In a vacuum, the news about the next month’s lineup of games available for Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate members to download in the Games With Gold service would be one of the biggest stories of the day. Unfortunately, that has been rather overshadowed by the news that Xbox Live Gold would be getting a price hike (and then that plan was later scrapped following backlash from gamers). At the time, the price of Xbox Live Gold was set to increase dramatically, by $1 a month and then $5 for three months. That would lead Gold’s six-month price to be the same price as a full year of PlayStation Plus.
Another fact that likely will have been missed for that same reason is that five titles are part of February 2021’s lineup rather than the usual four (two Xbox One/Series X/S games and two original Xbox or Xbox 360 games), with the big hitter of the month being Gears of War 5. The Xbox One title has recently been fully optimized for Xbox Series X/S and looks absolutely stunning (it already looked pretty good) on current-gen hardware (it still feels weird saying that).
It’s joined by the original Resident Evil, a game that defined the horror genre when it was initially released back in 1996. This 2015 HD edition is a remastered version of the 2002 Nintendo Gamecube remake that expanded on the original PlayStation game with new gameplay mechanics, and redone puzzles, not to mention the story also saw a big revision. Gears 5 and Resident Evil will be available for download starting on February 1 and ending on February 28.
Lost Planet 2 is perhaps an overlooked gem of the Xbox 360/PS3 era, so the fact that it will be available in February’s Games With Gold offering means you’ll have a good chance to play is at it’s best – with friends. The co-op shooter takes place 10 years after the original game and features constant action as you battle tons of enemies in the battle for E.D.N II. It’s available from February 16 to 28.
Finally, Dandara is a Metroidvania sidescroller with gorgeous 2D art, while Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb tasks you from recovering an ancient artifact, the Heart of the Dragon, as the famous explorer while fighting off Nazis (of course). Both games will stop being available on March 15, but Indiana Jones starts on February 1, while Dandara starts on February 16.
January’s Xbox Games With Gold are still available to download, so act fast before you miss out on Little Nightmares, Dead Rising, King of Fighters XIII, and Breakdown.
