Microsoft has officially announced all four Xbox Games With Gold titles for May 2022! These games are available to download for free for Xbox Live Gold members (including subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate).
- Yoku's Island Express (May 1 - 31)
- The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk (May 16 - June 15)
- Hydro Thunder Hurricane (May 1 - 15)
- Viva Piñata Party Animals (May 16 - 31)
Here are more details on the games you can look forward to in May:
Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One
Yoku’s Island Express (May 1 - 31)
All Yoku wants to do is soak up the rays delivering parcels in his new job in a tropical paradise. But first he must traverse the island helping others and try to waken an ancient deity trapped in a restless sleep. Explore the colorful open world of Mokumana, test your pinball skills, and earn wild new power-ups to help the friendly locals.
The Inner World – The Last Wind Monk (May 16 - June 15):
Embark on an adventure thru Asposia to find the last wind monk and fulfill Robert’s destiny as the heir to the flute nose throne. Switch seamlessly between playing as Robert, Laura, the rebel who flies off the handle, or Peck, the pigeon who doesn’t fly at all. This charming adventure game is filled with brainteasers, humor, beautiful music, and lots of heart.
Xbox 360 / Original Xbox
Hydro Thunder Hurricane (May 1 - 15):
Speed through eleven mysterious race environments like Monster Island and the Bermuda Triangle, each one packed with massive jumps, drop-offs, secret shortcuts and destructible objects. Unleash aqua anarchy as you try out various modes and compete to be the first to cross the finish line.
Viva Piñata Party Animals (May 16 - 31):
Get ready for lots of fun for everyone! Compete as Hudson Horstachio, Franklin Fizzlybear, and others across over 40 minigames mixed with race events. Combine your wins and bonuses to get the most candy and be crowned the victor.
Which Xbox Games With Gold are you most looking forward to in May 2022? Let us know below.
Comments (49)
Yoku's Island Express is absolutely delightful.
That's a solid entry. Yoku's Island is good and Hydro Thunder: Hurricane is a classic.
@nofriendo it's one I've looked at many times so it's a good month for me.
Yoku is indeed a great game.
Nice one. I've played yoku 's demo before and was really good.
Hydro Thunder is the only good one
Redeemed Hydro Thunder Hurricane the last time it was part of Games With Gold and not particularly interested in the other 3. Will probably redeem Viva Pinata Party Animals to complete the collection (have the other 2 via Rare Replay).
Yoku’s Island Adventure has been in my bucket list of games to play. Pretty excited for it!
Wow. Very solid month. Nice to have Yoku's and Inner World.
I really wish they would get rid of the paywall to play online. Xbox live gold feels dated and the free games are a waste of time for most of us. Happy for those that enjoy some of them. But overall this is a very early 2000’s service that needs a fresh or just simply put make online free.
Best month in... I've lost count.
Yoku's Island Express, as others have said, is brilliant. Somehow merging pinball with metroidvania with a playful asthetic and interesting story but making it's own thing entirely. Don't skip it, even if you don't like those genres usually, give it a go.
Hydro Thunder was great. Not sure how it's aged. More Viva Pinata is always a good thing even if it's the lesser spin off and the last The Inner World looks interesting.
Thanks Microsoft, more months like this please.
After last months weak offerings it’s an insane month I will download everyone of them.
Yokus island express is very good. I'd highly recommend it. It's pinball meets metroidvania. Really cool music and art direction and doesn't outstay it's welcome.
Oh come on! 2 months in a row of repeats. There's plenty more BC titles out there to add than these.
Very solid month 😊
Well, I didn't get Yoku on Switch so I'll take this one. Good month for that, alone.
Played Yoku on the Switch, brilliant game
If you haven't played Yoku's island express, I highly recommend it, Great fun game..
@Rural-Bandit Agreed. Whenever PSN has a bad month for me I look at games with gold and realise it really wasn't that bad after all...
I'd suggest the $60 dollar value is not likely to fool anyone.
Still for those that like to play titles from the older gens, I guess this stuff builds their collection. I don't even add them, no point as I would never play them, but the last gen titles are well worth a look.
Yokus was OK - the PS4 version was on NOW about a year ago, so I played it then. Didnt hook me, but it was worth a download!
I heard next month one of the games will be halo infinite multiplayer. Not able confirm though.
@Titntin yeah i don’t download nothing from my PSN or Gold accounts. The paywall at this point to play online is lame.
Even worse is PSN you have to pay for the cloud saves as they are free on Xbox. Make these features either cheaper or redo what they look like already. Same with achievements and Trophies they both haven’t seen much progression in years.
@Rural-Bandit
Can’t see them getting rid of the online paywall
Not now the other two do it as well.
@Rural-Bandit
Cloud saves on PlayStation are aright joke.
Even ifyou are a member and you share your console with family, they don’t get any Cloud saves.
So if your PS4 or PS5 goes down, the main member is ok but your family is not.
Glad Xbox is a lot better, the whole family get cloud saves, fantastic.
