Microsoft has announced the Games with Gold free games lineup for December. As posted on the Xbox Wire, the games will begin with The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (normally $14.99)by studio NeocoreGames. The second game will be Thief (regularly $29.99) by Eidos Montreal, which will be free from December 16 to January 15, 2016. The Xbox 360 games start with Castlestorm (regularly $9.99) by Zen Studios, which will be followed by Sacred 3 (regularly $19.99), along with a fifth bonus game, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (regularly $9.99).
The three Xbox 360 Games with Gold titles will all support the Xbox One’s new backward compatibility feature. While this means that Xbox One owners get five free games, the lineup is a bit weak, considering Thief’s underwhelming performance when it launched last year, and the fact that Castlestorm already has a remastered version that was available on Games with Gold earlier this year. The fifth free game is considered an “extra gift for the Holidays,” according to Microsoft.
Because every Xbox 360 game that releases on Games with Gold must now be backwards compatible, the games released may be underwhelming. This is due to licensing issues which may prevent more desirable games.
Make sure to grab the November Games with Gold before they expire, too.
