Check out the range of titles coming to both Extra and Premium:

• Adventure Time Pirates of the Enchiridion (PS4)
• Ben 10: Power Trip (PS5, PS4)
• The Escapists 2 (PS4)
• Evil Genius 2: World Domination (PS5, PS4)
• Far Cry 5 (PS4)
• Far Cry New Dawn (PS4)
• Far Cry Primal (PS4)
• Gigantosaurus The Game (PS4)
• Judgment (PS5, PS4)
• Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (PS4)
• Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (PS4)
• Mortal Shell (PS5, PS4)
• The Pedestrian (PS5, PS4)
• Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition (PS4)
• WWE 2K22 (PS4)
• Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4)
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5, PS4)
• Worms W.M.D (PS4)

Some heavy hitters include Judgment and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, playable on PS5 and PS4. Far Cry 5 and New Dawn may also be worth jumping into, while Far Cry Primal offers a prehistoric spin on the series’ open-world gameplay.

Premium subscribers also get new Classic titles this month, including Pinball Heroes and Ridge Racer 2 on the PlayStation Portable. Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus on the PlayStation One and Ninja Theory’s Heavenly Sword on PS3 are also being added. For more details on the free titles offered with PlayStation Plus Essential, head here.

PlayStation Plus Extra is available for $14.99 monthly and $99.99 yearly. PlayStation Plus Premium costs $17.99 monthly and $119.99 yearly. Stay tuned for more details on future additions to both tiers in the coming weeks.

This week’s free slate of games are now available on the Epic Games Store. They include Tripwire Interactive’s Killing Floor 2, Team 17’s The Escapists 2 and Stage 2 Studios’ Lifeless Planet. Claim them before July 16th and keep them forever (though an Epic Games Store account and the launcher are necessary).

Killing Floor 2 should be familiar to many FPS players. It’s renowned as one of the best co-op horde shooters out there with tons of weapons, interesting maps and enemies, and terrifying zombies. Despite its age, the title continues to receive new content and updates.

The Escapists 2 is a strategy title with some role-playing thrown in as you struggle to escape from prison. There are several different prisons to escape and extensive customization options along with a better combat system than its predecessor. As a time-waster for those who enjoy semi-roguelite experiences, it’s pretty good. Then there’s Lifeless Planet, a puzzle platformer which released in 2014 and has received below average reviews overall.

‼️ FREE THIS WEEK ‼️

Escape prison. Unravel a space mystery. Kill some clones. We've got three different thrills for you this week: Killing Floor 2, Lifeless Planet, and The Escapists 2 – all free until July 16 and yours to keep forever! https://t.co/mqSSRoz26l pic.twitter.com/cRujBCzQgz

— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) July 9, 2020

One thing that you can’t say about the gaming world today is that there is a lack of free things being given away. Between the various subscription services, giveaways and just the random deals that get thrown to us anymore, there exists a sea of free games. One of those outputs is the Epic Games Store, which has given out free titles weekly since its release in 2018. And next week, it’s giving out three.

Apparently, Conan: Exiles was supposed to be part of the free offerings this week as Epic Games announced on their Twitter, but it was ultimately pulled. Because of that we’ll be getting three very distinct games instead next week: Killing Floor 2, The Escapists 2 and Lifeless Planet. The Escapists 2 was also scheduled to come to the store at some point earlier, but did not because of undefined technical issues. Apparently, that has been resolved.

The three games will be available for free on the storefront starting July 9th, replacing the current free title, Hue. Conan: Exiles is said to be coming at later date, but it is not clear whether it will be a free title or not.

Following the recent Inside Xbox stream, Microsoft revealed its ID@Xbox Game Pass showcase for Fall 2019. These represent indie efforts that will be added to the subscription service on PC and Xbox One overtime. We know about titles like Cities: Skylines, Lonely Mountains: Downhill and Genesis Noir but there are a few surprises there.

For instance, Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee will be joining the roster, bringing its retro-style 3D platforming to the masses. The Escapists 2 is also set to release along with Devolver Digital titles like Minit, The Red Strings Club and The Talos Principle. Dead by Daylight, the popular asymmetrical horror multiplayer title, is also coming.

A number of these titles are coming in 2019. The good news is that there are several titles available today to play. This includes Bad North, GoNNER, Slay the Spire and Enter the Gungeon (along with the previously released SteamWorld Dig 2). Stay tuned for more details on indie releases for the console in the meantime,

You’re basically a criminal and you’ve been locked away in prison. Why? How? Who knows? The Escapists 2 doesn’t focus on any real story, but rather mini cut scenes with cute little sprites that give you all the information you’ll receive on what exactly is going on around the prison. The gameplay focuses on finding your way out and finishing the level with yet another little cut scene. You’re pretty much in this alone story-wise, but it won’t feel too lonely when you first begin your escape.

