Microsoft revealed the Games With Gold for September, 2017. The four games available spanning the Xbox 360 and Xbox One includes Forza Motorsport 5, Oxenfree, Battlefield 3 and Hydro Thunder Hurricane for Xbox Live Gold subscribers.
Other than the one indie game, it looks like Microsoft wanted to give their fans some blockbuster titles to fill out their library.
At the start of the month, Xbox One owners will be able to get their hands on Forza Motosrpot 5… for free. In case you missed the Xbox One launch title from back in 2013, you can pick up a copy starting September 1st. It will be available with a free DLC expansion containing the Top Gear car pack. I’m a little shocked that Microsoft is being so generous.
Starting September 16th, gamers on the Xbox One will be able to play the indie title Oxenfree… for free. The oddball adventure game starring the incessant chatter of very talkative teenagers will let you explore the unknown and develop relationships between the handful of characters during a vacation trip gone wrong.
If the old and indie aren’t your thing, maybe the old and blockbuster are?
For Xbox 360 owners or for Xbox One owners keen on diving into the backwards compatible catalog, there’s Hydro Thunder Hurricane. This was a old, celebrated title on the Xbox 360 that sort of fell under the radar. Vector Unit’s 3D racing title was a throwback multiplayer racer that kindled similitude with Jet Moto and Wave Race 64 from the yesteryears of gaming. You’ll be able to pick up a digital copy of Hydro Thunder Hurricane for free starting September 1st.
Halfway through the month, on September 16th Battlefield 3 will be made available for those of you who missed out on this gimped version of the Frostbite-powered first-person shooter. Keep in mind that Battlefield 3 was promoted and sold mostly as a PC game with the hand-me-down console versions being there for people who couldn’t afford to play it on PC.
Make no mistake about it, Battlefield 3 is one of the best looking games on the Xbox 360, but it absolutely pales in comparison to what you get on PC. Of course, Battlefield 3 still has one of the best ever launch trailers in the history of gaming, so regardless of platform it still gets props for that.
I doubt Sony will have anything worthwhile to compete with Microsoft for September, but we’ll see. Sony is definitely going to need to step it up if they even want to bother to appear to be competitive.
