Xbox Games with Gold
PS Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Win July?
This month’s Xbox Games with Gold free games are headlined by two fairly simplistic, low-budget indie games in Assault Cactus Showdown and Death Squared. But don’t let that put you off, because they pack a whole lot of gameplay. Assault Cactus Showdown is a super compelling twin-stick-shooter that feels absolutely awesome to control. If you liked the frantic action of Housemarque games such as Nex Machina, this has all the same qualities but with a more whimsical and light-hearted tone. As for Death Squared, it’s a hugely entertaining, albeit often very challenging, co-op puzzle game with some exceptional level design that we highly recommend.
The AAA games are over on Xbox 360 in July, with Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction comprising the line-up. Fear not, though, as is often the case, they’re also available via backward compatibility. Final Showdown is the definitive version of the Virtua Fighter series with tweaks to its fighting mechanics and new modes. Splinter Cell Conviction wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea when it launched back in 2010 due to its greater emphasis on action than was traditional in the stealth-oriented franchise, but it still earned its share of critical acclaim. If you never got around to Fisher’s adventure as a government fugitive, it’s well worth going back and playing. Particularly so, given that it’s better than twiddling your thumbs patiently awaiting the announcement of the long-overdue next entry in the Splinter Cell franchise.
