January Games with Gold

Start the New Year Off Right with January’s Great Games with Gold Titles

You’ve probably dropped a bunch of holiday cash on gifts for yourself and others, and heck, maybe you’ve thrown a lavish new year’s party. We know how it is. But dang it, you still want to play some hot new games. Well, don’t worry: Games with Gold is coming to the rescue! On Xbox One, Killer Instinct: Season 1 Ultra Edition – the premier, combo-based, butt-kicking, mano-e-mano extravaganza – is first among your free offerings, followed by a brand new title to Xbox One, Zheros, an indie beat-em-up with an incredible art style.

On Xbox 360, Games with Gold gives gamers a gearhead’s dream with DiRT Showdown, the most recent off-road racing experience from the well-known Colin McRae series. As well, Xbox 360 gamers get Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the outstanding, multi-award-winning action RPG title that took the world by storm with its cyberpunk setting and deep, multi-pathed gameplay.

As usual, all games are available only for a limited time, as part of the ongoing Games with Gold program, so don’t let the new year slow you down. Get downloading!

* Killer Instinct: Season 1 Ultra Edition ($39.99 ERP): Available from January 1-31 on Xbox One

* Zheros ($TK ERP): Available from January 16-February 15 on Xbox One

* DiRT Showdown ($14.99 ERP): Available from January 1-15 on Xbox 360

* Deus Ex: Human Revolution ($14.99 ERP): Available from January 16-31 on Xbox 360

Killer Instinct: Season 1 Ultra Edition is the latest iteration of a long, proud line of brutal and eminently accessible fighting games that focus on combos, flash, and fun, rather than twitch reflexes and perfect timing. While the game traditionally comes with just one playable character unlocked, Games with Gold gets you the Ultra Edition, granting instant access to all eight Season One characters, 16 additional character accessory packs, eight additional costumes, and a playable version of Killer Instinct Classic from ’94. Get ready to dominate at one of the world’s most enjoyable fighting games, absolutely free.

Video For Start the New Year Off Right with January’s Great Games with Gold Titles

In Zheros, Xbox One gamers get a return to the good ol’ days of sidescrollers – when men were men, and enemies were easy… as long as you didn’t let them get on both sides of you at once. Beating folks up with a bunch of clever combos, tracking down secret areas, and some light platforming are at the core of Zheros. Set in a beautiful and futuristic universe with brightly colored graphics, a humorous cast of playable characters, and local co-op, Zheros is a must-play game to test out with your friends.

Video For Start the New Year Off Right with January’s Great Games with Gold Titles

Switching to Xbox 360, DiRT Showdown puts you behind the wheel of a variety of rally cars and trucks in a whole mess of racing, demolition, “Hoonigan,” and party events – both single- and multiplayer. Winning events nets you prize money, which means unlocking higher difficulty levels, more events, and deeper challenges. Everything that a serious off-road racing fan could want is here… along with plenty of stuff for those looking to get a little crazy, including events like “Hard Target,” where you start at the center of an arena filled with cars trying to crash into you (with more added as you survive) and “Trick Rush,” a Tony Hawk-like mode where you must complete a series of tricks with your car in order to score points. Tons of fun for the mudflap crowd, we guarantee it!

Video For Start the New Year Off Right with January’s Great Games with Gold Titles

Finally, for Xbox 360, Games with Gold offers up the awesome Deus Ex: Human Revolution. In a cyberpunk Detroit following the advent of commonplace cybernetic enhancements (or “augmentations”) to human society, you play Adam Jensen – a security expert who gets caught up in a (possibly not-so-accidental) explosion and has all of his limbs and most of his organs replaced with cybernetic parts, against his will. This turns him into a sort of superman, but at a cost to his humanity: Adam must always struggle with his connection to mankind, while trying to uncover the nature of the explosion that changed him, the terrorist plots of his fellow augmented citizens, and the government that’s prejudiced against them. The game is hugely open in terms of how you can approach it; you can tackle missions with guns blazing, or via sneaking, or through a silver tongue… or a combination of all three. It’s up to you, but any way you choose to play, prepare to be surprised by the twists and turns.

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.