The Messenger Is The Next Epic Games Store Freebie

Ready to get another critically acclaimed — and most importantly, free — title from the Epic Games Store? Mark Nov. 14, 2019 down on your calendar. That's when you'll be able to download The Messenger, one of the many great games to release last year.

The Messenger is a retro-looking platformer that pulls off a rather neat trick: it manages to emulate 8-bit and 16-bit styles, depending on where you're at in the game. But don't think that the visuals are a gimmick and that there's nothing more substantial to be found here. The Messenger is actually an impressive trip back in time, borrowing from "the legacy of Ninja Gaiden as well as the classic metroidvanias of Nintendo's golden age," according to Destructoid.

Long story short: it's good. So you shouldn't hesitate for a moment when it appears on the Epic Games Store next Thursday. It's one more hit to add to the pile of fantastic games Epic has given away in the past year.

The addition of The Messenger to Epic's long list of freebies got us thinking: what all has the Epic Games Store given away thus far? The list, as it turns out, is pretty amazing.

There are major titles like Batman: The Arkham Collection, For Honor, and Metro 2033 Redux. There are also beloved indies like Inside, Limbo, and The Witness. We count nearly four dozen titles in all, mostly thanks to Epic's decision to release two games per week in some instances (due to ratings). And we're struggling to find a single one that is widely considered to be "bad."

We're not sure when exactly Epic will stop giving away games, or how those who've gotten so used to this free stream of games will react when that happens. All we know is, we've made out like bandits so far.

We'll be back next week with the latest free additions to the Epic Games Store.