Every month, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can look forward to four new games to add to their collection. Usually these games consist of two Xbox One titles and two Xbox 360 titles, but the free Games with Gold for July 2021 are shaking things up a bit. The Xbox free Games with Gold for July 2021 will actually consist of two Xbox One games, one Xbox 360 title, and one original Xbox game, all of which are playable on Xbox Series X through backward compatibility.
From July 1 to July 31, Xbox users can look forward to Planet Alpha, and then from July 16 to August 15, they can claim Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break for their collection. From July 1 to July 15, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can also claim Conker: Live & Reloaded, and then from July 16 to July 31, Midway: Arcade Origins will be available. According to Xbox, this is a $79.96 value, which isn't too bad at all.
Out of the four games listed, the arguable headliner is Conker: Live & Reloaded. The Xbox remake of the Nintendo 64 classic, Conker: Live & Reloaded features a brand new multiplayer mode and significantly improves the graphics in the story. Bizarrely enough, Conker: Live & Reloaded is actually more censored than the Nintendo 64 original, but it's still a solid game overall.
Since the Conker IP is owned by Xbox, one would think that Conker: Live & Reloaded would have already been a part of Xbox Game Pass. For some reason, Conker: Live & Reloaded hasn't made its Xbox Game Pass debut just yet. Conker: Live & Reloaded was also left out of the Rare Replay collection, with fans only able to access the Nintendo 64 game. But now that Conker: Live & Reloaded is coming to the free Games with Gold lineup, anyone with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be able to experience both Conker games with their subscription.
Retro gaming fans may also be interested in Midway: Arcade Origins, as it is a collection of over 30 classic Midway arcade games from gaming's early days. This includes games like Gauntlet, Joust, Smash TV, and more, so that's quite a lot of games to check out. Reviews at the time weren't crazy about the compilation, but it should still keep retro gaming enthusiasts busy for awhile.
In the meantime, there are still some Xbox free Games with Gold for June 2021 to check out as well. From now until June 30, fans can claim The King's Bird and Injustice: Gods Among Us. And until July 15, they can also add Shadows: Awakening to their collection of digital Xbox games.