Better yet, on Xbox One (opens in new tab), Microsoft often allows you to permanently keep hold of any Achievements you earn in a game’s trial run. That’s free Gamerscore points for playing a free demo, which are often worth playing for the entertainment value in and of themselves! Instead of having to trawl through the Xbox Marketplace looking for the right freebies for you, I’ve selected some of the very best Xbox One demos available and listed them below for your browsing pleasure.

Metro Redux

Curious about that eerie first-person shooter reveal at Microsoft’s 2017 E3 conference this year? The one with the giant rat? It’s the third game in 4A Games’ grounded, melancholic survival series, Metro, and continues the story left off by Metro 2033 (opens in new tab) and Metro: Last Light. Both of those titles were remastered and resold as one package (Metro Redux (opens in new tab)) a few years ago, and you can try the demos right now on Xbox One. 

That’s right, demos, plural. You can download and play trials for either or both of the titles, playing around a third of the campaign for each, which gives you a good deal of flexibility and freedom for your consideration. Luckily, they’re both excellent games, and your progress will carry on if you decide to jump in full time for the Russia-set rambling. 

Titanfall 2

The good news gods must have been smiling upon earth when it was announced that Respawn would be making a third Titanfall game with EA (opens in new tab), but you might not have yet had the chance to play the recently released sequel.

The least you can do to show your support is give the demo a whirl, which contains approximately an hour of gameplay, using a mid-game chapter from Titanfall 2 (opens in new tab)’s stellar campaign. Be warned, though, you’ll be aching to play more by the end of it, especially once you make friends with BT. 

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Bethesda has a pretty good track record when it comes to demos of late. You can download trials for Dishonored 2 (opens in new tab), Prey (opens in new tab), Doom (opens in new tab), The Evil Within 2 (opens in new tab), and now Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (opens in new tab), which only released in October. 

Machine Games’ FPS sequel is a loud and proud Nazi slaying simulation, but its unforgiving run-and-gun gameplay isn’t for everyone, so this demo is a good excuse to see if your penchant for its bold flavour of gunplay can last to see the story through to its conclusion. The best part, though, is that the demo is the entirety of the game’s first level: the one where you’re killing Nazis from a wheelchair. Excellent. 

Rise of the Tomb Raider 

You’ll have to buy the complete product if you want to witness Lara Croft’s promised ascension in full, but the first two chapters contained within the Rise of the Tomb Raider (opens in new tab)’s demo give you a good sense of how it’s all going to play out. 

There’s shooting, crafting, raiding, upgrading, and exploring to be done, and it can take you anywhere between two to three hours before the demo is up, depending on how you prefer to play. Oh, and it features at least one scene where Lara dies in some horrible, excruciating way. Sorry about that.  

Watch Dogs 2 

If Watch Dogs 2 (opens in new tab) protagonist Marcus Holloway had known that Ubisoft is offering a three hour trial of open-world adventuring in his game for no charge, he’d probably have never hacked the studio’s offices in the first place. 

The demo includes full access to the single player and multiplayer features of the San Francisco-set sandbox, but be warned – you’re on a timer for the entire thing, so spend your minutes wisely before the demo automatically comes to a close. If three hours isn’t enough (and let’s face it; it isn’t), you can continue on seamlessly from your trial’s progress once you decide to cash in on the full game. 

Gears of War 4

As far as value for no money goes, The Coalition has outdone itself with the Gears of War 4 (opens in new tab) free trial. You can enjoy up to ten hours of the game at no cost, which includes the opening Act of the campaign, and as much PvP and Horde multiplayer that you can wring out of the experience. 

You’ll know by the end whether you want to pay up to keep going or not, and even if you don’t, that’s ten hours of high quality gaming for the price of nothing. Go on, pat yourself on the back for being such a frugal gamer.

Forza Motorsport 7 

You might enjoy the odd driving sim every now and again, but never enough to warrant a full blown purchase on the next big racing game. The Forza Motorsport 7 (opens in new tab) demo has you covered, then, offering a small but not insubstantial set of racing experiences that have enough replay value for you to return to whenever you feel the need for speed.

There are three unique tracks, each boasting a different car to test them out in, and the demo even includes a race at at the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, which is a nice showcase for Motorsport 7’s breathtaking dynamic weather technology. Better yet, you’ll never have to worry about those pesky and overbearing microtransactions plaguing the full game. 

Halo Wars 2 

The original Halo Wars came out so long ago, that it’s difficult to know if the recently released sequel to the cult hit RTS is something that could hold your interest. It’s exactly the kind of game that can benefit from a demo, and Microsoft isn’t oblivious to this, offering a free trial that introduces players to all the important nuts and bolts of its strategically-minded gameplay.

It uses the campaign’s opening mission, so you won’t have free reign of every gizmo and gadget available in the full game, but it does give you a basic understanding of the kind of Halo experience that Halo Wars 2 (opens in new tab) is. At the very least, it’ll save you from making the horrible mistake of buying the full title thinking that it’s another classic Halo FPS outing. Welp. 

