Xbox Live Gold subscribers are gearing up for a busy month in April, as Microsoft will give away free copies of standout games like Buy Now  and Buy Now  to service members through the end of the month.

Xbox One owners can also expect to see The Walking Dead: Season 2, continuing an episodic zombie apocalypse narrative that many players first experienced when The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season was given away to Xbox Live Gold subscribers in 2015.

Originally a launch title for the Xbox One, Ryse: Son of Rome is a third-person, hack-and-slash action game that borrows its mechanics from classic arcade brawlers. Assuming the role of Roman general Marius Titus, players slice their way through hordes of attackers as they attempt to breach enemy strongholds.

Though Ryse: Son of Rome won praise for its impressive graphics, its gameplay ultimately didn’t measure up. Critics slammed Ryse over its inconsequential quick-time events, repetitive gameplay, and tacked-on microtransactions, making it what many consider to be one of the most disappointing launch titles of the last console generation. If nothing else, its upcoming Xbox Live Gold giveaway will allow curious gamers to sample its gameplay without committing to a purchase.

Xbox One owners with an active Xbox Live Gold subscription can also download Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Season 2 free of charge between April 16 and May 15. Spreading its gameplay across five playable episodes, The Walking Dead: Season 2 features a narrative that branches sharply depending on choices players make throughout the adventure.

Microsoft will additionally deliver a pair of free Xbox 360 games next month, both of which are also playable on the Xbox One via the platform’s backward compatibility feature. THQ’s The Legend of Zelda-inspired action-RPG Darksiders will be up for grabs between April 1 and April 15, while Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Revelations will be free to download for Xbox Live Gold subscribers from April 16 through the end of the month.

Related Posts

Your Xbox ecosystem just levelled up across every device

Gaming Copilot is now live in the Xbox mobile app (beta), offering real-time AI help for gameplay, achievements, tips, and more.

I’ve played every major Zelda game, here’s what The Legend of Zelda movie needs to get right

In terms of iconic pop culture heroes, Link is up there with Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, and Superman. While Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has proven himself capable enough to lead The Legend of Zelda's cast, adapting Link’s character for the big screen is a challenge. For much of the Zelda franchise, Link is depicted as a silent protagonist who serves as a stand-in for the player. However, that doesn't mean Link isn't a unique character. Each version of Link has a distinct story, but they are all known for their incredible courage, loyalty, and dedication to protecting the innocent. However, he has also shown many times that he can be silly, reckless, rageful, guilty, and tempted by greed. Link doesn’t necessarily have to speak in the film to appeal to audiences. However, he just can't be a one-dimensional fantasy hero. We have to see how multifaceted a person Link is as he grows and reacts to everything, carrying such a heavy burden as the Hero of Hyrule. Zelda should share the adventure with Link

PlayStation 5 can technically be a CD-player, if you’ve got a tinkerer’s heart

But a creator behind the YouTube channel Will It Work? decided to test that limit with a clever workaround. Using an unusual optical drive, he managed to trick the PS5 into reading CDs as if they were USB storage devices.