When the Death Stranding giveaway went up, there were so many players interested in getting the game that the server crashed, leaving many unable to claim it. With the high demand, Epic Games decided to swap the Director’s Cut version with the standard one after the crash. As for the next two games on the menu, there’s no need to guess - reliable leaker Billbil-Kun has released information about the upcoming offerings in a tweet. The leaker’s track record has so far been very accurate and we have confidence that the information is legitimate.
— billbil-kun (@BillbilKun) December 26, 2022 For December 27, the free game will be Severed Steel - since proven true - developed by Greylock Studios. The first-person shooter is notable for its fluid stunt system and bullet time mechanics. Players can chain together wall runs, dives, flips, and slides to take out bad guys. Severed Steel only features a single-player campaign and has a level editor that allows gamers to create their own stages and stunts. The game was released on September 17, 2021, and currently has a Metacritic score of 74. The next video game that will be free to download on the Epic Games Store is Mortal Shell. The action role-playing game was developed by Cold Symmetry and was originally released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on August 18, 2020. Mortal Shell received generally positive reviews on Metacritic with an aggregate score of 76.
— billbil-kun (@BillbilKun) December 26, 2022 Mortal Shell was heavily influenced by Dark Souls and features challenging melee combat similar to the FromSoftware games. Players are given only a limited number of consumable health items and must rely on the health-leeching mechanic to survive. An “Enhanced Edition” of Mortal Shell was released for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S was released on March 4, 2021. The “Complete Edition” for the Nintendo Switch was released on December 19, 2022. Both games look to be promising additions for players looking to explore products by smaller indie studios.
Aside from Death Stranding, Epic Games Store also gave away the three games from the Fallout series: Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics. F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is the current free game in the Epic Games Store as of writing. According to leaker Billbil-Kun, the final free game for this year will not be leaked and it comes from a good franchise. Players should look out for the last game as it is typically the biggest one. Last year, the complete Tomb Raider trilogy was given away on the final day of the promo.
— billbil-kun (@BillbilKun) December 26, 2022 The implication that some IPs “deserve” or “don’t deserve” leaking is a questionable one, but the sense of surprise will be welcome nonetheless. All games downloaded during the 15 Days of Christmas giveaway will be free to play forever. There is no subscription needed to play these games from the Epic Games launcher.
