Microsoft has revealed the quartet of free Games with Gold rewards that Xbox Live Gold members can look forward to redeeming this November. Once again, we’re back up to four proper games, after two different generations of The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season were offered for October, thankfully.
The first new Games with Gold rewards will go live this coming Sunday, November 1st. Thus, if you have yet to redeem Valiant Hearts: The Great War on Xbox One, or The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season on Xbox 360, you have until then to do so, before they return to their original paid pricing for Xbox Live Gold members. The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season on Xbox One will remain a free reward until November 16th, at which point, it will be replaced with the second free Xbox One reward for the month.
As usual, you must have an active Xbox Live Gold membership to redeem any free Games with Gold rewards, and play any free Games with Gold rewards on Xbox One at any time. On Xbox 360 however, once a free Games with Gold reward is initially redeemed, you can permanently keep and play it at your leisure, even if you subsequently allow your Xbox Live Gold membership to lapse. It should also be noted that, starting this November, all Xbox 360 games offered for free as Games with Gold rewards will be backwards-compatible on Xbox One as well, with the update that adds backwards-compatibility with selected Xbox 360 games on Microsoft’s current-gen console going live on November 12th for the general public.
Without further ado then, here are the free Games with Gold rewards for this November:
To start, on Xbox One, is Pneuma: Breath of Life, which will go live on November 1st, and be free throughout the entire month. This first-person puzzler challenges players’ spatial and lateral thinking, as they take control of a conceited divine figure, who must navigate a series of trials. Originally released this past February, Pneuma: Breath of Life received decent reviews and feedback, with its visual design and creative puzzles being praised, though its extreme brevity was criticized. Pneuma: Breath of Life is also available for PC and PlayStation 4.
The second free Xbox One reward for November is Knight Squad, which will replace The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season on November 16th, and remain free until December 16th. This Xbox One port is an all-new release for this November, though the game has been available on Steam for PC gamers since May 2014. Described as a blend of classic multiplayer games, Bomberman and Gauntlet, Knight Squad allows one to eight players to either compete against each other, or team up to take on a series of exciting challenges, using epic, larger-than-life weaponry! The game’s original PC build is highly acclaimed, with both the exciting and addictive multiplayer design, and the fun, colourful presentation, getting quite a lot of praise.
Next, for Xbox 360 owners, the first free reward for November, which will be free between November 1st and November 15th, is Dirt 3. This rally racer from Codemasters has players undertaking various high-speed events to try to earn the attention of sponsors, and develop their career. You can also play with other players, undertaking events such as spreading a zombie infection, or playing a round of Capture-the-Flag. Dirt 3 received a lot of praise during its initial release in 2011, with its highly refined gameplay and presentation being extensively celebrated, even if some of the design choices, such as the limited YouTube upload functionality, garnered some criticism. Dirt 3 is also available for PC, Mac and PlayStation 3.
The second free Xbox 360 reward for November, which will be free between November 16th and November 30th, is Dungeon Siege III. This action-RPG from Square Enix and Obsidian Entertainment revives the former series of cult PC RPG’s, and allows players to choose from one of four protagonists. The choice of hero affects the nature of the gameplay, with players able to explore a medieval fantasy setting as they strive to regain control of the land from a terrible villain. Dungeon Siege III received average reviews upon its initial release in 2011, with the game’s combat being praised, though its lacklustre looting and co-op mechanics were criticized, among other things. Dungeon Siege III is also available for PC and PlayStation 3.
This is certainly not a bad month for Xbox Live Gold subscribers itching for great free rewards, with at least half of the rewards being highly acclaimed games. The Xbox 360 offerings are both retail games to boot, even if Dirt 3 is of considerably higher quality than Dungeon Siege III. Still, with the backwards-compatibility update going live in a matter of weeks, Xbox One owners can effectively double their free rewards, without needing to own Microsoft’s last-gen console at this point. Even without that to consider, Knight Squad in particular is a great reward, especially as an all-new release for Xbox One, and Pneuma: Breath of Life, while less acclaimed, is still an experience worthy of gamers’ attention, especially when it’s offered at no cost for Xbox Live Gold members.
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