Summary
TheEpic Games Storeis once again giving out free games every week in 2024, just as the storefront has done for the last five years. This means that every Thursday the platform will give away one new title for free while announcing which title will replace it in seven days. Currently, players can go on ahigh sea adventure withSail Forthfor free until January 18.
Curiously, though, fans have until 8 AM CT on January 18 to claim Sail Forth while previous games were swapped out at 10 AM CT. While the missing two hours shouldn’t cause too much trouble, those used to the original schedule may miss out on the game if they delay just a bit too much to claim it, so fans should take note of the change. This also wasn’t the onlyissue fans had with claimingSail Forthon the Epic Games Store, but thankfully it’s been fixed. Hopefully, there will be no problems with the next game being offered, which is the platformerLOVE.
Epic Games Store Free Game LOVE Explained
In terms of the freebies found on the Epic Games Store, each week offers something entirely different, be it in terms of genre, length, or even difficulty.LOVEis starting the year off by being a strong contender for what’s likely to be one of the hardest games given away on the platform in 2024 already. Taking cues from some of thebest indie platformerssuch asVVVVVV,LOVEis purposefully tricky to master throughout its sixteen levels.
WHERE TO PLAY
Aiming to focus on minimalism with single-color pixel art sprites and environments, players need to work through many obstacles designated by their white coloring. Those who are used to the genre will find themselves encountering familiar obstacles such as crushers, spikes, and pits. However, with howLOVEpurposefully aims to be what’s affectionately dubbed a “frustrating platformer” for those that seek out these challenges, moving platforms, spikes, and even water falling from ceilings of caves make this title a surprisingly toughEpic Games Storefreebie.
The version ofLOVEbeing offered on Epic Games' digital storefront, however, is actually an enhanced version known asLOVE Plusthat takes the original 2008 release and revamps it with new features and more detailed pixel art. This comes with a few bonus modes such as “YOLO Mode” where one death marks the end of the run through the game entirely, and “Speedrun Mode” to challenge players to beat the game as fast as possible. There is alsoan Easy Modeincluded for those who find the original difficulty, now known as “Arcade Mode” too hard.
LOVEis a rather interesting case when it comes to purposefully tough or frustrating games because while it emphasizes difficulty, it also tries to remain accessible in any way that it can. According to the description on the title’s Epic Games Store page, players who take advantage of the promotion will also receive the source files of three remixed levels to allow players to learn and study level design so fans can apply what they learned in thecustom level builderLOVE3.
Including an easy mode into such a difficult game serves to make the Epic Games Store free game more enticing for those who aren’t platforming experts as it means they can try the game on easy and gradually learn to get better at it, possibly finding a brand-new platformer to appreciate in the process. However, even the most accessible “frustrating platformer” isn’t for everyone. Thankfully, anew Epic Games Store free gamewill takeLOVE’s place on January 25, though it isn’t clear just yet if the 8 AM swap-out time is the new standard.
Epic Games Store
A digital video game storefront for Windows PC and macOS created and operated by Epic Games. Originally launched in December 2018, Epic Games Store is both a website as well as a standalone launcher.
