GAMES WITH GOLD
The titles from Games with Gold also offer up some pretty great savings:
Xbox One
- Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition – $30 (December 1-31)
- Outlast – $20 (December 16-Janurary 15)
Xbox 360
- Outland – $10 (December 1-15)
- Burnout Paradise – $15 (December 16-31)
Xbox owners don’t get as many games as their PlayStation counterparts, but December’s titles are top notch. It’s also worth noting that every Xbox 360 game featured in Games with Gold is backwards compatible, meaning that Xbox One players actually get four titles instead of two.
The highlight of the Xbox One side of things is undoubtedly Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition. Wei Shen is an undercover cop working to ingratiate himself with the gangs of Hong Kong. Gameplay is similar to that of a Grand Theft Auto game, featuring a sprawling cityscape, and an abundance of crime. But what really sets it apart is the hand-to-hand combat, which plays very similarly to that of the Arkham series. You can take on a crowd of gangsters, throwing them into fans and even impaling them with a swordfish. The world is dark and whacky, making every moment a joy to play through.
Outlast is also a fantastic game to get your hands on. Set in an abandoned insane asylum, players take control of a journalist as he explores the broken ruins with nothing but a video camera. But it turns out that many of the inhabitants are still there, and their treatment hasn’t been going too well. All you can do is run and hide as you try to figure out what is really going on.
Xbox One players definitely get a better deal, but that isn’t to say that this month’s Xbox 360 games are anything but fantastic. Outland is a gorgeous action platformer, set in a minimalistic world where colors shine through the pitch-black backgrounds. The player can switch their color to safely interact with certain obstacles and work their way through the seemingly endless rooms. Traversing the world is a joy, especially given how nimble the protagonist is. It is incredibly different from anything else on offer this month and certainly earns its place on this list.
But despite how fantastic Outland is, Burnout Paradise may just one-up it. The world is entirely open, letting you drive wherever you please, but driving isn’t all there is to this title. Wrecking the lovingly crafted cars that populate the game’s world is just as fun as driving them. And this destruction translates to races and other events as well. Causing your opponents to veer off the road and explode in a spray of metal and rubber is immensely satisfying, adding an interesting wrinkle to simply driving around a world inhabited solely by cars.
Xbox One owners get all four titles that would usually cost them $75, while those still on the Xbox 360 will save $25. The lineup of games is great, just in time for all the people planning on picking up an Xbox One for Christmas. The only negative is that you need to check when each title is available because they aren’t all going to be up for grabs all month long.
