Xbox Games with Gold once excited loyal Xbox fans each month with a crop of free games for their library. Ever since its launch in 2013, the program built goodwill by giving away both celebrated indies and AAA blockbusters across Xbox 360 and Xbox One. But nearly 10 years later, Games with Gold risks irrelevance in an evolving landscape centered around Xbox Game Pass.
The Changing Face of Games with Gold
When originally unveiled at E3 2013, Xbox fans greeted Games with Gold as a long-awaited olive branch after complaints around Xbox One‘s rocky reveal. Suddenly, your $60 annual Gold subscription granted access to over $700 worth of free games per year (four games each month). Alongside exclusives like the Halo and Gears of War franchises, Games with Gold symbolized the "premium" Xbox ecosystem.
In the early years, Games with Gold consistently offered high profile indie games like Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, The Swapper, and #IDARB alongside major releases like WWE 2K16, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
But over time, the quality and consistency diminished. Microsoft faced growing challenges finding meaningful games still retaining strong value. Journeying down the Xbox One lifespan, Games with Gold giveaways centered more around older titles and AA experiences rather than new releases. Still, the four free games each month incentive persisted as the program‘s big draw.
That changed in November 2022. Microsoft suddenly excluded Xbox 360 games from Games with Gold, dropping the monthly giveaway count down to two. This marked a dramatic shift – Xbox seemingly recognized the well of Xbox 360 content worth giving away ran dry.
Rather than invest resources into licensing last-generation games for a diminishing return, they reduced program scope to focus solely on Xbox One/Series X|S titles. In parallel, Sony‘s competing PlayStation Plus service explores brand new territory with its revamped three-tier system, signaling evolving priorities across console subscriptions.
The strategic adjustments continue – Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier indicated that Microsoft may discontinue Games with Gold entirely sometime after 2023. With Game Pass over 25 million subscribers strong following towering growth, Xbox seems ready to move in a new direction less dependent on Games with Gold to retain Gold-level memberships.
Praetorians – HD Remaster: Celebrated Strategy with a Visual Downgrade?
Praetorians HD Remaster transports players back to the glory days of the Roman Empire to lead the famous legions across vivid historical battlefields. Originally launched to acclaim in 2003, Praetorians built a dedicated following among strategy fans for its methodical, tactical gameplay balanced across three distinct factions.
The HD Remaster spruces up textures, user interfaces, briefings and cutscenes for modern displays. But per Steam reviews, some classic Praetorians fans argue the visual changes fail to improve on areas that still appear dated by 2022 standards.
Praetorians HD Remaster retains a somewhat aged graphical style despite texture upgrades. Via Steam
See the stone textures and cliffs above as an example – the surfaces lack detail and nuance compared to modern RTS titles like Company of Heroes 3 or Age of Empires IV. Reviewers argue more drastic polygon upgrades, advanced lighting, and post-processing could better realize the imperial Roman era.
Of course, visuals hardly dictate the entertainment value and nostalgia driving Praetorians HD Remaster‘s appeal. For strategy purists, gameplay trumps graphics, and Praetorians delivers a finely tuned tactical challenge accented by three unique playable factions.
Still, the remaster‘s uneven attempt at modernization highlights a common pitfall facing many Games with Gold offerings – updated graphics wrapped around archaic foundations. As we‘ll explore next with Dead End Job, visual panache papers over repetitive cores.
Dead End Job: Repetition Wrapped in Retro Charisma
Cartoonish paranormal shooter Dead End Job energizes Xbox Games with Gold for November 2022 with vibrant 90s platformer visuals coupled to frenetic twin stick shooting across procedurally generated haunted locales.
As fledgling ghost hunter Hector Plasm, your goal stays simple – blast specters, rescue civilians, hoover up ectoplasm, and cause destructive chaos to fund your ghostbusting organization. This gameplay loop repeats across levels randomized in structure and enemy placement while gradually upgrading capacities.
Critics highlight how Dead End Job‘s repetition gets old fast. Destructoid‘s Chris Carter scored it a 6/10, writing "Dead End Job is a bite-sized co-op game that probably should have stayed in the oven a little longer".
But fans on Steam and Reddit highlight the simple, old-school fun evoked on a Friday night with friends. The cartoony humor, vibrant particle effects, and addiction to optimization through progression smoothly complements available couch co-op. Approachability makes Dead End Job‘s core loop work despite aggressive recycling.
A Steam review indicating repetitive gameplay gets offset by Dead End Job‘s depth and progression system. Via Steam
This places Dead End Job among a specific breed of Games with Gold giveaways – experiences expanded in short bursts rather than narrative showcases. Much like previous offers like Clustertruck, Speedrunners, or Override 2, advancement chasing and scoreboard battling contre balanced limited content.
For Xbox fans seeking lighter, easily digestible co-op fare, Dead End Job hits the spot through a welcoming retro lens. But those expecting deeper gameplay complexity or innovation will leave disappointed. It follows the formula outlined by many modern Games with Gold offerings – repetition wrapped in charming style.
