The Xbox Live Games With Gold line-up is finally available, and this month features a couple of cool hidden games.
First up is Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter, the latest entry in the long-running series developed by the folks at Frogwares. If you’ve played the more recent games in the series, then you know what to expect here. If you have never tried one of these great adventure games, you definitely can’t go wrong with this one. Rather than playing through a series of linear cases that all lead to a final conclusion, Frogwares’ Sherlock Holmes series is about making your own deductions in the case–whether they are right or wrong.
As you progress through each case, you gain new insights into the events that occurred. Using the game’s “deduction board” system, it is up to you to connect the clues and build your own story behind the case. This means that you may end up arresting the wrong person, perhaps letting a killer walk free. Or, maybe you find the killer’s motives to be justified and you absolve them of their crimes. It’s an interesting, unique take on the detective adventure genre, and one that is definitely worth playing.
Next up is the indie hit The Final Station, a 2D survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world. As you search for answers about the world around you, you’ll be traveling the wasteland on a train, stopping at various stations on your journey. The game is all about survival and decision-making. Will you rescue a survivor and add them to your crew, or leave them to die at the hands (or mouths) of the strange, shadowy mutants that inhabit the dark? Sometimes it’s worth bringing somebody aboard for the unique perks they offer, but with every perk comes a potential hindrance as well.
Star Wars fans can pick up Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, an original Xbox title that was released way back in 2002. If you are a fan of flight games, or the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series, you’ll be right at home here. Set around the time of the Clone Wars, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter features an original story that serves as a sequel to the previous game, which was simply titled Star Wars: Starfighter. The game received great reviews when it was released, and while it is definitely a bit dated, it’s still a fun game.
Last, and definitely least, Xbox Live Gold members can download Joy Ride: Turbo for free. While it is a sequel to Kinect Joy Ride, the game (thankfully) gets rid of the Kinect controller in favor of traditional controller support. The game features pretty much everything that your standard, arcade racing game has to offer; Racing, Time Trials, and Multiplayer.
All-in-all, this month’s line-up is an interesting assortment of games from multiple genres, with a few gems that are worth your time if you don’t have much else to play. Make sure you download them before they are gone. Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter and Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter are both available now, with the other two games coming later this month.