Dead Rising 3 

Sometimes you’re not in the mood for enrapturing narratives, elaborate role-playing, or tough-as-nails PvP. Sometimes, you just want to whack a few zombies round the head with a baseball bat. Dead Rising 3 (opens in new tab) offers exactly that kind of therapy for the low, low price of nil, with a demo that chucks you head-first into its open world, with 20 minutes to do as you please with whatever you can find. 

Tear zombies in half with a cement saw if you want, or head towards a nearby side quest for something more purposeful. Whatever you’re doing, it’s mindless gratification from the get go, and tells you all you need to know about the kind of game that Dead Rising 3 is. 

FIFA 18

There’s a reason that every annual FIFA demo consistently breaks its own records as the most popular demo released on consoles, year after year, without fail. Not only is it the FIFA community’s first chance to test out the new software for themselves, but it always boasts a striking amount (pun intended) of replay value, thanks to the fact that players can enjoy match after match to no end, even if the conditions and choices contextualizing each game are necessarily limited.

If you’re not a massive fan of video game footy, but don’t mind having a quick kickabout whenever a friend is round, this demo is the perfect option, allowing you to easily boot up a game of FIFA 18 (opens in new tab) without ever having to spend dime. 

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What went well?

You have to start at the games. Xbox One saw some absolutely belting exclusives careen into view at the tail end of this year. At the top of the list is possibly the finest racing game on any console, Forza Horizon 3 (opens in new tab). I’ve known both hardcore racing fans and casuals alike fall for its ludicrously beautiful Australian Outback. Gears Of War 4 (opens in new tab) is another highlight, reigniting a buried love for one of Xbox’s most influential franchises. It’s smart, slick and unabashed good fun. 

It launched quietly and is still gathering steam, but the arrival of Clubs on Xbox One is another key moment of this year for me. Clubs basically turns your console into a video game bar full of interesting and like-minded people to team up and play with. Playing with randoms before has been a risky endeavour. Now it’s easier than it’s ever been to meet up with new players who are into the same things you are. And then there was the launch of the excellent Xbox One S, the best place to play upscaled 4K games, WITHOUT having to fork out for another Blu-Ray player on the side. It feels like this new machine is the figurehead for Microsoft’s new mindset: to listen to the gamers and to make sure our feedback is implemented. It’s a superb upgrade and bodes well for next year’s Scorpio…  

What could have gone better?

The first half of the year saw some great multi-platform games land, but blimey it was a bit barren in terms of marquee console exclusives. Thinking back only Quantum Break (opens in new tab) sticks out. 2017 is already looking like it’ll remedy this problem, though (pun totally intended), with Halo Wars 2 and Tacoma on my personal radar.  

What was your personal highlight?

Starting on Official Xbox Magazine! It’s been amazing to go from a broad multi-format outlet (the brilliant GamesMaster magazine) to the singular focus of OXM. The team is incredible and the mag itself rammed every month with great work which is just a pleasure to collate and edit. Our issue on shelves at the moment, has two of my favourite features of the year, on Prey (opens in new tab), Arkane’s incredible sci-fi RPG, and Resident Evil 7 (opens in new tab), which is looking more and more like the real deal for long-time series fans (myself included). 

A broader highlight, though: d’you know what I did in October this year? I delved under the bed and pulled out a big ol’ box of 360 games which I’d consigned to gather dust when I first set up my sultry new Xbox One. Red Dead Redemption was one I was able to return to thanks to Backwards Compatibility, and since then we’ve seen Bully, Oblivion, Bayonetta and loads more resurface. I love that every time I boot up my machine it seems like there’s a new classic at my fingertips. Currently I’m half way through a Mass Effect trilogy play though ready for Andromeda (opens in new tab) to land in March. Bliss. 

Special mention needs to be made of Fallout 4 and Skyrim (opens in new tab), playable on Xbox One with a vast array of mods. I really hope that this is a precedent for Xbox One going forwards, and that this means more mod-friendly games will land soon. My copy of XCOM 2 is ready…  

Fave game of the year?

Overwatch (opens in new tab), all the way. I can’t wheel away from a match without a smile on my face, it’s such well crafted fun. Special mention to Dark Souls 3, though. It has the finest combat of the series and some of the most iconic, lasting locales.   

What was your personal lowlight? 

Without a doubt it was news of the closure of Lionhead (opens in new tab), one of the UK’s oldest and most well-loved studios. The Fable series has been a touchstone of quality on Xbox, and the talent at that studio was clear to anyone. The death of Fable Legends, a game I played multiple times at various stages of development and which seemed to be coming together nicely, was a massive shock.  

What trends defined 2016? 

You don’t need an Xbox console to play Xbox games (opens in new tab) anymore. With Xbox Play Anywhere we’ve seen a huge number of players coming together, whether they’re playing Gears 4 on PC or Xbox One, likewise with Forza Horizon 3. It’s early days and there are some bumps that still need ironing out, but this trend, of bringing players together, is a fascinating one.

