Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox Games with Gold lineup for August 2021. As always, there are a pair of Xbox One games and two titles that are playable with backwards compatibility. Next month's freebies include Darksiders 3, Yooka-Laylee, Lost Planet 3, and Garou: Mark of the Wolves. You still have until the end of the month to claim two of July's freebies, Planet Alpha and Midway Arcade Origins. Meanwhile, Rock of Ages 3: Make and Break will be free until mid-August.
Developed by Gunfire Games, Darksiders 3 is an action-RPG that will appeal to those who miss the days when open-world games didn't dominate the AAA game space. As a more linear action game, Darksiders 3 has stylish combat that is surprisingly challenging (sometimes to its detriment) and a great atmosphere. Though it's certainly the weakest entry in the series, it's worth checking out for yourself. Darksiders 3 will be available to claim for free all throughout August.
Yooka-Laylee is a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, and it definitely pays homage to the formula of the classic platforming series. Yooka-Laylee is a collectathon platformer that rewards players for searching every inch of its worlds. While Yooka-Laylee doesn't add anything new to the genre, it's an enjoyable platformer with colorful characters and worlds that will likely appeal to the youngsters in your home. Yooka-Laylee will be up for grabs from August 16 to September 15.
You don't need any prior knowledge of the Lost Planet series to dive into Lost Planet 3. As a prequel to the first game, Lost Planet 3 tells the story of Jim Peyton's expedition to solve the world's energy problem. Lost Planet 3 is mission-based but the levels are semi-open world, allowing for exploration between third-person combat encounters. Like Darksiders 3, Lost Planet 3 is the weakest entry in the series, sadly. Lost Planet 3 will be free to claim until August 15.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves is part of the Fatal Fury fighting game series and features more than a dozen fighters. It originally released for Neo Geo back in 1999 and was ported to Xbox 360 in 2009. Garou can be claimed from August 16 to August 31.
Free Games with Gold for August 2021
- Darksiders 3 -- August 1-31
- Yooka-Laylee -- August 16-September 15
- Lost Planet 3 -- August 1-15
- Garou: Mark of the Wolves -- August 16-31