July’s Xbox Games With Gold Shows Every Month Can’t Be Loaded With Great Free Titles

Microsoft announced Tuesday the four free games Xbox One owners will receive in July as part of the Games with Gold program. The line-up isn’t as exciting as previous months, with a pair of smaller indie style titles for the Xbox One and two so-so backward compatible titles.

The July Games with Gold starts with the Ubisoft open-world platformer Grow Up being available for free on July 1 through the end of the month. It will be joined by the Xbox 360 co-op shooter Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, which will be free until July 15.

The second set of games arrives on July 16 with the Xbox One indie platform racing title Runbow, which will be available until August 15. It will be joined by the backward compatible LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game on the same day, but the free download will only be available until July 31.

Games with Gold has had a solid run of free games for the Xbox One over the past few months, and this would be the first in a while that could be considered mediocre at best.

Grow Up

This is the sequel to Ubisoft’s Grow Home as players control a robot named B.U.D. through an open-world. Grow Up received mixed reviews on the Xbox One and landed a 74 Metacritic score. The game builds on the gameplay of its predecessor, but was knocked for being “more of the same.”

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

This otherwise standard first-person shooter was boosted thanks to its inclusion of co-op play. Kane & Lynch 2 still suffered through some rough reviews that knocked it down to a 63 Metacritic score due to a linear design, short campaign, and not many caring to play as deranged criminals.

Runbow

This indie title from 13AM Games will release on the Xbox One at the same time it hits Games with Gold. It’s already been released for the Wii U, where it earned an 82 Metacritic score and received “Positive” reviews on Steam from PC gamers. The game received positive marks for being a colorful multiplayer party game.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

This entry from Traveller’s Tales was timed with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 2011. The family-friendly video game earned a 73 Metacritic score due to repetitive gameplay and potentially being too hard in spots for younger players.

As a reminder, some June Games with Gold titles are still available to download for free. The Xbox One version of Watch Dogs is available through July 15. Meanwhile, the surprisingly fun indie title Speed Runners and the backward compatible Dragon Age: Origins will stay free until June 30. The Phantom Dust DLC packs will also be free until the end of the month.

[Featured Image by Xbox]