February has been an interesting month for Xbox Live Gold after Microsoft introduced several changes to the service. First, it attempted to increase the price of an Xbox Live Gold subscription, but luckily for players, the company reversed its decision in less than 24 hours after receiving backlash from fans.
However, one of the most significant changes introduced to Xbox Live Gold is that players no longer require a subscription to access free-to-play games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, and the like. Additionally, it appears that Microsoft is trying to change Xbox Live Gold's reputation by offering more mainline games to increase the service's value and attractiveness. Now, with only a few weeks away before March, here are a set of predictions based on games that would do well with the service (though not designed with any attempt to actually predict the games, which always seem random, in any way).
Maneater (Xbox One)
First up is Maneater, released to the Xbox One last May and to the Xbox Series X/S last November. Although it is a bit of a stretch for Microsoft to include a game that was just released last year on Xbox Live Gold, it could be a great way for the company to attract more players back to the service. Like February 2021's Gears 5, Microsoft could release the Xbox Series X version of Maneater on Xbox Live Gold as more players transition to the new console. To the uninitiated, Maneater is an action-adventure role-playing game, where players assume the role of a babu bull shark who must take revenge on a shark hunter who killed its mother.
Resident Evil 2 Remake (Xbox One)
Another title that would be a great addition to Xbox Games with Gold is the 2020 remake of Resident Evil 2. In February 2021's roster of Xbox Games with Gold, Microsoft included 2015's remaster of the first Resident Evil game, making sense for the company to introduce its sequel for March. Resident Evil 2 takes place a few months after the first game and revolves around Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield's story as they stumble upon the zombie-infested town of Raccoon City. The game was originally released in 1998 and was remade last year.
Ori and the Blind Forest (Xbox One)
Next up is Ori and the Blind Forest, a Metroidvania-style platform-adventure video game that Microsoft Studios published. The game was first released in 2015 for the Xbox One and let players control Ori, a small white guardian spirit, and Sein, the "light and eyes" of the Forest's Spirit Tree. Ori and the Blind Forest received mostly positive reviews from critics thanks to its challenging gameplay, beautiful aesthetics, and musical score during its release.
BioShock (Xbox 360)
For Xbox 360 games, it would be nice to receive the first BioShock game, which was first released in 2007. The game is set in an underwater city called Rapture, where most of its history is revealed via audio recordings players can collect during the game. Since its release, BioShock has received critical praise from players and critics and has spawned two more games in the franchise: BioShock 2 and BioShock: Infinite. After years of rumors and speculation, 2K Games finally acknowledged that BioShock 4 is in development, but its platforms and release date are still being kept under wraps.
Fez (Xbox 360)
Last February, Microsoft surprised players by offering a fifth game to its roster, and it wouldn't be unlikely if the company would do the same next month. For the additional game, it would be fun to see Fez, an indie-puzzle platformer game developed by Polytron Corporation. During its release to the Xbox 360 in 2012, Fez received tremendous praise from players and critics due to its emphasis on discovery and freedom, and the game went on to become one of the most challenging puzzlers of all time.