The December line up for Xbox Games with Gold has been announced, with two Xbox One games being handed out for free to Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers – they stopped offering backward compatibility Xbox 360 games in October.
What are December 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:
- Colt Canyon – Available 1st to 31st December
- Bladed Fury – Available 16th December to 15th January
Now, I’ll be honest here, I’m not familiar with either of these games, so let’s see what the blurb from Microsoft says:
Colt Canyon
Hold on to your hats, partner. Let me tell you a tale ‘bout a gunslinger that’s been left for dead and his partner kidnapped. It’s time for you to head out to Colt Canyon, an unforgiving western landscape filled with hidden treasures, weapons, danger, and bloodthirsty scum. Shoot your way through and maybe blow a few things up with TNT along the way with a spaghetti western soundtrack humming in the background. Save your partner and other innocents, and if you’re lucky, you’ll have a blast doing so and won’t end up as buzzard food.
Bladed Fury
Accused of murder and exiled, Princess Ji goes on a breathtaking, action-packed journey to prove her innocence, rescue her sister, and blaze a trail of bloody vengeance. Unleash your side-scrolling skills in this classic 2D game based on Chinese mythology. Take on ancient enemies and gods using high-octane combo attacks! The art and sound design are gorgeously rendered, mixing traditional flourishes with a surreal edge.
This is likely another disappointing month for many, and another clear indication that Microsoft’s full focus is now on Game Pass. If you’re trying to wring every bit of value from your subscription, though, don’t forget you’ll also still be able to grab Dead End Job up until 15th December.
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 had 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.
Source: Xbox
