The era of Xbox Live Gold is drawing to a close as Microsoft prepares to retire the service. Disappointingly, instead of a memorable farewell, the final offerings from Microsoft are just as forgettable as the service itself has been perceived by many. This isn't what going out with a bang looks like.
On September 14, Xbox Live Gold will be stepping aside to make way for the superior multiplayer network service, Xbox Game Pass Core. As the service is nearing its closure on September 1, Xbox has revealed the last batch of free games for the upcoming month: Blue Fire and Inertia Drift. The games, which are priced at $19.99 each, will be up for grabs from August 1 to August 31.
Developed by indie game studio Robi Studios, Blue Fire is a 3D action platformer that blends the worlds of Hollow Knight, Dark Souls, and The Legend of Zelda into one. Players take on the role of Umbra, a mysterious warrior who travels through the corrupted world of Penumbra to fight the evil Shadow and defeat the Queen of Darkness.
Boasting great character design, intriguing dungeons awaiting exploration, and challenging boss battles (the final ones truly steal the spotlight), Blue Fire combines the best attributes of classic 3D platformers with a captivating open-world environment (unfortunately, there's no map feature in the game).