Nothing special this month, but free is free, right?
February’s Games with Gold offerings aren’t particularly noteworthy, but it still features some pretty decent games that are worth a playthrough.
On the Xbox One and Series X|S, Broken Sword 5 is a decent point and click adventure with interesting puzzles, whilst Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield is an enjoyable, if unremarkable, 90-minute romp through a futuristic neon-soaked Detroit and it’s great if you just want to kill some time between games.
The backwards compatible titles this month are both from the Xbox 360: Hydrophobia made waves when it launched (sorry, I couldn’t help it) for its impressive water effects, but this XBLA title hasn’t aged particularly well. It’s worth a look for nostalgia’s sake, but the underdeveloped narrative and slightly clunky gameplay make it more of a chore to play than when it launched. Band of Bugs is another XBLA game that again isn’t terrible, but it’s been superseded by much better games in recent history.
So there we have it, a couple of half-decent newer titles alongside a couple of games that would probably be left in the annals of history. At least Game Pass has some exciting new additions!
- Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse ($24.99 ERP): Available February 1 to 28
- Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield ($11.99 ERP): Available February 16 to March 15
- Hydrophobia ($8.99 ERP): Available February 1 to 15
- Band of Bugs ($9.99 ERP): Available February 16 to 28
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse
Play as American George Stobbart and sassy French journalist Nico Collard, on the trail of a stolen painting and a murderous conspiracy. A conspiracy with roots older than the written word, leading to the start of another epic Broken Sword adventure.
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield
Take on the role of Wally, a mysterious character always in motion as you run, jump, slide, or dash to the soundtrack of Danime-sama. With the average runtime of an action movie, this is a game built for both speedrunners and casual gamers alike.
Hydrophobia
Use the engineering skills of the heroine, Kate, to fight back against terrorists who have taken control of her floating city. Featuring fast-paced action and breathtaking visuals, unleash the power of the water itself to wipe out your enemy, in this third-person survival adventure game.
Band of Bugs
Play as your Avatar and fight against, spiders, bugs, and even your friends in Spider Hunter Mode. Band of Bugs is a fast-playing, accessible game for fans of the tactics-strategy genre, that puts you into the game.
