Which Games with Gold January Games are Worth Your Time?

World of Van Helsing: Deathtrap (Xbox One)

Microsoft’s January 2017 offering of Games with Gold free games are now available for players to download from the store. And while a free game is always worth checking out if nothing in your library is appealing to you, you may be wondering just what these titles are, and if they’re worth your time.

World of Van Helsing: Deathtrap’s premise is a simple one – defend the Silent Forts of the world of Borgovia. However, the way in which players do this is a little bit different to your traditional experience. Deathtrap blends action-RPG and Tower Defense elements into one. You’ll choose a hero, and then use deadly defenses and spells to defeat hordes of oncoming enemies.

Deathtrap features a full campaign for you to work your way through, integrated Map and Monster editors, and co-op multiplayer to give it that an extra feel of replayability.

It may take you a while to get used to, and with a steep learning curve that doesn’t help ease you into the action, Deathtrap can be pretty daunting when you first start playing. However, give it some time, and the simplicity of tower defense and complexity of the RPG make for a rather enjoyable experience. It can get a little repetitive if you’re playing on your own constantly, though, so get your friends to download it too, and enjoy the chaos.

Metacritic score: 77 (PC version, because there aren’t any Xbox One reviews just yet.) 

Killer Instinct Season 2 (Xbox One)

Killer Instinct made its glorious return to the Xbox One back in 2013, with all the c-c-c-combo breakers that fans could ask for. While the game was a pretty solid title considering it was free to play, things really opened up when you purchased the optional ‘Season’ expansions. Luckily for Xbox One owners, Games with Gold is bringing Season 2 to us for free.

Season 2 actually brings a hefty amount of content to the table, with eight fighters including TJ Combo and Maya, fighter costumes and accessory packs, and a port of the original Killer Instinct arcade game with full multiplayer support. Considering this is all coming to you for free and simply adding on to what was already in the first game, you can’t really go wrong. Especially if you enjoy the basic fighting mechanics. If you’ve been looking for a fighter on the Xbox One and haven’t thought of giving Killer Instinct a chance, now is the best time to try with all of Season 2’s content.

Metacritic score: 85

The Cave (Xbox 360)

The Cave is a bit of a unique adventure game. Players assemble a team of three characters from a choice of seven and embark into the depths of a talking cave. Each character has their own unique personality and traits, too, making multiple playthroughs feel that little bit different. Exploring the entirety of this huge cave is completely seamless, with your band of adventurers working together to solve environmental and physics-based puzzles. Oh, and The Cave isn’t just about any old cave. This one has a medieval castle and a subterranean amusement park in it, among other things.

The Cave is oozing with charm and will give you a good few laughs along the way. The puzzles will have you scratching your head, and thanks to the unique traits of each character, there’s ample reason to play through it all over again once you’re done. Unfortunately, The Cave is let down by some frustrating controls, especially when jumping around, and a choppy framerate lets the presentation down overall. Still, if you’re willing to roll with the punches, The Cave is a fun, unique title to pass a few hours with, albeit the weakest of this month’s Games with Gold offerings.

Metacritic score: 70

Rayman Origins (Xbox 360)

Rayman Origins saw the return of everybody’s favorite limbless video game character. Origins sees Rayman embarking on a new 2D platforming adventure in search of finding enough Electoons to restore the Glade of Dreams. They’ll also have to fend away the encroaching nightmares that seek to destroy it and put an untimely demise to our ever-happy hero.

Rayman Origins is an ode to the old school platformer. A game whose stunning presentation, and incredible rhythmic music, make Rayman’s return to our screens one of the prettiest experiences of last generation. Though its story isn’t something you’re going to remember forever, the perfect handling and enjoyable challenge make Origins a great trip down the memory lane of platformers.

Metacritic score: 87