshine, Blasters of the Universe, Discovery, EVE: Valkyrie, Floor Plan and more receiving further reductions for a limited time.
Plus, for those who aren’t PS Plus members there’s always the Summer Sale to consider. VRFocus will continue its coverage of the latest PlayStation VR deals, reporting back with further updates.
“Bound casts the player as an ever-moving character in an aesthetically unique world, similar in intent to the GameCube’s P.N.03 but very different in resulting gameplay. The dancer that represents the player on-screen will use a variety of leaps and twirls to overcome the pitfalls of a chaotic level design, crossing bridges, bounding across gaps and solving switch puzzles all while visually impacting the world. The latter is an impressive visual treat in VR, but it’s actually the puzzling gameplay that makes Bound worthy of the transition to the new medium.”
“While still insisting that the PlayStation VR version of Driveclub is still a technical demonstration and nothing more, the experience feels as though a lot of work has gone into getting it just right. The handling is tight and responsive, the car feels weighty and collisions are given just enough oomph that they’ll interrupt your driving line but fall short of sending you spinning. It’s a very different way of playing Driveclub, and it arguably is what Evolution Studios’ racing experience needed to separate it from the pack all along.”
“Farpoint has become a key example for the success of modern VR, having surpassed all expectations for commercial value upon release.”
“Every early adopter of the head-mounted display (HMD) should consider a purchase of 
“Depicting a new form of sports entertainment that takes place 50 years in the future, RIGS: Mechanised Combat League aims to be a fast-paced FPS, the kind that might have required a few nearby sick bags on lesser VR hardware. ”
“Starblood Arena, the unique arena shooter that sees players piloting individualised space ships all with their own unique weapons and attributes, such as soldier Elsa in her versatile ship Mandible, or fast but fragile assassin Blade and his ship Raptor. ”
“A first-person test of mental and physical dexterity as players complete a series of tasks to solve increasingly challenging puzzles. These challenges can range from building towers to creating bridges, working out mind melting puzzles, and blowing up enormous towers of blocks. Puzzle titles tend to be single-player affairs but Supermassive Games has incorporated PlayStation VR’s Social Screen feature, allowing a second player to use the connected TV, creating a much more social experience.”
“Until Dawn is a story driven horror videogame, with the player’s in-game decisions having a direct influence on the outcome for each of the characters involved. A convoluted journey through an unwelcoming world. Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is a far more straight forward affair. It’s a shooting gallery, pure and simple, but when played in VR it’s far more appealing than could it could ever sound on paper.”
