Many of us will no doubt still have plenty of games in the backlog from years past to be catching up on, but January 2019 was no shallow month in the releases department. In fact, any gamer worth their salt will know that some of last month’s biggest releases will surely be early candidates for 2019’s Game of the Year awards, even at this early stage. But with each new month comes yet more fresh titles being given away via the Xbox Games With Gold scheme – adding to that digital library and backlog even more.
With February already upon us, it’s time to look into this month’s free Xbox One and Xbox 360 offerings to see just how good the latest batch of free titles are. Is it a good month to be an Xbox gamer?
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon – 1st-28th February 2019 – To be considered
Having arrived last year to bring its original, memorable and colourful platforming experience to players on Xbox One, it seems the time has now come for everyone to enjoy the delights of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon for free. Even though it may not look like much from the outset, this is definitely one you don’t want to let slip by.
In this unique adventure, players battle with swords and whips as none other than the vengeful demon slayer Zangetsu, travelling to take you through the lands in search of a dark and powerful demon that lurks within a dark castle.
In this adventure players will find a number of different travellers who can join in and become all new playable characters, and should you wish to progress through this death-inducing adventure then you’ll need to master and make the most of each of the unique abilities within your rag-tag band of followers.
But be warned, different characters mean different difficulties, and different choices will also see a change in the ending. There is therefore plenty of reason to keep you coming back once you’ve become hooked!
Super Bomberman R – 16th February – 15th March 2019 – Ignore
Before you shoot me down, just listen a second. Breathe.
Now I know what you’re thinking. How could you ignore the best looking Bomberman title to date? Right?
Well it’s simple really. Whilst I can’t ignore that it does certainly look like a fancy polish up of everyone’s favourite little bomber, Super Bomberman R isn’t exactly a major change from what we’ve seen before now is it?
Sure it’s probably a must own game for those that can frequently pull the family together for a game night and have long enjoyed the titles of Bombermans past, but seeing this one as anything more than a polish up is really a bit of a push. In fact, if you have any of the others knocking about there’s no reason why you would be any worse off heading back to one of those.
The download time would probably be shorter and the experience almost no different, so is there really any need to bring Super Bomberman back for yet another outing on Xbox One? I don’t think so, but they did and it’s here if you want it, however if you’re looking for something fresh and exciting, maybe don’t worry about spending much time with this one.
Assassins Creed Rogue – 1st-15th February 2019 – Instant Download!
We may be talking about a previous generation game here, and it may have had a beautiful polish up with it’s remastered release on Xbox One, but for a free download, it’s hard to ever say no to anything on offer from the Assassins Creed series. Assassins Creed Rogue is certainly no exception.
In what is essentially the closest thing to a sequel that Assassins Creed: Black Flag has ever seen, Assassins Creed Rogue is the perfect adventure for seafaring fans of the series. It brings the sword-swiping combat, the stealthy approach to murder and one of the finest stories in the series… even if they are all rather exceptional!
The series may have changed path somewhat recently with both Origins and Odyssey both taking a more RPG influenced approach, there is still plenty of love to be had for what the series once was, and Assassins Creed Rogue shows exactly why. If you’re a lover of Black Flag’s naval based combat, and enjoy the typical land based gameplay of previous titles, then Assassins Creed Rogue is a no-brainer.
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy – 16th-28th February 2019 – To be considered
It may be an original Xbox title, and it may feel all nostalgic at the moment, but ask yourself these things first.
Number 1. Are you looking back at this once iconic title with rose tinted glasses? Number 2. Has it stood the test of time? Number 3. Will you really have time to play it? If the answer to those questions is NO – not at all, it’s a Star Wars game, yes and yes, then chances are this is a game you’ll want to have on your download list pretty sharpish. If you can’t quite remember what all the fuss was about though, then you’re probably one of the other group who don’t really need to be spending time heading back to quite such an ancient title right now.
In case you’re of the generation in which Star Wars Battlefront – the original of course – was the only real Star Wars title to give a damn about, then let me fill you in a little.
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (there’s Jedi’s if you didn’t guess) is a third-person shooter that arrived all the way back in 2003 and saw players take control of Jaden Korr, a keen student at the Jedi Academy whose tutelage came from Kyle Katam. With missions to complete as given by Kyle Katam and the legendary Luke Skywalker, there is plenty of fan service for fans of the film series to get stuck into. But it wasn’t all that was on offer as despite its old age, it also included a online multiplayer mode, which was incredible for it’s time.
Of course if that brief outline is enough to see you wanting to head back in then there’s no better time than one in which the price tag is completely dropped, but be warned, graphically, the years haven’t been kind to this big hitter. With a new Star Wars title almost guaranteed for a release later in 2019, is this really the best way to enjoy Star Wars this year? We suggest you give it some thought first!
So, there we have it, some thoughts on each and every title you can expect to find available for free throughout February 2019 via the Xbox Games With Gold scheme. Are you excited for any of this month’s free games? Are there any you are particularly disappointed with? Let us know in the comments below or via our usual social channels.
