PlayStation has officially revealed the free PS Plus games coming in May 2020, but they've been hampered by the fact they're a little more niche than the previously rumored titles that were supposed to arrive in this wave. The initial rumor suggested that subscribers would be rewarded with copies of Dark Souls Remastered and Dying Light, but unfortunately, that’s no longer the case.
The leak in question speculated on what to expect from the PS Plus offer in May, and the announcement image did look credible as it was perfectly lined up with the PlayStation corporate style. The choice of PS Plus games was also fairly believable since it didn’t include any recently released AAA titles. Dark Souls Remastered could’ve been a viable option given that Sony has already handed out some similarly valuable games and has been ramping up offers in anticipation of the PS5. As an even older game, Dying Light could’ve become another fitting addition, especially with a sequel coming at some point in the nearest future and content updates still being rolled out.
The official announcement for the PS Plus free games in May 2020 was made by PlayStation via Twitter and revealed Cities: Skylines and Farming Simulator 19 as the new titles for the month. Cities: Skylines is a renowned building simulator with a huge army of fans, praised for its rich set of features, and even considered a proper SimCity. There've multiple DLCs and expansions that greatly contributed to the title's replayability and longevity. Farming Simulator 19 is also fairly popular despite being a niche game for a specific audience. The title is so huge that it even hosts serious esports competitions. Unfortunately, the two otherwise great picks have been somewhat diminished by the rumored choices some consumers had come to expect for this month.
For starters, Cities: Skylines is more of a PC title with its complex and demanding structure and mechanics. Moreover, the PS4 version does not support user-created content, which is a huge downside given that the title heavily relies on the community's efforts to survive. Additionally, the PS Plus offer includes the base game only without any DLCs. Farming Simulator 19 simply does not appeal to the wide, slightly more casual audience that many PS Plus games attempt to pivot towards. The previous PS Plus games, like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and DIRT Rally 2.0, will be available through May 4, so fans will need to pick those up if they want to add two more broadly appealing titles to their library.
The response to Sony’s announcement has been mixed, to say the least. Still, the reception would’ve been a lot more relaxed and welcoming if only a much more exciting rumor hadn’t surfaced beforehand. Clearly, both Cities: Skylines and Farming Simulator 19 are great games even despite their niche nature, and many PlayStation enthusiasts will definitely enjoy playing them - it's just a shame they come immediately following such a massive and now debunked rumor about which May 2020 PS Plus games would be arriving.
Source: PlayStation/Twitter