Microsoft used to make an effort to ensure that its Xbox free Games with Gold games featured some high quality releases as a way to keep fans subscribed to Xbox Live Gold. However, recent years have seen Microsoft quit trying quite as hard with Games with Gold, only ever giving away an Xbox Series X game once and otherwise mostly giving Xbox Live Gold subscribers old Xbox 360 and Xbox One games.
Microsoft is simply not as interested in Xbox Live Gold as it once was, focusing all its efforts on bolstering its Xbox Game Pass subscription service instead. Some would say that it is a good thing overall, as Xbox Game Pass offers significantly more value than the free Games with Gold program ever did, but there are still those who want to see more from GwG. Unfortunately, the Xbox free Games with Gold for February 2022 only serve as further evidence that Microsoft isn't really trying to make the program worthwhile.
After Microsoft announced the Xbox free Games with Gold for February 2022, it triggered the usual backlash that the monthly free games have been causing for what has been years now. Xbox Live Gold subscribers have taken to online forums and YouTube comment sections to voice their disapproval, as many are unimpressed by what the Xbox free Games with Gold for February 2022 are bringing to the table.
Xbox Free Games With Gold for February 2022
- Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse (February 1 - February 28)
- Aerial_Knight's Never Yield (February 16 - March 15)
- Hydrophobia (February 1 - February 15)
- Band of Bugs (February 16 - February 28)
As usual, the Xbox free Games with Gold for February 2022 features two Xbox 360 games and two Xbox One games. Right now, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse is available to Xbox One users, while Hydrophobia is available to those on Xbox 360. Xbox Live Gold subscribers interested in either of the two games have until February 28 to claim Broken Sword 5 for their collection, but they only have until February 15 to claim Hydrophobia.
Broken Sword 5 is an old-school-style adventure game that's pretty niche and will likely only appeal to Broken Sword fans and those who enjoy the genre. Hydrophobia, meanwhile, is an interesting case because it seems to be the game that subscribers are most satisfied with when it comes to the Games with Gold for February 2022 offerings. What's weird about this is that Hydrophobia was panned at the time of its release, though it does have its fans who enjoy its water physics.
Even though there are some Xbox Live Gold subscribers who are happy to see Hydrophobia included in the Xbox free Games with Gold for February 2022 lineup, it's still an 11 year old game. Broken Sword 5, meanwhile, is eight years old. And so the two Xbox free Games with Gold for February 2022 that are available for subscribers to claim right now have both been out for ages, increasing the odds that subscribers interested in playing them already have them in their digital libraries.
Microsoft staggers the Xbox free Games with Gold releases throughout the month, and so February 16 will see the release of two more Games with Gold titles to the service. On the Xbox One side, subscribers will be able to add Aerial_Knight's Never Yield to their collection, while Xbox 360 users will be able to snag Band of Bugs. Aerial_Knight's Never Yield is actually a fairly new game, especially compared to the other free Games with Gold offerings, but it's still unlikely to impress subscribers.
Aerial_Knight's Never Yield earned mixed reviews at the time of its original release in 2021, and not only that, but the game is incredibly short. Most will be able to fully complete the game in just a couple of hours. Needless to say, this is unlikely to please Xbox Live Gold subscribers who are hoping for a little more value out of the free Games with Gold offerings that they claim every month.
And then there's Band of Bugs, which is actually the oldest game in the lineup. Originally released in 2007, Band of Bugs is a tactical strategy game that earned mixed reviews. It's a whopping 15 years old at this point, and so it's safe to say that anyone who wants to play it likely has to done so by now.
With three of the four games being very old and the other being incredibly short, it's no wonder that Xbox Live Gold subscribers aren't happy about the free Games with Gold titles for February 2022. Unfortunately, anyone hoping for this to change with March will likely be disappointed. It may be best for most Xbox gamers to start focusing on Game Pass if they haven't already.
While these four games are the Xbox free Games with Gold games for February 2022, it's worth pointing out that subscribers still have time to grab one of the free Games with Gold for January 2022 as well. Xbox One game Aground is up for grabs until February 15, and so anyone interested should claim it while they still can.