Getting out of prison won’t just involve sneaking past a few guards. The Escapists 2 has a high challenge rate where enemies are plentiful, and much of the game is unforgiving. Opportunities will pop up where your character will be able to make deals for items that will help in the escape. Making friends with NPCs to trade with is key to your success.

The Escapists 2 is not a forgiving game. It won’t help you out beyond the opening tutorial and at that point the game is almost nightmarish in difficulty. If you pay attention, you’ll have to follow guard patterns and the ins and outs of patrols. You’ll eventually be able to gather items such as a shovel or rope to help you get farther through the prison as well. Some items are very confusing and will make no sense, but other items will give you that feeling that there is some hope to getting out of prison alive. Memorizing the patterns within the game is one of the hardest challenges there is. Certain areas within the game are unguarded for specific amounts of time, and memorizing these sequences and locations are just the beginning of the grueling moments you will face in order to make a clean escape.

"The crafting system makes a return and you’ll quickly notice that it has been overhauled from the original game."

As everyone knows, you can’t escape prison by just roaming the prison floors and finding a door marked “Exit”. There’ll be many opportunities to travel underground through vents, hidden walls and more. There are many different paths to get around the prison system and I’m sure there are plenty I haven’t yet discovered. Wearing cool disguises is another way you can get past a few guards, but be careful, those cute little patrols aren’t that easy to deceive. It comes down to practice, practice, practice. You’ll need to plan the paths you’d like to try, and than try countless times to see whether they work.

Even though this game has some gruelingly challenging moments, it does have that sense of accomplishment when you finally escape. An escaple brings along a ton of enjoyment and interesting highs and lows. If you’re up for the challenge than you should be expecting a good time along with a lot of fun humor filled in to complement the graphics style. There won’t be a dull moment in The Escapists 2.

The crafting system makes a return and you’ll quickly notice that it has been overhauled from the original game. This version of the crafting system is more intuitive and understandable than the last. Here you’ll combine items to create equipment or tools that will help you further in the game. Unlike the first game, this version of the crafting system allows you to know just what you’ll need in order to craft the items you desire. Besides crafting and escaping, in your free time, you’ll want to train your character’s strength and speed to make the escape a bit easier.

"Overall, The Escapists 2 is light on story, but heavy on strategy and difficulty."

Just like the first game The Escapists 2 is a beautifully rendered pixelated trip from the past. This popular style has become very commonly used among many smaller and indie games, and at this point might even feel overused. However, The Escapists 2 feels right with this particular look. I couldn’t imagine going down a  barren dark halls of a realistic looking prison, when the The Escapists 2’s  color palette and beautifully rendered character sprites really steal the show. There are a few visual inconsistencies that drag the game behind a little, but overall it’s an impressive and colorful world all around.

There’s also a fun multiplayer experience where you can join strangers or friends to help you within the prison across different modes. I found the most fun in the versus mode where I raced against strangers to see which of us could get out of prison first. The game also features a co-op and it’s fun to pair up with someone to escape prison together.

Overall, The Escapists 2 is light on story, but heavy on strategy and difficulty. If you enjoyed the original then there’s no need to wait on this one; it feels very familiar and still has that fun factor — if you can manage to get through its horrendous difficulty.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

However, GamingBolt spoke to designer James Witcomb about the overall improvements, new features and much more that fans can expect from The Escapists 2.

"All of the 10 prisons are designed to be played either single player or together with drop-in, drop-out online and local multiplayer possible for up to 4 players."

What are your thoughts on the first game’s reception? Did you face any obstacles while developing the sequel?

The Escapists was incredibly well received and we’re so humbled by that. The Escapists was originally created by ex-roofer Chris Davis, so to see the community take so well to the game has been a fantastic feeling. By far the most requested feature among the community was multiplayer, but in order to support multiplayer we had to rework many features from the first game!

Can you tell us about some of the new prisons that players can explore and what makes them so unique?

So, there are 10 uniquely themed prisons in the game including the frosty Fort Tundra, a train hurtling through the desert, the western themed Rattlesnake Springs and more! They all have a very distinct look and identity that comes from the setting of the prisons and will also tie in to some unique methods of escape depending on the prison! We made sure we took on ideas from the community with what prisons they would like to see and try to escape from.

How has the character creator been improved for the sequel?

We’ve added a lot more detail to the characters, so that players are able to customize their inmates much further than ever before, and with over 300 customisations you’ll be able to create your perfect con!

As with the previous game, players will need to follow the prison’s schedule, craft items, recruit allies and so on. How has this dynamic further evolved in The Escapists 2?

The big addition for The Escapists 2 is multiplayer. All of the 10 prisons are designed to be played either single player or together with drop-in, drop-out online and local multiplayer possible for up to 4 players. There is also a new alertness system which represents how aware the guards are of an impending escape attempt. Failure to stick to routines, and leaving evidence of escape attempts will cause the alertness to rise. A high alertness will result in more guards and even dogs patrolling the prison. If the alertness reaches its maximum level then a prison lockdown will be triggered, dogs and riot guards will be sent in to suppress unruly inmates!

