Age Of Empires 2 is free to download and play

I hope you’re ready to make your backlog explode, because more freebies are upon us.

As we all know, the best price a game can be is free, so those up for immersing themselves in a timeless real-time strategy title are in luck. For those subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is one of the new freebies available to grab next week (thanks, VG247).

Take a look at the trailer for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition below.

Although the original version of Age of Empires II is over 23 years old at this point, that definitely doesn’t mean that it’s not worth your time. There are countless hours of fun to be had - just last year, two streamers managed to lock themselves in a match that lasted over 70 in-game hours. Don’t worry, though, matches don’t normally last that long (although the fact that they can is in equal parts exhilarating and concerning).

The Definitive Edition first released solely on PC in 2019, but at long last, the title is now playable on consoles. Game Pass subscribers will be able to play either via the cloud or on their Xbox One or Series X/S, complete with controls that have been optimised for controllers. Even if you’ve played it in the past on PC, it might be worth giving a shot to see how they’ve adapted it.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition will be available to play via Game Pass on 31 January, so there’s not too long to wait. As for the other titles coming to the subscription service, Hi-Fi Rush is available now on cloud, PC and Series X/S, and the long-awaited remaster of GoldenEye 007 will be arriving on cloud and console tomorrow (27 January).

Additionally, a game preview for Roboquest will be playable on consoles on 30 January, followed by a preview for Inkulinati on cloud, console and PC on 31 January. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R will be available on the same day on cloud, console and PC, and Darkest Dungeon will be added to all platforms on 2 February. Grid Legends will be playable via the cloud on 2 February, too, and finally Hot Wheels Unleashed - Game of the Year Edition will be coming to cloud, console and PC on 7 February.

That was a lot. Be sure to mark your calendars for anything on there you might want to try out.