Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

Xbox Games with Gold – November 2022 Game Updates

Xbox Games with Gold

Xbox Games with Gold – November 2022 Game Updates

Xbox has announced its Games with Gold games for November. Starting last month, Games with Gold stopped including Xbox 360 titles, bringing their free games count from four per month to two per month.

The well of Xbox 360 games had utterly dried up, and it was time for them to go. However, the games Xbox has been offering since have been unsatisfactory. This month’s titles are Praetorians — HD Remaster and Dead End Job. Both are solid games but not much value for Xbox Gold members.

Still, both games are worth talking about, so let’s jump in.

Praetorians — HD Remaster

front cover of HD remaster
The game takes place during an era of heavy expansion for the Roman Empire.

The first game on this November’s games list is Praetorians 2020 HD Remastered edition. The game itself came out in 2003. You can take charge of the Roman legions to engage in conquests and fight for the empire’s future. Likewise, you can take control of the Gauls or Egyptians to repel the imperial invaders and take the throne yourself.

The game has 20 missions in a variety of different landscapes and locations. Use the terrain to fight by shoring up your battlements and relying on the strengths of your special units. Each faction offers a different gameplay experience that makes them all evenly matched.

The game has very positive reviews on Steam and is well-liked by die-hards of the RTS genre. IIf it was among a stronger contingent of games it would be a great addition, but it isn’t. Good game or not, it is a remaster of a 20-year-old game.

With Playstation offering games like Nioh 2 and Heavenly Bodies, Xbox needs to up its game to keep up. More on that later. Still, for fans of RTS, you could do worse than Praetorians.

Dead End Job

front cover of dead end job
Gameplay centers around local co-op that are still playable as a solo experience.

Dead End Job is a spooky shoot-em-up that looks like a cartoon from the nineties you never watched. You play as Hector Plasm; a put-upon ghost hunter tasked with busting the paranormal and saving civilians. Hector, as a character, doesn’t have much depth, but he doesn’t need much to blast through ghosts in the service to his employer Ghouls-B-Gone.

The gameplay is repetitive, but that isn’t a bad thing. You enter a procedurally generated level armed to the teeth with only one goal, ghoul smashing. The game features some pretty satisfying progression loops and many collectibles to chase.

It is also a super fun co-op experience, especially locally. The game keeps up its challenge with two players, but it adds to the hectic gameplay. The zany, Saturday morning cartoon humor doesn’t always land, but it is still a light-hearted romp that will provide a few laughs.

Other players on Steam recommend Dead End Job for its addicting progression cycle and great co-op. Still, as a second entry for the Games with Gold November lineup, it leaves much to be desired.

The State of Games with Gold

Xbox, Xbox, what are we going to do with you? Games with Gold has featured nothing but lackluster titles that don’t justify the service for the past two months. As a part of Game Pass Ultimate? Sure, but then again, tons of better games come with that service.

Xbox Game Pass on smartphone screen
Xbox Game Pass will be discontinued in September 2023. Find out more by watching the video at the end of this post.

Games with Gold feels like something left over from the days before Game Pass. It seems more and more likely that Games with Gold might fall by the wayside. Game Pass Ultimate includes an Xbox Gold membership. The problem with Games with Gold is it doesn’t have as much value as it used to. You can get Game Pass and access better games for an extra fee.

Nothing has been said, and Xbox seems to be standing by Games with Gold for the moment. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if Games with Gold’s days were numbered.

Game Pass Updates

Speaking of Game Pass, here is everything coming to the service for the month of November.

  • The Legend of Tianding — November 1st
  • Ghost Song — November 3rd
  • Humankind (Console Exclusive)— November 4th
  • Football Manager 2022 — November 8th
  • Pentiment — November 15th
  • Gungrave G.O.R.E. — November 22nd
  • Warhammer 40K Darktide (PC Exclusive) —November 30th

As of this posting, no games are set to leave the service in November, but that is subject to change. You can still download last month’s Games with Gold offerings. The October titles were Windbound and Bomber Crew Deluxe Edition. Learn more about both titles in last month’s update.

Be sure to stay tuned to History-Computer for monthly Games with Gold updates.

Xbox Games with Gold will be discontinued on September 14, 2023. Watch this video to find out what this means to you.

Next Up…

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the November Games with Gold?

Praetorians — HD Remaster and Dead End Job, which are both titles from 2020. Praetorians was originally released in 2003 but the HD Remaster was released in 2020.

How many titles do players get from Games with Gold?

Players used to get four titles from the service but now that Xbox is no longer offering Xbox 360 titles, the number has dropped to two.

Are the new games any good?

Yes, both Praetorians and Dead End Jobs are solid games. Praetorians is a celebrated RTS in that community and feature genuinely great strategy-based gameplay. Dead End Job was critically panned during its released but has built an affectionate following on Steam in the last few years.

Does Game Pass give you access to free games?

Yes, the Game Pass Ultimate tier gives you access to an Xbox Gold membership. This means you can access the free games as well as everything on Game Pass PC and Console.

What games are coming to Game Pass this month?

There are 7 titles coming to Xbox Game Pass for the month of November. The Legend of Tianding on November 1, Ghost Song on November 3, Humankind (Console Exclusive) on November 4, Football Manager 2022 on November 8, Pentiment on November 15, and Gungrave G.O.R.E. on November 22.

 

To top