July: Games with Gold
There’s a heatwave going on… am I really thinking about games at a time like this? Yes. Yes I am. And free(ish) games are among the best kind of game – so with that in mind, let’s take a look at what will be available for us with Xbox Gold subscriptions during July.
First thing is first – some changes to the way free games are given away on the Xbox One. Until now, it has usually been one game available free all month – although sometimes a previous month’s game will remain free a while longer, it’s been pretty consistent in giving us only one new title at a time. Well – good news: we’re now looking at two a month as a regular thing.
The change looks like it’ll be staggered though, with one game being free from the beginning of the month until the end, while the second will be free from mid-month to the middle of the next.
July is beginning with no less than Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag on the Xbox One, the pirate-themed outing released in 2013 broadly considered one of the high points of the series. You play Edward Kenway, a pirate in the Caribbean finding himself involved in the whole secret war between the Assassins and Templars, while performing missions, exploring the seas, and getting involved in ship-to-ship battles.
And yes, it was also free on the 360 in April, so you can now play the more current-gen version and double up on that achievement score.
From the 16th of July until 15th August there is a change of pace with So Many Me by Bangkok based developers Extend Interactive. A puzzle-platformer citing Lemmings and The Lost Vikings as inspiration, you control a blob named Filo who has the ability to clone himself, giving special abilities to those clones and navigating dangerous environments. Originally released on the Ouya, and then on Steam, So Many Me is one of those games that isn’t so well known but has received a good reception – and even some awards – from those who’ve played it.
Over on the 360, the usually two games/two weeks routine continues, beginning June with Plants vs Zombies. This is the original in the series released in 2010, before the fight between the daisies and those pushing up daisies entered more action game territory – this is a tower defence game, as your intrepid shrubs are placed to guard paths preventing the ever hungry dead from chowing down on an unknowing family. And… let’s face it, it’s Plants vs Zombies. It’s entered pop culture in a hard way – there’s even a recreation of it in World of Warcraft for crying out loud! If you’ve missed it until now, wondering why you know that name but can’t place the game for some reason, now is your chance. And mine – I admit that despite the game becoming A Kind Of A Big Deal, I still missed it back in the day.
And finally, if cartoony zombie death is a little to cutesy for you, you’re in luck – from June 16 until the end of the month you can chainsaw aliens again, with Gears of War 3 being the second freebie. Released in 2011, Gears of War 3 tied up the original storyline of super muscular Marcus Fenix and his super muscular squad running through third-person cover-based action in the fight against the Locust Horde. At least, we assume it was the whole story – while Gears: Judgement was more of a side-story, Gears: 4 was announced this year so may be picking things up again. Anyway – big guys, guns, aliens, super-violent deaths, along with some excellent multiplayer modes to complete the package. Though when your team lines up you’ll probably suffer a nagging thought that you should be spending more time at the gym.