"We completely redesigned the system to allow for heavy and light attacks, and added the ability to block. "

How do multi-story prisons change up the overall escape plan in some cases? Will players have to clear the entire prison in one shot?

Multiple floors give more options when it comes to gaining access to different areas of the prison. You’ll now have the option to gain access to vent systems from the rooms above them, as well as dropping down into areas of the prison that would otherwise be inaccessible.

You’ll still have the freedom to plan when to perform the break out. You may decide to prepare different parts of the escape in advance, so there’s less risk involved when the time comes.

What are some of the “300 customizations” that have been touted?

We have lots of different customisations possible now, from different hairstyles, hats, facial hair, masks and glasses.

What can you tell us about the new combat system? How does it offer more control to the player and make fights more about skill and perseverance?

Previously the combat system was automated, there wasn’t much involvement. We completely redesigned the system to allow for heavy and light attacks, and added the ability to block. The new system is so much more fun and engaging, especially in multiplayer when facing off against another player!

As far as the escape plans go, what are some of the zanier plans that can be used to escape?

Without spoiling the escapes too much, we can say that there is a film crew in the first prison that players can take advantage of…

"We started by offering a survey to The Escapists fans to see what they felt could be improved from the first game."

How does four player co-op support change the entire experience?

When we started thinking about creating a sequel to The Escapists, online multiplayer was the top of the list of new features we wanted to get in. We spent a lot of time thinking about the unique challenges bringing multiplayer to The Escapists posed, especially surrounding the amount of time it takes to craft the perfect escape plan. We couldn’t have a situation where you and your friends have invested time into an escape, only to be thwarted by a dodgy internet connection or someone having to leave. So we decided that drop-in, drop-out gameplay was the only way to go.

Drop-in, drop-out allows you to commit what you can to an escape. You can plan and execute an intricate escape with your friend and see it all the way through. Or you can drop into a friend’s game to lend a hand. If you’re in the middle of an escape with other people and need to leave the game, you can save the game state and resume it at a later date. Because there are so many different ways to approach escaping a prison, we felt that there was no point in creating separate content for co-op gameplay. You can experience all of the campaign by playing with friends, or playing alone. However, not all escapes can’t be undertaken alone!

What other changes and improvements have you made to the game based on player feedback?

We started by offering a survey to The Escapists fans to see what they felt could be improved from the first game. We re-designed how the crafting system works to make it easier to use and understand, and we also completely changed how the A.I work and how they respond to the players escape attempts. The instant fail pop-up from the first game is now gone. Instead, guards will find and report damage which then gets fixed by dedicated maintenance staff.

Do you have an update on how the Switch version is shaping up?

It’s coming together very nicely! We’re making a few tiny tweaks to make things like the user interface feel a bit more at home on the Switch.  Given the visual style of the game and the co-op multiplayer features, I’m happy to say that The Escapists 2 feels like a perfect fit for the Switch.

"The game is 1080p and runs at 30fps. That may surprise some, the game’s visuals are absolutely indie – but what a lot of players don’t see is everything that’s going on under the surface."

Are you using any of the Switch specific features for the game?

The main feature would be supporting play with just a single Joycon. Something we were very keen to do was support the Switch’s main selling point, the idea that it’s a console you can take anywhere and play with friends any time. It’s important to us that people can undock the console, put it on the kickstand and share a Joycon each to have a great split screen local multiplayer experience.

It sounds like a small thing to add, but it hasn’t been an entirely smooth ride. The Escapists 2 is a feature rich game in which the player can perform a lot of different actions, getting all of those features onto a single Joycon has been a little bit of a challenge.

The game is coming on the PS4 and Xbox One as well. What frame rate and resolution are you targeting for both? 1080p and 60fps?

The game is 1080p and runs at 30fps. That may surprise some, the game’s visuals are absolutely indie – but what a lot of players don’t see is everything that’s going on under the surface.

Prisons are vast and sprawling, with a very high number of items, interactive elements – and most importantly a huge number of AI driven inmates, guards, guard dogs, riot control staff, medics, handymen and many other NPCs. The game is also split screen for up to four players, and all of that also has to run drop in/drop out over a network. Targeting a consistently smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience was a high priority for us.

Mouldy Toof Studios’ The Escapists 2 will be releasing on August 22nd for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The Nintendo Switch will receive it at a later date which the developer didn’t specify.

Retailing at $19.99 and soon to be available for pre-order on Steam and other retailers, The Escapists 2 further continues the series’ tradition of prison escaping shenanigans. You’ll still have to plan accordingly, avoiding guards, creating weapons and other items from what’s available and stick to the prisoners’ schedule. Though the sequel will retain many of these tropes, it will also support four players in local and online co-op.

Those who pre-order the game will also receive another prison called “The Glorious Regime”. If that’s not enough incentive to pre-order, we don’t know what is. Check out the release date trailer below, stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks and let us know your thoughts on the gameplay in the comments.