Microsoft’s Game Pass service is easily worth the price of admission. Many might balk at the concept of having their video game library locked behind a subscription service, but the fact is subscribers get access to an incredible selection of titles spanning from indie darlings to triple-A blockbusters for a surprisingly affordable monthly fee.
Xbox Game Pass: How To Subscribe And What Games Are Available
Xbox Game Pass packs a lot of value into its subscription model — here are all the details you need to know, from price to recently added games.
With such a dizzying array of fantastic titles on display, it can be a daunting task deciding which ones are worth a player’s time. Given that the cost of entry is taken care of with the subscription fee, the most pressing matter is determining the best use of your hard drive space. Thankfully, the diamonds of this collection are readily apparent. Here’s a look at the greatest games that Xbox Game Pass has to offer.
The selections listed here will include games available on EA Play, which is included with a subscription to Game Pass Ultimate.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
The adventures of the Master Chief have never been as accessible as they are in the Master Chief Collection. This gathering of Halo games is the definitive collection of 343 Industries’ endeavors to immortalize the series. Not only is every mainline Halo game (not counting Halo 5: Guardians) included, but the fantastic Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach were added as well.
From beloved campaign co-op to thrilling Firefight matches to iconic multiplayer modes, the Master Chief Collection has it all. Anyone who thinks of themselves as a Halo fan should consider it a must-play from Xbox Game Pass. And for those who have never completed the Master Chief’s saga, there is no better way to finish the fight.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
As of the time of this writing, there was a massive overhaul of the Game Pass subscription tiers. While the pricing and renaming are their own issues, the addition of the Ubisoft+ library to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers means there is a mountain of new games to look at. We have yet to play through all of these, but in the meantime, we’d love to recommend South Park: The Stick of Truth.
If you’re a human being on planet Earth and you haven’t heard of South Park, allow us to introduce you to the most irreverent adult cartoon show in the history of television. South Park basically defines what the word irreverent means. It humorously lambasts everything it can think of, from pop culture references to major historical figures. And Stick of Truth does that job equally well. If you’re already a fan of the show, we don’t need to sell you on Stick of Truth. You know what you’re signing up for. You’ve been warned.
Wobbly Life
Wobbly Life is as if Totally Reliable Delivery Service and Human Fall Flat combined with the elements of a life sim game and had a mutant child. A fun and hilarious mutant child. You control your character with the same grace as a piece of Jell-O, with the title of the game feeling very apropos of your movements. You wobble from activity to activity, but where a game like Totally Reliable Delivery Service just sets you loose on an open world, Wobbly Life feels a tad more organized.
You’re here to get a job after getting kicked (literally) out of your house. These careers range from pizza delivery man to an Indiana Jones-esque archaeologist. No matter the job, the wobbliness remains. You have to get into cars, jump over obstacles, swing over chasms, dance the night away, and more, all while you’re living your wobbly life. This is 100% my kind of game.
Hades
Supergiant Games’ smash hit roguelike dungeon crawler already had an immense following, and now Game Pass subscribers finally have the chance to see what the hype is all about. Cast as Zagreus, a son of the titular death god himself, players are tasked with guiding the cocksure anti-hero in battling through Tartarus as he seeks to escape the dour realm of his father and take up residence with his Olympian cousins.
Of course, he’s met with significant resistance — initial failure is a certainty, though players will have the opportunity to unlock upgrades, boons, and more between runs to improve their odds with the next attempt.
The action itself is buttery smooth, playing as an isometric hack-and-slash RPG with a host of intriguing weapons and powers for Zagreus to peruse in his quest. However, it’d be criminal to not draw particular attention to the presentation. The game’s lighthearted yet artfully detailed take on Greek mythology is the core of its charm. The cast of characters is brought to life with a strikingly vibrant art style and brilliant voice acting. Hades is definitely one for the books, and its arrival on consoles is sure to seal the deal.
Gears of War: Reloaded
While we all still wait for Gear of War 2 and 3 to get their remaster treatment, we can content ourselves with the polished-up Gears of War: Reloaded. You and a friend can step into the THICC shoes of Marcus Fenix and Dom as they make their way through Locust-ridden streets and dilapidated buildings. Joining you on your gritty adventure are Baird and the Cole Train (WHOOO) as you struggle to hit the Locust where it hurts. The campaign is exactly as it was before, but with a fresher coat of paint and some quality-of-life updates.
