Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction and Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, both originally released for the Xbox 360, lead the way for the July 2018 lineup of free downloads for Xbox Games with Gold.
Xbox Live Gold members, meanwhile, still have time to download the Smite Gold Bundle from last month, which is being offered until July 15. The multiplayer online battle arena game is a free-to-play title, but the special Smite bundle includes 20 extra gods and over 50 bonus items and is worth $99.99.
New Xbox Games With Gold Free Titles For July 2018
Headlining this month's lineup of free downloads for Xbox Games with Gold is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction and Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown.
In Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction, players reprise the role of Sam Fisher, who has become a fugitive as he attempts to investigate his daughter's murder.
In Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, players choose from 17 characters from the Virtua Fighter franchise in the series' definitive version, featuring an overhauled fighting system.
Both games were originally launched on the Xbox 360 but fortunately, with the Xbox One's Backward Compatibility feature, they will also be available for Microsoft's current-generation console.
The free Xbox Games with Gold for July 2018 also includes Assault Android Cactus and Death Squared for the Xbox One. Assault Android Cactus is a twin-stick shooter that places players in the role of android cop Constable Cactus, and it just arrived in the Xbox One in November 2017. Death Squared is a colorful co-op puzzle game that supports up to four players.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction will be available to download from July 1 to July 15, while Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown will be offered from July 16 to July 31.
Assault Android Cactus will be offered for the whole month of July, while Death Squared will arrive on July 16 and last until Aug. 15.
Xbox One Backward Compatibility, Cross-Play
The Backward Compatibility feature of the Xbox One allows classic Xbox 360 games to be played seamlessly on the current-generation console.
While the Xbox One is behind the PlayStation 4 in the video game industry, the Backward Compatibility feature, alongside cross-platform play, are two of the console's most important advantages over its rival.
Microsoft and Nintendo have been very open to the idea of cross-play, with games that support the feature including Minecraft, Rocket League, and Fortnite. Sony recently offered hope that it will soon enable PlayStation 4 cross-play, but gamers should not expect the feature to arrive soon.
