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Free Games with Gold July 2015: Many Gears vs. Creed

By on June 26, 2015

Behold, the tyranny of Pool Nation FX has ended. Microsoft is offering four games across its two consoles free to Xbox Live Gold members in July, and none of those games are repeats from the previous month, nor do they feature big shiny balls as their primary draw.

Microsoft, in its post on Xbox Wire, announced a change to the month-to-month rules regarding the free games. The Xbox One will now feature two games new to the program every month, in stark contrast to the aformentioned billiards tsunami. Also, while games will be available for free download for a month’s worth of time, that time isn’t necessarily spread over the course of just one month. Take special note of the dates on the Xbox One games.

The availability on the Xbox 360 games looks to remain the same, splitting half of each month as usual.

Another note: with the announcement of backwards compatibility coming in waves to the Xbox One, it might benefit owners of both consoles to boot up the Xbox 360, queue in those free games when they’re availability and cross the fingers in hopes that the game eventually makes the jump to the Xbox One.

In any case, here are the four free games this month. It’s a promising start to Microsoft’s renewed enthusiasm for the monthly promotion.

Xbox One Games with Gold July 2015

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (July 1-31)

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Games with Gold July 2015

Undeniably the most exciting and best reviewed Assassin’s Creed title since it’s release in 2013. Black Flag drops any pretense of seriousness and let’s the player loose in the pirate-infested waters of the Caribbean. Command and upgrade your own ship, island-hop in search of treasure and, of course, assassinate fools with psychopathic glee.

So Many Me (July 16 – Aug. 15)

On the absolute opposite end of the spectrum from Assassin’s Creed is the peculiar side-scrolling platformer So Many Me. The main twist here is your ability to duplicate yourself, hence the title, and use your copies in various and creative ways to reach that flagpole. Take a peek at the trailer for a better idea.

Xbox 360 Games with Gold July 2015

Plants vs. Zombies (July 1-15)

One of the original mobile smash hits, Plants vs. Zombies is the tower-defense gold standard and inspiration for sequels, spin-offs and ripoffs galore. As zombies attempt to overtake your garden, it’s your job to place a variance of plant units strategically over a checkerboard playing field. Simple, but a proven addiction.

Gears of War 3 (July 16-31)

Gears of War 3 Games with Gold July 2015

Here’s the premiere candidate for the backwards-compatibility game we’re all set to play. Get this behemoth of a game in your account, at the very least. Gears of War 3 essentially perfected all the mistakes of Gears of War 2 while also granting the Xbox 360 one of it’s most feature-filled AAA releases in its later years. It’s smooth, it’s pretty and the multiplayer is enormously fulfilling.

About Trevor Ruben

Though I contribute to many online publications on a regular basis, including The Checkout, the crux of my writing lies in video games. When not writing, I'm often streaming a variety of games on Twitch.

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