If you’re an Xbox gamer then you know that having an Xbox Live Gold account comes with certain… privileges. You’re able to play your games online, you’ve got the ability to have your heritage questioned by pre-teen campers, and you also get a fresh set of free games to play every month.
That’s so this October, as Microsoft has a fresh crop of titles for Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners to download and play through. Assuming they missed them the first time around, that is. Here they are.
On Xbox Live Gold in October 2017
Gone Home (XB1)
Gone Home has been derided as a “walking simulator” by some, but there’s more to it than that. As a college student who returns home to her family’s empty estate, you’ll explore the remnants of their lives to piece together what happened and why they’re missing. It’s available free throughout October.
The Turing Test (XB1)
Like Gone Home, Square Enix’s The Turing Test is a first-person experience, but this one’s about solving puzzles within a research station on Jupiter’s moon, Europa. It seems a bit like Portal or The Talos Principle, with brain teasers and a bit of a narrative unfolding along the way. This one pops up free on 16 October and extends until 15 November.
Oxenfree (XB1)
Getting drunk on a spooky island? Interesting choice, but sure, we’re game – well, until a rift in time develops and then ghosts appear. Oxenfree puts you in that very scenario as you unfold a tale of youths working their way through the eerie locale, with a cool branching dialogue design and plenty of teen emotions being flung around all the while. Grab this one until 15 October.
Rayman 3 HD (XB1/360)
It’s a bit dated today, but if you’re in the mood for a classic 3D platformer, you can’t go wrong with Rayman 3 HD. This Xbox 360 port updates the 2003 original with crisper graphics, but otherwise it offers up a tried-and-true blend of platform hopping and melee action. It’s free from 1-15 October.
Medal of Honor: Airborne (XB1/360)
Call of Duty is heading back to World War II this year, but before then, you can loop back on one of last generation’s better WWII shooters with Medal of Honor: Airborne. No, we’re not sure that a decade-old first-person shooter will still hold up today, but hey, it’s free – give it a shot. Grab this one between 16-31 October.
If you missed September’s picks…
Microsoft still has a couple of last month’s freebies available until the end of the month, so in case you haven’t grabbed them yet, be sure to download these games before October arrives.
Forza Motorsport 5 (XB1)
We are only days away from the release of the absolutely stunning Forza Motorsport 7, but if you missed Forza 5, then you can finally loop back on it for free in September. It won’t blow you away like the Xbox One launch title did in its early days, but this is still a fun, sim-leaning racer that’s well worth a few laps around the track.
Battlefield 3 (360/XB1)
Don’t know the Battlefield franchise? We’d certainly recommend a newer entry if you don’t mind spending some cash on Battlefield 4 or last year’s World War I-themed Battlefield 1, but Battlefield 3 will do in a pinch. We have no clue how busy the multiplayer servers are these days, but hey, it’s a freebie. Grab it until the end of the month.
