Controversial PlayStation Plus December Freebie Defended By Developer

You’d be forgiven if you’ve forgotten about Godfall, an action game that was released back in November 2020 to very little buzz. Developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox, this title was all about looting and fighting over and over again - great if you like that sort of thing, but some thought it was lacking in other departments. To try and boost sales and gain the public’s attention once again, a limited version of the game is currently being offered to PS Plus subscribers - but it's an offer that has already turned sour.

As reported by Eurogamer, December’s PS Plus lineup includes the Challenger Edition of Godfall. This is a version of the game with a lot of the content cut, offering players a taste of what it's like with all of its bells and whistles. PlayStation Plus subscribers, however, are annoyed at this deal for two reasons. Firstly, PlayStation Plus ordinarily offers full games, rather than just a portion of a game. And secondly, players think that this ‘trial’ isn’t worth the $14.99 it’s being sold for on the store. 

Refresh your memory with the reveal trailer for Godfall…



Eurogamer reached out to Counterplay Games to hear what it has to say on the topic, and its spokesperson has defended the offer. They say the Challenger Edition is "not a trial", as many people are calling it, but a limited-feature edition at a lower price. Which kind of sounds like a trial people are paying for, not going to lie. 

If the player tries out the Challenger Edition of Godfall they can choose to pay for the full game afterwards. Right now you can pay £24.99 for the whole thing; otherwise, it’s normally priced at £49.99 in the UK. PlayStation Plus subscribers aren’t happy about this comment defending the $14.99 price tag either, many taking to Reddit to complain about selling what they consider a trial. 

Jvaferreira93 says: "'Limited feature edition' sounds like when companies reduce the size of the product, increase the price and advertise it like it's great for the consumer," which many others agreed with. Virus_98 compares it to the time that EA called lootboxes, "surprise mechanics". Quite a few people also comment that although they could add the game to their library, they will refuse to because of this situation.

Hopefully with the overhaul of PlayStation Plus subscriptions that Sony seems to be planning, there will be fewer situations like this in the future.

Topics: Playstation Plus, PlayStation 5