Microsoft has announced the free games Xbox players will get in April through the Games With Gold program, and they’re not too shabby.
As the new game releases start to ease up a little bit next month, you might be left without anything to play on your Xbox One. But fear not, as April’s free Games With Gold has something for nearly every player, even if you prefer to play video games based on bad animated sequels.
For the entire month of April, The Witness will be free to download on Xbox One. Developed by Braid ‘s Jonathan Blow, the exploration and puzzle game is cerebral without being stressful. Normally priced at $40, it’s one of the best deals we’ve seen through Games With Gold to date.
From April 16 through May 15, Xbox One owners can also grab Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Released in 2015, the game is set in London during the Industrial Revolution and features two playable protagonists, the Frye siblings. An underrated gem, Syndicate was a huge improvement over Unity, which released in a broken state a year earlier. Syndicate doesn’t use the role-playing combat style seen in Origins, but its reaction-focused gameplay is still a ton of fun.
Xbox 360 owners should keep their expectations a little bit more in check for April. From the beginning of the month until April 15, you will be able to pick up Cars 2. The action-racing game features characters from the film such as Lightning McQueen and Mater, as well as over-the-top stunts. Though the film wasn’t particularly well-received, the game actually received decent reviews when it launched in 2011.
From April 16 through the end of the month, Xbox 360 players can also download Dead Space 2. The horrifying second installment from defunct developer Visceral is often seen as the series’ high point. The third game was more action-focused and the franchise was effectively put on ice after its release.
As always, the Xbox 360 games available through Games With Gold in April will also be playable on Xbox One through backward compatibility.
If you’re looking for something brand new to play on Xbox One, you might want to check out Rare’s pirate adventure Sea of Thieves. The open-world online game can be played with up to three other friends and uses a “shared world” similar to Destiny 2 or The Division.