The November Games with Gold Reality Check
Juxtaposing November 2022‘s PlayStation Plus game selection with Xbox Games with Gold spotlights the growing divide:
| Games with Gold – November 2022 | PlayStation Plus – November 2022 |
|---|---|
| Praetorians – HD Remaster | Nioh 2 |
| Dead End Job | Heavenly Bodies |
| Lego Harry Potter Collection |
Sony offered three critically celebrated blockbusters in sanctified PS5 remake Nioh 2, award winning motion controlled space sim Heavenly Bodies, and a magical compilation LEGO journey through Harry Potter.
Meanwhile, Games with Gold mustered an outdated RTS remaster and repetitive budget co-op shooter. It exemplifies the program‘s diminished relevance even adjusting for recently halved content count. This table compiling the last six months of giveaways also showcases PlayStation Plus consistently outpacing Games with Gold:
| Month | Games with Gold | Metascore | PlayStation Plus | Metascore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2022 | Praetorians – HD Remaster | 76 | Nioh 2 | 89 |
| November 2022 | Dead End Job | 60 | Heavenly Bodies | 83 |
| November 2022 | Lego Harry Potter Collection | 80 | ||
| October 2022 | Windbound | 68 | Hot Wheels Unleashed | 77 |
| October 2022 | Bomber Crew | 73 | Injustice 2 | 88 |
| October 2022 | Superhot | 83 | ||
| September 2022 | Gods Will Fall | 65 | Need for Speed Heat | 72 |
| September 2022 | Double Kick Heroes | 69 | Granblue Fantasy: Versus | 81 |
| September 2022 | Toem | 83 | ||
| August 2022 | Calico | 89 | ||
| August 2022 | Scourge Bringer | 83 | ||
| August 2022 |
While Metacritic scores don‘t dictate quality, they offer an aggregated snapshot of critical reception. PlayStation Plus consistently offered higher rated, better received games over the past six months compared to Games with Gold‘s more middling selections.
Some Xbox fans defend Games with Gold offerings as hidden gems primed for surprise. But stark reality indicates most modern giveaways fail building off past hallmarks – beloved indies like Inside, proven AAA hits like Metal Gear Solid V, or all-time classics like Burnout Paradise.
Of course, goodwill and nostalgia still drives some intrigue towards certain Games with Gold selections each month. But the value proposition and consumer enthusiasm increasingly shifted towards Xbox Game Pass over its eclipsing library.
The Behemoth in the Room – Game Pass
While Games with Gold limps along monthly with diminishing returns, Xbox Game Pass flourishes as Microsoft‘s subscription crown jewel and the obvious path forward in a streaming future.
Even just among November 2022 additions, Game Pass adds:
- The Legend of Tianding – Playful Taiwanese side-scrolling action game
- Ghost Song – Challenging 2D sci-fi adventure with haunting atmosphere
- Humankind – Acclaimed 4X turn based strategy finally on consoles
- Football Manager 2022 – Updated entry in beloved sports management sim series
- Pentiment – Unique narrative adventure game about medieval book illuminations and typography
- Gungrave G.O.R.E – Over-the-top anime action shooter based on cult favorite series
Rather than mostly recycled content, these additions showcase variety and quality – masterfully crafted indies, slow burning RPG epics, multiplayer crazes, meditative adventures, and bombastic arcade experiences all find a home on Game Pass.
Most importantly, you gain unlimited on-demand access rather than timed giveaways. At $10 per month, Game Pass provides tremendous value proposition even just sampling a small share of its offerings.
As Microsoft continues evolving its Xbox ecosystem vision towards movie/TV show-like subscription bundles, Game Pass persists as the keystone service expanding to PCs, cloud, and even TVs. Games with Gold risks fading redundancy under this comprehensive approach.
The Future of Games with Gold
Games with Gold clearly regressed mightily from the zeitgeist moments of yesteryear. While Xbox 360 remain hugely backwards compatible on Xbox One/Series X|S consoles, modern giveaways fail capturing seventh generation glory in terms of quality, consistency, and value.
Nostalgia offers some remaining form of attraction piecing together a game library. But with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundles now granting online multiplayer access and 100+ game libraries for just $5 more monthly, Games with Gold feels archaic clinging onto an early 2010‘s reality.
Perhaps Xbox games joins PlayStation Plus and Netflix in the inexorable transition towards all-you-can eat game subscription catalogs. Games with Gold giveaways get incorporated as part of various Game Pass tier bonuses rather than separate product.
But until Microsoft formalizes any strategic adjustments, the diminishing relevance of this once beloved program stays crystal clear each underwhelming month. Modern Games with Gold selections like Praetorians HD Remaster and Dead End Job might offer occasional niche gaming gems or nights of disposable fun for Xbox Gold members.
Just don‘t expect the glory days back anytime soon. Games with Gold now lives deep in the shadow of Xbox Game Pass moving forwards.
