May’s free Xbox Games With Gold are among the best we’ve ever seen

By Gabe Gurwin Published April 23, 2018

Xbox - May 2018 Games with Gold

If you’re like us — and countless other people — you’re probably glued to your PlayStation 4 enjoying the new God of War right now. As fantastic as that game is, Microsoft’s free Xbox Games With Gold for May might be able to draw you back to the Xbox One — it’s among the best months we’ve ever seen for the program.

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For the entire month of May, Xbox One owners can download Super Mega Baseball 2, the sequel to an arcade baseball game that was also available through the program back in 2016. May 1 is the official launch date of the game, as well, so you will be able to jump into the action at the same time as paying players on other systems.

The real heavy hitter for Xbox One comes on May 16, when Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be available for free. It will be free through the program until June 15, and though you aren’t getting Ground Zeroes as part of the package, the game has previously been given away for both Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It’s crucial to understanding the complex plot of The Phantom Pain, so we suggest buying it if you haven’t played it yet.

Xbox 360 players are in for a treat, as well. From May 1 through may 15, you’ll be able to buy Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage. The collection includes are three games in the Streets of Rage series with gorgeous artwork to fill the space on your HD television.

360 players also get Vanquish, the cult-hit third-person shooter from PlatinumGames. Directed by Resident Evil 4 mastermind Shinji Mikami, the game’s unique sliding move helps to separate its gameplay from other titles in the genre, and it has the level of craziness you can expect from a PlatinumGames production. Both Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage and Vanquish are playable on Xbox One as well.

Microsoft has been killing it with its free games recently, with The Witness and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate among the offerings in April, as well as the horror classic Dead Space 2. Which of May’s freebies are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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