Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold have become big services for Microsoft over time, as each month there are free games players can access — withJuly 2020 offering four gamesthroughout the month. Another extension of that program is Xbox’s Free Play Days, with two games being announced today that are available to try for free through Sunday, July 12:The Sims 4andCitadel: Forged with Fire.
The Simsas a franchise does not really need an introduction, with its place as a beloved, ever-evolving cartoonish life simulation resulting inThe Sims 4reaching 10 million active users in June, and Electronic Arts announcing a Steam release during its EA Play event. Meanwhile,Citadel: Forged with Fireis an open-world fantasy MMORPG that was in Early Access from 2017 to November 2019 and features expansive gameplay with magic, legendary beasts, and more.
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Previous Free Play Days offerings have included more games, such as the March 26 collection that includedTekken 7,Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, andRisk of Rain 2. However, there’s no doubt thatThe Sims 4andCitadel: Forged with Fireare titles that can offer fans near-limitless playtime, and those who want to keep up with them following the end of the free trial period can purchase them for $10 and $16 respectively.
Another big selling point forThe Sims 4, in particular,is that 18 of its DLC expansion packs are also on sale, according to the Xbox Wire post, ranging from $10 to $25 at the most. The variety of expansions available for the game, which add everything from new pets and seasons to more outlandish things like vampires, are a hallmark of the series that offer a window into what apotentialThe Sims 5could improve upon.
Microsoft and Xbox are not the only groups that have found free trial periods for games to be a good selling point. Other services like the Epic Games Store offer free games during weekly time frames, withKilling Floor 2at the forefront of its offerings this week, and individual games such asActivision’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfarealso providing free trial weekends.
With the Xbox Game Pass service carrying onto the upcoming next-generation Xbox Series X, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft decides to handle programs like the Free Play Days going forward. For now, those withXboxLive Gold and Game Pass Ultimate can enjoy getting their hands on two wildly different, but equally time-consuming titles.
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