2012 Xbox 360 Exclusive Available for Free for 24 Hours

A 2012 game that was an Xbox 360 exclusive when it released — though it eventually came to other platforms — is available for free for 24 hours as part of a new promotion. Back in 2012, the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Mass Effect 3, The Walking Dead, Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, Halo 4, Dishonored, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Fire Emblem Awakening, New Super Mario Bros. 2, Journey, Guild Wars 2, Forza Horizon, and Assassin’s Creed III all headlined the year. 2012 wasn’t the most stacked year in gaming history, but it certainly was not a slow year either with plenty of noteworthy releases.

One release that flew under the radar in 2012 was Sine Mora from Digital Reality and Grasshopper Manufacture. A shoot ’em up, Sine Mora released on March 21, 2012 as an Xbox 360 exclusive, earning a strong 85 on Metacritic. To put that number into context, if Sine Mora released this year to the same score it would currently be in the top 20 highest-rated games of the year category.

Right now, and until May 29, Amazon Prime subscribers via Prime Gaming can revisit this 13-year-old classic though not in its original form. The version of the game that has been made free is the 2017 extended version that was released for platforms of that time.

“Sine Mora EX is a side-scrolling shoot ’em up that provides a unique challenge, where time is the ultimate factor,” reads an official pitch of the game for those unfamiliar with it. “Mixing classic shooter sensibilities with contemporary presentation, Sine Mora EX is a gorgeous shoot ’em up offering both a Story Mode that weaves an over-the-top tale and an Arcade Mode that provides deep, satisfying gameplay to challenge fans of the genre. With many ways to manipulate time, Sine Mora EX features over 50 weapon combinations to complete each beautiful stage that fits to the player’s skills with scaling difficulty. Soundtrack composed by Akira Yamaoka and featuring boss designs by Mahiro Maeda.”

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Those with an Amazon Prime subscription that decide to trigger this free game offer should expect an experience that on average lasts about 2 to 5 hours, though completionists will need closer to 15 hours with the game. Normally, those interested need to pay $10 for this experience.

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