assassin's creed syndicate
People wait to play "Assassin's Creed Syndicate" at the Gamescom 2015 fair in Cologne, Germany August 5, 2015. The Gamescom convention, Europe's largest video games trade fair, runs from August 5 to August 9. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

A new batch of free games for Xbox Live Gold members has been announced for the month of April. Players will be able to download four games, two for Xbox One and two for Xbox 360, with the latter also playable on Xbox One thanks to Backward Compatibility.

The lineup is solid at first glance. It includes a challenging puzzle game, an action-adventure title set in London, a racing game based on a Pixar film, and a terrifying romp through an alien-infested space station.

Leading the list of Xbox Games with Gold for April 2018, Jonathan Blow’s “The Witness” is a game that focuses on solving grid-based puzzles on a lush island. Fair warning, though: there are hundreds of puzzles that get harder and harder as the player progresses. But the effort, as always, is worth it.

Next is Ubisoft’s “Assassin's Creed Syndicate,” the ninth major instalment in the long-running “Assassin’s Creed” series. The game follows the Frye twins as they attempt to take down the Templars. Vast improvements include smoother stealth mechanics and a useful zip-line tool to slide from rooftop to rooftop.

“Cars 2: The Video Game” lets players control beloved “Cars” characters like Mater and Lightning McQueen as they race against opponents. Their mission: undergo spy training and embark on precarious missions.

The fourth game, “Dead Space 2,” probably needs no introduction among fans of horror. Fresh from his horrific experience in the first game, Isaac Clarke returns in this sequel. A monster-infested space city called The Sprawl serves as the setting this time around. Players need to keep their wits about them to survive a legitimately terrifying haunted house experience.

Below is the lineup of Games with Gold on Xbox One and Xbox 360 for April 2018:

  • "The Witness" - April 1 to April 30 (Xbox One)
  • "Assassin’s Creed Syndicate" - April 16 to May 15 (Xbox One)
  • "Cars 2: The Video Game" - April 1 to April 15 (Xbox One and Xbox 360)
  • "Dead Space 2" - April 16 to April 30 (Xbox One and Xbox 360)