It’s hard to ignore the buzz surrounding VR on PC and PS4, even if, like me, you’ve tried it loads and remain unconvinced. I spent a hateful weekend chundering into a bucket while reviewing VR games when I was back on GamesMaster, so have developed a natural distrust of the tech/games on offer. I personally think VR will remain an early adopter fad, something for tech heads and games journalists to show their mates when they come around, rather than a legit gamer’s preferred way to play once they get home ready for a session in the evening… At least until Scorpio launches! Microsoft is right to wait and perfect the hardware before asking us to shell out.  

The latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine – with a huge cover feature on Prey – is on sale now. Buy a subscription or single issue right here (opens in new tab).

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So imagine my surprise when I saw a chunk of Gears of War 4’s campaign today at Gamescom 2016, and found that Gears of War seems to have realised it too.

Not that The Coalition has remodeled Fenix Snr. to more accurately reflect Big Dave’s appearance, or thrown John DiMaggio out of the recording studio. No, what I mean is that in his new role as no-longer-the-lead-character – stepping aside for his more lighthearted son, JD – the original trilogy’s main man now uncannily resembles Bautista’s marvellous showing as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s a stubborn, grizzled, humourless old bastard, and although he doesn’t seem to know it, he’s now absolutely hilarious.

It’s a change that really reflects the thoughtful, incisive refresh Gears’ new studio seems to be undertaking with the upcoming game’s campaign. It’s absolutely true to the character and the series, but by updating the cast with new blood, with a radically different outlook to the original trilogy’s Delta Squad, Gears 4 seems to be having a lot of fun recontextualising a great deal of the series’ traditional baggage.

Because Gears 4’s Sera, revisited a couple of decades on from the fall of the Locust, is very different, as are its people. Where Delta were a bunch born into war, forged in more war, and then marinated in a good deal more war, Sera has been largely peaceful since Gears 3, the slightly fascistic rule of its own government notwithstanding.

JD and his friends live outside the fortified cities forcefully ‘recommended’. They’ve never known real conflict. They’re pretty chill until a new Emergence Day arrives – we actually get to see it this time – bringing with it a new enemy in the form of the Swarm. And so their dialogue couldn’t be much more different from the grim, maudlin death-grumbles of Marcus, Dom, and Baird. They’re upbeat. They’re chatty. They’re quippy and funny. And then Marcus turns up, and he really isn’t any of those things, and it’s brilliant. Where the original trilogy was about oppression, and sacrifice, and brotherhood to the end, the bit of Gears 4 shown today feels more like ‘likeable, slightly snarky kid teaches his grumpy old dad to use the Blu-ray player, while killing loads of monsters’.

It’s really interesting – and really, really enjoyable – seeing Marcus without his usual squadmate foils. Without those years of understanding, without that battle-hewn sympathy and mutual, doom-laden empathy, he’s now every bit the grouchy old curmudgeon with little patience or respect for ‘those bloody kids’. As he snaps at JD’s understandable incredulity at the contrived, strategically designed layout of the Fenix mansion, as he complains about enemy forces in his greenhouse destroying his tomatoes, as his furious insistence that a tactical position will hold is literally ripped to pieces around him (‘Shut up’, he deadpans, before anyone even speaks’), it’s easy to imagine that before the new war broke out, he was just sitting on his front porch barking at people to get off his lawn. He’s still the same person, but his context has changed, and so he now feels completely different.

None of it can be a coincidence. Gears 4’s devs have already talked about wanting to bring back the fear (opens in new tab) of the first game with a fresh-faced new group of heroes with a renewed sense of vulnerability. The use of Marcus Fenix like this, every bit the Drax to JD’s Peter Quill, has to be deliberate. A vibrant, concrete means to emphasise that change, the old games’ hardened, capable war hero now slightly softened in importance by being out of place and out of time. He’s no less potent a warrior, but with his defining character traits now re-tuned toward comic relief at the same time, The Coalition ensures that he no longer dominates the story as legendary video game heroes of yore are wont to do whenever they reappear.

And you know what? It’s just refreshing to see a Gears campaign that isn’t relentlessly grim. When the original trilogy was at its best, it was blending brutal, bloody combat with acerbic humanity and gallows wit. It was never Uncharted, and it was never meant to be, but as video game analogues to Predator go, Gears was really strong. As things went on, we lost a lot of that, the contrived tragedy of Dom’s descent taking up far too much screen-time, and the only levity coming via Cole’s increasingly forced antics. But Gears 4 feels different. It feels fresher, and zestier, and airier, and entirely more natural. It’s funny, and it’s human, but that doesn’t mean that it takes the drama of its threat any less seriously. It just means that when the shit really hits the fan, and things do get scary, it’s probably all going to matter a whole lot more.

Want to keep up with the biggest news from the show? Click to see all of our Gamescom 2016 coverage and watch the best Gamescom 2016 trailers. 

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Shortly before the new console launches, Microsoft will also be releasing a new controller designed after Gears 4 hero JD. The company didn’t post any pictures of the controller for some unknown reason (maybe it’s being held prisoner, Marcus Fenix-style?), but describe it as featuring metallic blue accents and the COG’s Phoenix Omen emblem emblazoned on it. It’ll be available starting September 13, and in the US will be exclusive to Microsoft Stores and GameStop.

One thing we can all agree on: that console is still hella red.

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