PlayStation Plus vs. Xbox Games With Gold: Which Free Games Win June?

XBOX GAMES WITH GOLD

Here are the Xbox games for June and their original prices:

Xbox One

• Speed Runners ($14.99)
• Watch Dogs ($29.99)
• Free multiplayer content for Phantom Dust

Xbox 360 (also available on Xbox One via Backwards Compatibility)

• Assassin’s Creed III ($19.99) June 1^st – June 15^th
• Dragon Age Origins ($14.99) June 16 – June 30^th

This month’s lineup of Games with Gold titles has some heavy hitters lined up. Xbox Live Gold subscribers playing on Xbox One can download SpeedRunners, a multiplayer running game with an intriguing competitive element. The goal is to reach the finish line before everyone else, but you don’t have to be nice about it. Using a grappling hook and an ability unique to each character, you can obstruct your opponents’ progress, keeping them from reaching the end and trying to net yourself a win.

The first Watch Dogs isn’t a fantastic game, but it isn’t a bad one by any measure. The ability to hack into cameras and observe your surroundings made stealth combat much more engaging. It’s actually much more fun to sneak around and quietly dispatch enemies that crouch behind cover and fire off dozens of rounds. At the end of the day it’s a fun open world game with enough unique activities to keep you engaged.

On the Xbox 360 side of things, this month brings Assassin’s Creed III and Dragon Age Origins. Assassin’s Creed III isn’t the strongest entry in the series but its unique setting and protagonist set it apart from previous games. The Frontier is a fun locale to explore, filled with trees snow, and groups of bandits to pick off. It isn’t as lush as pre-release materials claimed, but it’s a nice change of pace.

Dragon Age Origins, on the other hand, is a stellar RPG. The combat is methodical and deliberately paced with several unique races and classes to choose from. It isn’t the prettiest game ever made but the world and narrative more than makeup for that.

When all is said and done, you’ll save $80 this month, more than making up for the $60 you spent on your Xbox Live Gold subscription.