The December Xbox Games With Gold Lineup Is Causing An Uproar
One of the biggest criticisms of the Xbox Series X was the lack of exclusive titles at launch — however, fans of the console could at least take comfort in playing beloved games through Microsoft's various subscription services. Xbox Live Gold in particular has been a big hit, giving players a new lineup of free games available to play each month.
However, it appears the Xbox Games with Gold December lineup was something of a fail with gamers. A look at responses to the newest free games from the Xbox announcement on YouTube makes it clear fans are not happy with their options. Currently, there are over 3,000 down votes on the video, exceeding the 1,700 upvotes. The negative comments are scalding, with many pointing out that the lineup was not at all what they had hoped for during a holiday season. "Merry Christmas, lol," wrote one.
The free titles for December 2020 include The Raven Remastered, Bleed 2, Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, and Stacking. One game stood out among the rest — Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, from the successful action-adventure series. Yet, in spite of the popular franchise title, only the Xbox 360 version of the game will be available, which has fans wondering why the superior Xbox One format was not chosen. The December lineup also doesn't feature any games optimized for Xbox Series X, which, as GameRant put it, seems like a "missed opportunity."
Some commenters speculated that Microsoft has not paid as much attention to Xbox Live Gold, instead shifting more of its focus to Game Pass. While Xbox Live Gold caters to multiplayer gaming, Game Pass is friendlier to solo players and offers more free games without a time limit through its recurring monthly charge. Xbox also offers the Game Pass Ultimate bundle, which includes both subscriptions and their joined benefits. Perhaps Xbox's supposed lack of quality content through Games with Gold is hoping to encourage its fanbase to upgrade?
While a small number of Xbox gamers are happy with the Gold lineup for December, many feel like they've just received coal in their stocking . . . or, as one individual on YouTube put it, "Like waking up on Christmas and getting nothing but socks and underwear." Hopefully, 2021 will be a better year for Xbox players, especially with the release of the highly anticipated Xbox exclusive, Halo: Infinite.