Microsoft has revealed the free Games with Gold offerings that Xbox Live Gold members can redeem for Xbox One and Xbox 360 this February. As usual, one free Xbox One game and two free Xbox 360 games will be on offer.
The new Games with Gold offerings go live on Sunday, February 1st. As such, if you haven’t yet redeemed Worms: Battlegrounds on Xbox One, or The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings on Xbox 360, you have until this Sunday to do so! January’s free Xbox One offering, D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die, will remain free for Xbox Live Gold members throughout the month of February.
Also as per usual with Gam
es with Gold rewards, Xbox One owners must have and maintain an active Xbox Live Gold membership both to redeem each free game, and play them at any time. Xbox 360 owners however only need an Xbox Live Gold membership to redeem a free reward, and can permanently keep it and access it from then on at their leisure, even if they allow their Xbox Live Gold membership to subsequently lapse.
Anyway, throughout the entire month of February, Xbox One owners with Xbox Live Gold memberships can redeem #IDARB. #IDARB is an all-new Xbox One-exclusive indie game releasing for the first time on February 1st, and can best be described as a persistently evolving, multiplayer-focused minimalist eSports extravanganza. Not helpful? Well, it’s anyone’s guess as to how to even pronounce the title. Regardless, if you have an Xbox One, an Xbox Live Gold membership, and a taste for curious experiments, this is a reward well worth checking out with no price of admission.
As for Xbox 360, between February 1st and February 14th, Xbox Live Gold members can redeem Xbox Live Arcade indie darling, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. The first game spotlighted for Microsoft’s Summer of Arcade 2013 promotion, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is an adventure game where players control two separate siblings with each thumbstick on the controller, solving puzzles and exploring a linear path of set pieces. We reviewed the game upon release in August of 2013, extensively praising it for its highly emotional storyline and fulfilling adventure, even if we lamented its brevity. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is also available on PC and PlayStation 3.
Between February 15th and February 28th, a full retail Xbox 360 game, ironically by the same publisher as Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons on consoles, 505 Games, will be offered, that being Sniper Elite V2. This third-person tactical shooter places less emphasis on direct combat, and has players dispatching foes using stealth and strategy as a highly skilled sniper during WWII. It functions as both a sequel and remake of the original Sniper Elite, sporting an altered narrative from its predecessor. Sniper Elite V2 is also available for PC, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.
This is a solid month for Games with Gold, with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons standing as a particular highlight amongst the free offerings. The fact that #IDARB is multiplayer-dependent is a bit of a knock against the Xbox One selection, though at least the single-player D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die will still be on offer for Xbox One gamers.
Keep revisting Eggplante for all news and updates on Games with Gold, and other Xbox incentives.