For the past several months, Xbox's Games with Gold program has been heavily criticized for the lackluster games it offers and failure to include an Xbox Series X/S title consistently. However, the reception to August 2021's Games with Gold was better, thanks to its selection of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games.
At this point, it is still too early to tell whether the positive reception received by Xbox Games with Gold this August will carry over through the end of the year. However, if Microsoft is truly committed to turning things around, the only thing it should do is offer more popular games to its subscribers. Here is a wish list of Free Games with Gold for September 2021 that could continue the positive trend set by August.
Cuphead (Xbox One)
Headlining this wish list is Cuphead, a run-and-gun game developed by Studio MDHR. One thing that separates Cuphead from most video games is its homage to the music and aesthetics of hand-drawn animation from the 1930s. Each character in Cuphead has been carefully designed to embody the best elements of the era, making it fun to play and gorgeous to look at.
Beyond its nostalgic visuals and sound, Cuphead was widely praised for its precision gameplay that offers a challenging experience that doesn't hold the player's hand. Just three years after the game was released, Cuphead was able to sell three million copies, and an animated Cuphead series is currently in production at Netflix.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (Xbox One)
Another Xbox One game that would be perfect for September's Xbox Games with Gold is Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Originally released in 2017, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is set in a dark fantasy world that takes inspiration from Norse Mythology and Celtic culture. The game follows Senua, a warrior who is on a quest to Helheim to rescue the soul of her dead lover from the goddess Hela. Senua will face otherworldly entities throughout the game with a combat system reminiscent of games like Dark Souls.
Since its release four years ago, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice became a critical and commercial success for developer Ninja Theory thanks to its unique take on psychosis, its immersive story, and its main character. At The Game Awards 2019, Ninja Theory announced a sequel called Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, which is currently in development.
LEGO Dimensions (Xbox 360)
Next up is LEGO Dimensions for the Xbox 360, one of the more popular LEGO games on the console. LEGO Dimensions features an action-adventure experience and characters from thirty different franchises such as DC Comics, Harry Potter, Jurassic World, The Lord of the Rings, and more. At its core, LEGO Dimensions was applauded for taking on the difficult task of bringing together iconic characters from various comics, film, and TV franchises while retaining the classic gameplay and interactivity one could expect from a LEGO game.
Portal 2 (Xbox 360)
Last is Portal 2, a first-person puzzle-platformer originally released by Valve. Although the original Portal was more of a tech demo, Portal 2 introduced a full-fledged experience complete with an in-depth story and seamless gameplay. This year marks Portal 2's 10th anniversary, and given that the franchise has not released another game since, now is the perfect time for Microsoft to release it to Xbox Games with Gold.
Shortly after its release in 2011, Portal 2 received overwhelmingly positive reviews, earning a score of 95 on Metacritic. Critics and players praised Portal 2 for its balanced gameplay, pacing, dark humor, and story. Although the Portal series has been on hiatus for a decade now, the recent celebration of its anniversary revealed just how popular Portal still is.