Four Action Packed Free Games with Gold Coming in August 2015

It’s always exciting when we get to announce the new Games with Gold each month, but August sports a really fantastic lineup, across Xbox One and Xbox 360. First, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, the compelling prologue to the hotly anticipated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain which launches in September, comes to Xbox One – followed by the open-world, tongue-in-cheek survival title How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition. On Xbox 360, fans get treated to two of the best first-person survival-horror shooters ever with Metro 2033 and its sequel Metro: Last Light. As usual, all games are available only for a limited time*, as part of the ongoing Games with Gold program.

* Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes ($19.99 ERP) Available from August 1-31 on Xbox One

* How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition ($19.99 ERP) Available from August 16-September 15 on Xbox One

* Metro 2033 ($19.99 ERP) Available from August 1-15 on Xbox 360

* Metro: Last Light ($19.99 ERP) Available from August 16-31 on Xbox 360

Just when you couldn’t wait a day longer for your Metal Gear fix, Games with Gold comes through with a chance to play Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes completely free on your Xbox One. If you haven’t had a chance yet, this latest chapter in the outstanding Metal Gear Solid stealth-action series is set in 1975 during the Cold War era. The player takes on the role of Big Boss, as he infiltrates a U.S. military black site in Cuba to rescue a couple of high-value allies who are being held captive. Players will use gadgetry, stealth, and plenty of quick thumbs (and quicker thinking) to overcome the game’s challenges. They’ll also find that Ground Zeroes is far less linear than previous Metal Gear Solid titles, with a more open-world feel – and many different means by which to accomplish objectives.

Of course, government conspiracies and deep-dives into secret societies running the new world order might not be your thing every night. Sometimes, you just want to bash some zombie heads with a weapon that you’ve fashioned from disused airplane parts. That’s where How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition comes in. Playable solo or with a buddy, How to Survive drops you onto an island with nothing but your wits and some basic tools, and challenges you to survive the elements and some ravenous zombies. Fortunately, stashed around the place are titular guide books that provide information on the game’s in-depth crafting system, action-packed combat, and tongue-in-cheek sensibility. This one is all about pure enjoyment, so don’t spend too much time worrying about weapon optimization or getting your combos just right; get in there and have some fun.

Now, if you’re a Games with Gold member and an Xbox 360 gamer, boy did you luck out in August. The Metro series of post-apocalyptic first-person shooters is multi-award-winning for a reason. Both titles, Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, are set in the Moscow subway system in the decades following a nuclear holocaust. Surviving humans huddle in the subway depots and eke out a living tinkering with old technology, raising the few animals and plants that they can, and by scavenging in the unexplored tunnels – and, if they’re really daring, on the partially irradiated surface. Bullets function as currency for buying and selling stuff, and it’s also (obviously) ammunition for the game’s weapons. So players will need to be very careful about how much they spend – both in the hands of greedy merchants, and in the skulls of Metro’s many horribly mutated baddies.

But, for the most part, players won’t need to shoot their way through obstacles; sneaking, tinkering, laying traps, and working with fellow humans are all viable ways through the Metro series’ many dangers. Of course, your human allies can just as quickly become enemies, as no one can be trusted in a world where life is cheap and survival is paramount. Did we mention that both games have fantastic, compelling storylines based on a series of acclaimed novels?

To recap: That’s four free games, all of them amazing ways to enjoy your Xbox consoles. All you need to do is click “Start Download.” So what are you waiting for? Check out the full details on our Games with Gold program, and make sure you get in on the action while you can!

* Titles are available as free downloads for a limited time, for qualifying paid Xbox Live Gold members in all markets where Xbox Live is available. Some regions may offer different titles depending on market availability. See Major Nelson’s blog for additional details.