In a day and age where we don’t get that many co-op adventures like this, it truly is a joy to play through Gears of War: Reloaded and reminisce on the good ole days. It plays as you remember it if you’re a Gears veteran, but it’s also a great stepping stone into the series if you’re a newcomer.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Normally, there’s a bit of a grace period between when a game is added to Xbox Game Pass and when we play it. Sometimes, months can go by before we get the chance to fully play a game. We played Silksong just an hour after it launched. Let us assure you, if you were at all excited for it after playing the original Hollow Knight, you will not be disappointed. Silksong is everything you loved about the first game and more!
Though perhaps “more” isn’t the best way to put it. It’s just “different.” Hornet is a lot more acrobatic than our dear old Knight, and you can feel this in every leap, dash, and swipe of her blade. So the combat will diverge from your expectations from the get-go. However, the story (and the music, my god, the music) is still top-notch. No spoilers. Go play it!
RoboCop: Rogue City
I’m a moderate RoboCop fan. I’ve seen all the movies, including the newest one, but I’m not in the know about behind-the-scenes details, the wider fandom, or other media appearances. That said, one minute into the game, and I am blinded by the deep appreciation for the franchise blazing through every inch of RoboCop: Rogue City. This was a game made by fans for fans.
Rogue City takes you on an adventure through the seedy underbelly of Delta City, along with the corruption and social commentary that the films include. And the game does this in perfect RoboCop style. Not to sound Batman Arkham-y, but Rogue City makes you feel like you’re RoboCop. You move at a sedate and heavy pace, your Auto-9 is your best friend, and your ADS emulates RoboCop’s targeting system from the films.
The game has its highs and lows, with amazing callbacks to the movies peppered throughout the narrative and slightly…wonky controls and upgrade schemes, but the shining appreciation the developers have for RoboCop makes this a game well-worth playing. Especially now that it’s on Xbox Game Pass.
Persona 4 Golden
It is indeed a rich time for Persona fans. Everything you loved in Persona 5 Royal can be found in Persona 4 to some degree, and it is a fantastic feeling to delve a bit backwards into the series’ history.
While not as stylized as its eventual successor, Persona 4 offers one of the most charming and heartfelt stories in gaming to date. The relationships you build with your fellow characters feel just as meaningful, and the enhancements made to the graphics and gameplay heighten the experience as a whole. So if you’re one of those players who dipped their toes into the Persona franchise with Persona 5, don’t hesitate to cannonball into Persona 4 Golden.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
Though nowhere near as terrifying as its distant cousin, Alien: Isolation, Aliens: Fireteam Elite offers a thrilling romp through the same universe. In Fireteam Elite, players are tasked with selecting one of four playable classes and mowing down hordes of the titular Xenomorph, complete with particularly problematic variations of the alien peppered throughout.
It’s clear that this title in the Alien series takes its inspiration from James Cameron’s space-marine-laden film, and while shooting them down by the hundreds can certainly detract from the Xenomorphs’ “scare factor” significantly, they do certainly make for satisfying cannon fodder for you and your friends to chew through. The game features some basic-yet-solid progression mechanics in unlockable guns, attachments, and consumable items to continuously tempt you back into the fray. Altogether, it makes for a fun and engrossing cooperative experience.
Heretic + Hexen
For the second year running, id Software and Nightdive have dropped a treasure trove of boomer shooter goodness directly onto Game Pass. This year, it’s two of the most well-known and loved Doom clones of all time — Heretic and Hexen.
If you’re familiar with their souped-up port of the classic Doom saga, Doom + Doom 2, then you’re going to be more than a little familiar with the offerings they’ve packed in here: brand new campaigns for both titles, modern online multiplayer, mod support, a toggleable remastered soundtrack from Andrew Hulshult, QOL bits and bobs like 4K resolution, freelook, and much more besides.
As for the games themselves, you’re getting two-thirds of a fairly unique, dark fantasy romp experienced through the medium of a good, old-fashioned first-person shooter. With Heretic, you’re taking on the role of an elf with a bad attitude embarking on a revenge quest to slay one of three Serpent Riders (think evil, powerful demi-god bent on world destruction). With Hexen, you’ll essentially do the same thing somewhere else — but the twist is that you’ll pick one of three heroes (a warrior, cleric, or mage) to do the deed.
Neither game’s going to plunge you into unfamiliar territory if you’re at all familiar with Doom, but they innovate and tweak the formula enough to keep it interesting. Heretic introduces an item inventory — you can pick up and carry little bits of kit like healing flasks and, you know, eggs that immediately transform your enemies into chickens — and each of Hexen’s hero classes has slightly different stats and an entirely unique arsenal of weapons. If you missed these two gems during their heyday, then here’s your ticket. If you’re an old fan, then it’s as fine a “welcome back” as any.
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