Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold subscription is still decidedly playing catch-up month after month with Sony's PS Plus, at least in regards to the free titles offered by each service. Xbox Live's 'Games with Gold' program offers up two games absolutely free but it's hard to compete when PS Plus offers anywhere from eight titles on, and especially when it offers brand new games, as they are with Mercenary Kings this month. Still, we now know that April's Games with Gold will offer Hitman Absolution and Deadlight for Xbox 360 members.
As per usual the games will be available for free on the 1st and 16th of the month, respectively. Hitman: Absolution will be free (Normally US $19.99) on Tuesday April 1st through April 15th, while Deadlight (Normally US $14.99) will be available for free from April 16th through April 30th. One perk this program offers over PS Plus is that the games are yours to keep no matter what, no strings attached. PS Plus requires you to be a member (or renew your membership) in order to play the free games.
Hitman Absolution may not have had the sales Square Enix wanted, as the dumbing-down of the series annoyed core gamers, but it still offers up a tremendous stealth experience. Playing as Agent 47 is always enjoyable, even if it's always funny that no one thinks twice of a bald man with a barcode tattoo on the back of his head walking around. It was worth your money as it, so for free it's a no-brainer. (It was also made available for free on PS Plus last year.)
Deadlight came out in 2012 and merges a sidescrolling platformer with survival horror in the way so many do in this post-Limbo world. The game was criticized for its length (three hours) and unresponsive controls but was also enjoyed for its graphics and atmosphere. Free may be the way to go here.
Games with Gold has been criticized for offering older titles like the original Gears of War but it's obvious that they've been trying to get more current releases. They definitely need more of an incentive for Xbox One gamers, though. So far there hasn't been a single game made available for the Xbox One through this program, whereas the PS4 has received at least one new game a month since launch.
What do you think- are they doing better? What else would you like to see from the program?