Start the New Year Off with Some Sweet (Free!) Games with Gold

You probably know by now that being an Xbox Live Gold member gets you free games every month. You may have seen by now that some really cool stuff has been given away totally free as a result of this program. But January 2015 really, really takes the cake so far.

Three fantastic games across Xbox One and Xbox 360 will make sure you start your New Year off right. Xbox One gets the critically acclaimed indie adventure game D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die (or D4 for short), while Xbox 360 gets off-road racer MX vs. ATV Alive, and the epic role-playing game The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. As usual, all games are available only for a limited time, as part of the ongoing Games with Gold program – so find a buddy (or not), and jump in!

D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die ($14.99 ERP): Available from January 1-31 on Xbox One
MX vs. ATV Alive ($19.99 ERP): Available from January 1-15 on Xbox 360
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ($29.99 ERP): Available from January 16-31 on Xbox 360

 

D4 is the brainchild of legendary Japanese designer Swery (real name: Hidetaka Suehiro), the mind behind the fantastic Deadly Premonition. You play David Young, a detective whose wife has been murdered. David suffers from a strange syndrome as a result of the murder: He can’t remember the past, but he can travel through time. He uses this ability to go back and find out the truth behind his wife’s death so he can try to prevent it. But, along the way, his bizarre powers get augmented (and sometimes impeded) by an equally bizarre cast of characters. The puzzles will leave you scratching your head (in a good way) for a while, but the story and unique cel-shaded graphics will keep you glued to the screen.

And on Xbox 360, you can start the year shredding up the muddy tracks of MX vs. ATV Alive. Whether it’s track racing on motocross or supercross, or just tearing up the off-road freestyle events, MX vs. ATV Alive gives you tons of options for getting your wheels in the dirt. You can race on dirt bikes or on the titular four-wheel ATVs, each with their own physical feel and control style. And, when you’re done breaking all the records that the A.I. has set, you can race against your friends and spray mud all over their television sets in your wake (virtually, of course).

In the latter half of the month, you’ll get another special Xbox 360 treat: the massive, combat and story-filled RPG The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Don’t worry if you haven’t played the first one; The Witcher 2 is filled with backstory, deep characters, and plenty of side-quests that will educate you on the nature of the world and the goings-on therein. More importantly, though, The Witcher 2 is an incredibly in-depth game, offering potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay, oodles of character customization options, and countless weapons, armor pieces, and other loot – not to mention a comprehensive crafting system if the pre-made stuff doesn’t suit your tastes. The Witcher 2 takes place in a vibrant, living world, where your decisions have far-reaching consequences.

So, don’t worry about the fireworks shows or the resolutions. You’ve got all the fun you need coming your way, and you won’t have to save up a penny. Check out all the 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.