Whilst the year may be progressing faster than we can blink, and games seem to be arriving in the digital stores by the dozens each week, it has to be said that the start of any month is a time in which many Xbox players quietly look forward to. Sure you have all those exciting new releases as well, but more importantly, if you’re one of the millions of subscribers to Xbox Live Gold, you’ll be rubbing your hands together with the imminent arrival of fresh new titles at no extra cost. With May now upon us, that time is now, so without further ado, let’s take a look at this month’s Xbox Games With Gold freebies to see if the wait has been worthwhile!
Marooners – Xbox One – 1st – 31st May – To be considered!
Party games may not be so few and far between these days, but finding a good quality title that you can sit down with for hours on end is still fairly hard to come by.
Marooners however is a game that can certainly provide plenty of fun, and while it may not be suitable for hours of play due to its eventual repetitive nature, if it’s character and frantic madness you’re after, then Marooners could be the perfect way to kickstart the month.
With play possible for up to six players across the 25 mini-game activities, anyone wanting to get the whole family in for some TV time would certainly be wise to get this one on the download list. With a host of quirky characters to choose from, a cutesy art style and and plenty to compete for, this isn’t as much a question of whether you should download it or not, but how long you can enjoy it for.
If you’ve got plenty of controllers spare then you’ll be in for a treat, even if it’s only for a few hours at a time.
The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA TOUR – Xbox One – 16th May – 15th June – Instant Download!
Golf. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, however it goes without saying that it’s certainly one of those games you can just kick back and relax with. It doesn’t have the ridiculous focus needed for titles such as FIFA or PES, it doesn’t have the aggressive nature of the many racers on the market, and you certainly won’t find yourself being on the wrong end of a flying limb, at least not intentionally of course!
Instead what you can expect to find here is one of the more calming professional sporting events, the PGA TOUR, complete with real-life golf icons, every golf course from the official tournament and plenty of opportunities to fine tune your swinging arm and lower that handicap as you look for that ever elusive hole-in-one. What’s more, is that The Golf Club 2019 not only does a great job of bringing accessible golfing to both newcomers and veterans alike, but it also looks incredible whilst doing so.
Should you be one to enjoy a breathtaking view whilst you play, then this is certainly one in which you’ll find plenty of reasons to hit that screenshot button.
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon – Xbox 360 – 1st – 15th May – Ignore
I’ve got to be honest here, when I saw this one was coming, the first thing that entered my mind is why? Why on earth would we want a game that failed to wow the masses all the way back in 2011 when we already have a heap of fantastic titles to enjoy in 2019.
Now before I slate Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon all too much and put you off forever, it is well worth noting that if you’ve enjoyed games in recent years such as Transformers or other titles in which you are essentially the saviour of a city that is being overrun, then chances are this one might surprise and even entertain for a small while. Give it a while though and you’ll soon find that there are only a certain number of bio-engineered terrestrial insects that you can shoot in one day and with very little else to pull the player in, and poor visuals making it already feel like a early ’00s title, there is no reason you’d want to head into this ‘city-defence’ adventure.
Sure, it may well have been a while since we last saw an Earth Defense title, but there is a very good reason for that!
Comic Jumper – Xbox 360 – 16th – 31st May – Instant Download!
What a way to end the month!
If like me you recently enjoyed Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley – to give it’s full name – on the Xbox Game Pass, then chances are you’ll be well aware of just how fantastic this yellow faced caped hero adventure is.
Developed by none other than Twisted Pixel Games, the studio behind the brilliant Splosion Man and Ms. Splosion Man platformers, Comic Jumper is a game that doesn’t take itself all too seriously.
You play the role of a comic book hero – Captain Smiley – and after seeing a collection of comics getting poorly received, our protagonist calls out for help from Twisted Pixel themselves in order to jump into other comic book adventures and learn from them in order to succeed. With unique costumes, a comical side kick and some ingenious laugh out loud moments to be enjoyed along the way, this is certainly one of the most unique titles you can play today on Xbox One.
Gameplay is all too reminiscent of the classic 16-bit era, with stunning cell shaded graphics and fantastic gameplay to pull you along, and that ensures this is one adventure that will stick with you long after you’ve stepped away from the role of Captain Smiley. It’ll leave you with a smile on your face as you go too!
So, there we have it, my thoughts on this month’s free Xbox One and Xbox 360 Games With Gold titles. But you know how this works, we want to hear from you! What are your thoughts on this month’s titles? Let us know in the comments below or via our usual social channels.
