July 2015’s Games with Gold announced for Xbox One and Xbox 360

I think Microsoft is finally learning! After months of disappointing Xbox LIVE Gold members with its Games with Gold program, the company is finally stepping it up for the month of July 2015.

Next month, Xbox LIVE Gold members will receive four new free games — two on Xbox One and two on Xbox 360 — as part of the Games with Gold program. And no, one of those games is NOT Pool Nation FX. So what we getting next month?

Xbox One

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag ($29.99) – July 1st through July 31st

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag tells the story of Edward Kenway, a young British man with a thirst for danger and adventure, who falls from privateering for the Royal Navy into piracy as the war between the major Empires comes to an end. Edward is a fierce pirate and seasoned fighter who soon finds himself embroiled in the ancient war between Assassins and Templars. Set at the dawn of the 18th Century, the game features some of the most infamous pirates in history, such as Blackbeard and Charles Vane, and takes players on a journey throughout the West Indies during a turbulent and violent period of time later to become known as the Golden Age of Pirates.

So Many Me ($14.99) – Free from July 16th through August 15th

So Many Me is a charming game that combines puzzle-solving platform gameplay with resource management. In So Many Me you play as an unassuming green blob named Filo, who has the ability to control his many, in attempt to save a world threatened by an ancient, malevolent evil.

Xbox 360

Plants vs. Zombies ($14.99) – Free from July 1st through July 15th

Plants vs. Zombies is an award-winning tower defense game. The premise is simple: A bunch of cartoonish zombies are attacking a house that has a garden in front of it. In that garden, you plant a variety of flowers, veggies, trees, nuts, etc. to defend from the horde.

Gears of War 3 ($19.99) – Free from July 16th through July 31st

Released in 2011, Gears of War 3 was the final game in the epic military shooter trilogy — you know, before Microsoft announced Gears of War 4. Gears 3 puts you back into the boots of Marcus Fenix as he and his comrades must overcome near-impossible odds to secure a future for mankind from a deadly alien race.

Finally, some decent games for free. And, with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition announced for Xbox One at E3, it only makes sense to snag Gears 3 for Xbox 360 while you've got the chance.

[Major Nelson]