Sony launches Stay At Home with free PS4 games Uncharted and Journey

Sony has announced an initiative to make staying at home more bearable as the world fights to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Sony has given fans of its PlayStation gaming consoles more reason to stay inside by giving away a collection of popular games for free.

The games are part of Sony’s Play At Home Initiative aimed at getting people to stay at home and play their PlayStations during the coronavirus pandemic as societies worldwide effectively shut down in a bid to contain the spread.

From Wednesday until May 5, gamers can get free access to the trilogy of games in Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, as well as the indie-adventure game Journey.

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Announcing the Play At Home initiative: https://t.co/pOn3hJ7poI Stay safe and pick up Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey for free from April 15 through May 5 #PlayAtHome 💙 pic.twitter.com/BSlbcwosgU

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 14, 2020

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All of the games were originally developed and published for the PlayStation 3 console but have been remastered for the PS4.

The Uncharted games follow the adventures of treasure hunter Nathan Drake.

The series is one of the biggest selling video game franchises. The first instalment came out in 2007 and the games have been remastered and re-released previously, including being given to PlayStation Plus subscribers for free, so there’s a reasonably high chance PlayStation fans will have already played their way through the games already. But with at least several more months set to be spent at home, now is as good a time as any to escape into the life of a globetrotting treasure hunter.

Those who download the games during the free period will retain access after the cut-off date.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection features three console games in one, with rollicking pulp adventures driven by lovably roguish characters, spectacular traversal and incredible set pieces.

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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is also currently free for PlayStation Plus subscribers this month, so if you’ve never played the franchise before now is a good time to start.

Alongside the big-studio blockbuster Uncharted series is the indie game Journey.

During widespread isolation, Journey is a fitting inclusion.

The game drops players in the middle of the desert with a simple task of reaching a mountain in the distance, aided by other players, with the unusual twist that you can’t text or chat with your game partner, communicating only in chimes and by activating visual signals in the game.

The name of other players is also not revealed until the end of the game, forcing you to essentially rely on strangers as you work towards a common goal.

Journey has been praised for its minimalist art style and unique elements.

The indie success is widely considered one of the best independent games of all time, and its inclusion alongside Uncharted further bolsters another element of the new initiative: a $15.56 million Sony-backed fund for independent game developers.

“Independent developers are vital to the heart and soul of the gaming community and we understand the hardships and financial struggles that many smaller gaming studios are facing,” Sony said in the announcement on its website.

“We know this is just one small step and we are thankful to be able to offer this support to our players, our communities, and our partners.”

More details of the fund, including eligibility criteria, will be announced at a later date.