@Rural-Bandit
Maybe make online play free and scrap gold.
Then make gamepass the entry level.
@Dezzy70 Yeah i highly doubt these companies will get rid of that much money. To just hand us free features but it sure would be nice to be able to play online for free. Then have a service for games and what not. So i agree have GamePass be the monthly service money and get rid of Gold would be ideal. Yes PS services for the most part suck all the way around and the cloud saves are no where near as good as Xbox’s. My PS5 only has me on it, so my saves are good but in general that is a stupid feature for sure.
Sony is so beatable if people didn’t worship their first party titles which during the PS4 gen i played less and less of. Sure i loved God of War it was a fantastic game but i could careless about GT, Horizon, Sack Boy, Ghost of Tsushima, and even Uncharted don’t do much for me. It would be easier to list what i did like which is God of War and ratchet and clank. I don’t ply any online games for it, so i am basically paying $60 a year for discount i rarely use and cloud saves.
@Rural-Bandit
Surprised you don’t get rid of your PlayStation subscription then.
You don’t need the cloud saves as long as you keep the console, even then I think you can do things with saves and a USB stick.
@Rural-Bandit Sackboy is one of the best 2.5D platformers around. Shush your mouth!
I keep meaning to buy Hydro Thunder, well I'll definitely be adding it
This is shocking that next month has multiple games I'll gladly claim. I had never heard of either of the two Xbox One games, but after looking them up they both sound intriguing. A shame the first The Inner World is $14.99 and not even cheaper right now, so while I'll claim the sequel, I likely won't play it anytime soon. Yoku's Island Express sounds like it has loads of potential. I've never played Hydro Thunder Express, so that's a definite claim as well. I'll skip Viva Piñata though as I've never been much of a fan and Party Animals is supposed to be a giant turd. Still, a great month when there's 3 solid games out of 4.
@NEStalgia HAHA, i liked the first few games during the PS3, but no way would i pay $70 for them. I payed $70 for Ratchet and Clank and i loved it, as for if it was a $70 dollar game, that would be subjective, cause everyone is different with their money. But i had fun with it and it looks incredible.
@Dezzy70 Yeah the thought has crossed my mind as to not keep renewing, but i got a year for $44.99 on PSN sale, so i did it, but not sure how much longer i will, unless they have a exclusive shooter or something online i really want to play.
Nice one! Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a belter. Not played the others though but I am quietly optimistic hehe.
Yoku's Island Express really surprised me on the Switch (love pinball). IIRC I bought Hydro Thunder via XBLA. If you haven't bought/played them, it's a win for sure (via Gold you own them forever).
@Rural-Bandit LBP1 is iconic. Best of the MM games. The next two acted as tutorials for crafting too much. The Vita one by Sumo was the best of the early series. But sack boys adventure is Nintendo worthy. A fitting swan song for sumo before getting sold to Tencent.
NO game of worth $70 imo. I'm not buying Sony games at release anymore. Used to preorder them all, now I wait for sales, even if it's a year out. Though sack boy was still $60 at launch
@Solidchief Yokus is a blast
@NEStalgia yeah the first game was really good, i really enjoyed it myself. Sony and Microsoft don’t want a mascot like Mario, but I thought thats what Sly or Sackboy at that time was wanting to be. I was younger and dead wrong.
Would definitely recommend Hydro Thunder Hurricane to anybody who hasn't played it, terrific game. Also since it's a 360 game I believe you get to keep it even if you let your XBL Gold subscription run out, unless that policy has changed.
I've never played The Inner World so I can't comment, but the rest is great.
@FraserG Thanks for posting the official video, I always mention that it's the best way to present the Games with Gold titles
@Solidchief What did you not enjoy about the other ones?
@Blessed_Koz I'll give it a try
@Dijita They don't really appeal to me
@Rural-Bandit mascot gaming was presumed dead, but Nintendo's profits suggest otherwise...
Sack boy was kind of a mascot. They're trying to make Astro bot the mascot now kind of. Microsoft though..... Not so much. And they literally own banjo...
@NEStalgia I don't know what they're waiting for!
@Banjo- @NEStalgia Yeah Mascot’s are still fairly important even tho Sony and Microsoft have ran from them for decades. Mario is more known than Mickey Mouse said a survey, so if that is in fact true around the world as it suggested then I’d like to think maybe some day we will see a return to that and for the love of all things good please Microsoft if you are reading this give my good buddy Banjo a new Banjo game of some sorts. He deserves it more than me begging for a Marcus Fenix collection.
@Rural-Bandit Ha ha, thank you very much, buddy!
@Banjo- probably waiting for that sweet, sweet NSO Expansion money to run out, 😆
@Banjo- Anytime, i want everyone to get to enjoy the Xbox in the ways that make them Happy. Sure most of us all play the same heavy hitters, but there are a few titles that would make only some happy, i would for sure play a new Banjo. Xbox needs a big time Platformer. That would be a huge one.
@NEStalgia There is that! HAHA
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