March 2021 has not been a good month for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. In February, subscribers were happy with Games with Gold offered by Microsoft, given that it included an Xbox Series X optimized version of Gears 5 and several triple-A games such as Resident Evil. At the time, many believed that February 2021 marked the start of Microsoft stepping up its game to improve Xbox Live Gold.
Unfortunately, March's Games with Gold came, and again, players received the same old tired lineup from previous months. What's even more disappointing is the lack of a Series X/S game, especially since Sony's PS Plus has been offering PS5 games on the service since November. Currently, it is difficult to predict what Microsoft would offer next month, given its inconsistent selections. Nonetheless, here is our wishlist for April 2021's Xbox Games with Gold.
The Falconeer (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)
The Falconeer is an open-world air combat game developed by Tomas Sala and published by Wired Productions. Although dogfighting games can be considered a niche for many, The Falconeer offers the features expected of the genre and a vast open-world with aesthetics similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Additionally, The Falconeer lets players mount powerful Warbirds, which soar over the open land and sea to combat others or in search of treasures and secrets.
Watch Dogs 2 (Xbox One)
For the past several weeks, rumors circulated online that Ubisoft will add some of its iconic games to the Xbox Game Pass. The exact list of games is still a mystery, but it will likely be recent titles such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs Legion. Of course, some Xbox Live Gold subscribers may likely feel left out once Ubisoft releases said games to the Xbox Game Pass, so it would be nice if Ubisoft also releases its older catalog, such as Watch Dogs 2, to Xbox Live Gold to compensate. Watch Dogs 2 was released in 2016 to the Xbox One and is the predecessor of Watch Dogs Legion for the uninitiated.
Life is Strange (Xbox One, Xbox 360)
Several days ago, Square Enix and developer Deck Nine announced Life is Strange: True Colors, the third mainline game and fifth overall title under the Life is Strange franchise. Although Life is Strange is a pretty popular game, likely, there are still those who haven't even heard of the franchise. As preparation for the release of True Colors in September 2021, it would be nice for Microsoft to release the first Life is Strange game to Xbox Games with Gold, allowing players to experience the game that started this amazing franchise.
Fallout 3 (Xbox One, Xbox 360)
Last on the list is Bethesda's Fallout 3. Bethesda confirmed several days ago that several of its franchises, such as the Fallout series, will be released to the Xbox Game Pass. Currently, only Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and Fallout: New Vegas are confirmed for the Xbox Game Pass. Of course, it appears again that Microsoft is neglecting the subscribers of Xbox Live Gold. To compensate, it would be nice for Microsoft also to release older Bethesda games such as Fallout 3 to Xbox Live Gold. For the uninitiated, Fallout 3 was released in 2008 to the Xbox 360 and is the first Fallout game to be created by Bethesda since it brought the franchise from Interplay Entertainment.