The October line up for Xbox Games with Gold has been announced, with just two Xbox One games featured after Microsoft chose to stop featuring Xbox 360 and Xbox backward compatible games as part of the subscription service. They still tout a combined value of $44.98, though that’s sure to be less than previous months.
What are October 2022’s Xbox Games with Gold?
The two games will still have a staggered fortnightly release, as has been standard since Games with Gold became a thing, but there’s no 360 games alongside. The two titles are:
- Windbound – Available 1st to 31st October
- Bomber Crew Deluxe Edition – Available 16th October to 15th November
Those hoping to see Microsoft throwing bigger AAA games onto Games with Gold will be disappointed, but at the very least these are two moderately recent and notable indie games.
Windbound released in 2021 a survival game that has you journeying between islands in an ocean, peeling back some of its mysteries while trying to
It’s seen several significant post-launch updates, but at release, Jim scored it 6/10, saying, “It will take time to appreciate what it brings to the survival genre with its clever boat-building and authored open world action, though these smart nuances often go hand-in-hand with tedious, sometimes frustrating stretches of playtime.”
Windbound – 10 tips & tricks to help you survive
Bomber Crew, meanwhile, tasks you with commanding a flight crew through a campaign of bombing missions in World War 2, in an experience that’s often compared to the excellent FTL: Faster Than Light. While we didn’t review this one, Aran did enjoy it’s spaceward sequel Space Crew.
Why are there no more Xbox 360 games?
Microsoft announced that Xbox 360 games will no longer be included in Games with Gold, with Microsoft saying this is due to reaching the “limit of [their] ability to bring Xbox 360 games to the catalogue.”
We’ve seen more and more repeat games in recent months, including Torchlight in July, and Monaco and Saints Row 2 in August. It’s likely been more and more difficult for Microsoft to grab licenses, as well as trickier to find 360 games that can stand out, and this has led to offerings that have increasingly compared poorly with PlayStation Plus Essential.
Can I still download the September 2022’s Games with Gold Games?
Yes! You’ve still got a couple days to grab most of last month’s games, and this includes Portal 2, which will be the final backward compatible Xbox 360 game on GwG.
- Gods Will Fall – until 30th September
- Double Kick Heroes – until 15th October
- Portal 2 – until 30th September
Source: Xbox Newswire
