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.
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.
We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie
The best way to play a Katamari game is to play a remastered version, and thanks to We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie being added to Xbox Game Pass, we can do just that. For those of you who have never experienced the happiness of a Katamari game, allow us a brief moment to describe the gameplay. Your little character runs around collecting things (making a “katamari”) the way a kid would roll a snowball around in the snow to make a bigger snowball. Except in We Love Katamari, you’re not gathering snow. You’re gathering so much more.
From papers to flowers to animals to people to buildings to cities to planets, you just roll your katamari around and collect everything in sight. There’s a tad more to it than that, such as being able to play it in co-op and the added element of collecting-joy that brings, but this is the essential DNA of We Love Katamari. It’s a gosh-darned delight. Go play it.
Riders Republic
Cards on the table, sports games aren’t our jam.
You’ll note the lack of
Madden
and
FIFA
on this list despite the entire sports catalog of EA Play being available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.
However, there are rare exceptions, and one of these is the highly underrated Riders Republic. No massive waves were made when this game first launched, but its chill vibes and supreme dedication to the kind of relaxing sports title it is aiming to be make it one of the greats.
In Riders Republic, you cruise around on a bike, board, what-have-you in what is essentially a giant, open-world playground. You do tricks, grind rails, gather speed, and launch yourself off the copious amounts of ramps provided. And that’s it. It is wildly relaxing and an absolutely perfect game if you’re looking to have some fun downtime with friends. Sports games are not typically our cup of tea. But Riders Republic most definitely is.
Age Of Mythology Retold
It’s almost as if we didn’t have enough classic RTS goodness finding its legs on consoles with Age of Empires 2 making the leap in fine fashion — but really, it’s hard to have too much of a very good thing.
Age of Mythology: Retold is an updated version of an early-aughts RTS classic. You’ll choose between a set of mythology-rich cultures (Norse, Greek, and the like) and select a god as your patron — each one grants unique bonuses, and given that you pick from additional minor gods as you progress through your civilization’s tech tree, the potential for build-order crafting is pretty thick. At that point, naturally, it’s just a matter of gathering enough resources to build an army and smash every other mythology-rich culture in play to ruined bits. As you do.
You’ll notice there are a lot of parallels to the standard Age of Empires gameplay formula here, and yes, you’re going to cover a lot of familiar territory in that vein. But if you always thought AOE 2 would’ve been a lot cooler if you could zap the opposing army with lightning bolts and unleash mythological bull monsters on them, then this should do the trick.
A Little To The Left
Sometimes, the size of a game feels like it’s indicative of how great it’s going to be. Elden Ring was a massive success, and it took the Soulsborne formula and molded it into a vast open world. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild set players loose onto a wondrous map after decades of linear experiences in the series. Baldur’s Gate 3 is ripe with impactful choices and numerous branching storylines, and it’s one of the greatest games of our generation.
But sometimes you don’t need all that. Sometimes, you just need to move something a little bit to the left.
Enter the appropriately named A Little to the Left, which is a small indie title that is all about adjusting things ever so slightly until they are just right. It’s technically a puzzle game where you “move” pieces until they’re ordered sensibly. But it provides this level of satisfaction that fans of PowerWash Simulator will recognize from cleaning a dirty item and hearing that click DING! afterwards.
A Little to the Left is a small game, but sometimes, that’s all you need.
Core Keeper
Core Keeper looks like a pretty direct Stardew-like (we’ll call this a subgenre, why not?) at first blush — the stylistic presentation, the UI, it’s all pretty familiar. And while that can be sort-of an apt description for starters, it definitely does the entirety of the game a disservice.
Things start simply enough. The game casts you as an explorer that got a bit too curious with a discovered relic and then — presto — you’re deposited into a deep, dark cave and expected to craft your way to a sustainable subterranean lifestyle (alongside up to eight of your friends, if you please).
Where Stardew Valley has the cozy social sim elements polished to perfection, Core Keeper veers solidly into survival-crafting territory. There’s a pretty well-developed RPG-lite system at play alongside significant base-building elements more akin to Terraria — you’ll be fighting big bad bosses more often than you’ll be dating the locals, but if you’re up for a grindier experience, then Core Keeper’s going to be the ticket to satisfy your crafty retro kick.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
The Godfather is a masterpiece of cinema. It captured the nuance and customs of one Italian-American crime family, and sparked an interest in the mafioso lifestyle it portrayed. I wouldn’t have thought it possible for a video game to capture that same mesmerizing dynamic, full of vendettas, personal codes, and contracted hits, but the original Mafia game did a damn fine job. However, you can’t be expected to play a 2002-era game in this day and age.
Which is why Mafia: Definitive Edition is a godsend now available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. You play as Tommy Angelo, a former cab driver who finds himself joining and rising in the ranks of the Salieri crime family. Tommy, and you as the player, prove your loyalty through various acts of service to the main mafia boss, Ennio Salieri. But, as you may expect, things start to unravel once loyalties are questioned and people try to extricate themselves from the crime-family life.
I know this all sounds like heavy stuff, but it’s an enjoyable as well as an engrossing time. The narrative is the key strength of the game, so if you’re looking for a story-driven title to occupy your time and scratch that Godfather itch you’ve now remembered you have, Mafia: Definitive Edition is the perfect cure.
Doom + Doom II
Doom + Doom II is essentially the definite classic Doom collection — if you’re at all attuned to gaming in general, you know what these games are about. So let’s get to the good stuff, because id Software really shot for the moon here.
Beyond tweaked and updated version of these definitive 90s FPS titans, Doom + Doom II serves as the definitive classic Doom collection by packing in a laundry list of level packs and expansions — TNT: Evilution, The Plutonia Experiment, the Master Levels, and even John Romero’s Sigil are all included. You’re also getting local and online multiplayer, plug-and-play mod support for community content, and, as a cherry on top, the option to enjoy the original MIDI soundtrack or a modernized and remastered version of the entire score by shredmeister Andrew Hulshult.
But wait, what’s that? It’s a cherry on top of the cherry! Doom + Doom II includes a brand-new episode entitled Legacy of Rust — designed by id Software in collaboration with Nightdive Studios and MachineGames — complete with new weapons and enemies. If you’ve been itching for some boomer shooter goodness, you really can’t ask for a better cure than this.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
With Microsoft’s acquisition of companies like Activision and Blizzard, we’re just beginning to see popular titles from these publishers make their way to Xbox Game Pass. And while getting Modern Warfare III on the service has been all well and good, nothing oozes such volatile levels of excitement the way Crash Bandicoot does. So thanks to the addition of the N. Sane Trilogy to Game Pass’ library, that excitement is ready to hop, spin, and dash its way into our hearts.
This trilogy of remastered platforming classics is the way to play through the nostalgia. Complete with the first game, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped, this collection of Crash games has it all. If you’re fond of the platformers of yesteryear, not only are you among friends, you’re also in for a treat once you download and play the N. Sane Trilogy.
Valorant
Put Counter-Strike into a box with Overwatch then spend a few minutes shaking it around — you’ll have Valorant. That’s a definite oversimplification, but hey, it’s definitely not a lie. That’s what you’re getting on the tin.
Valorant is a competitive tactical shooter with heavy hero shooter elements — there are quite a few different game modes, but it typically boils down to a 5-on-5 with teams alternating attack and defense. It’s a familiar format for any Counter-Strike veteran, but the focus on high-octane mobility and character abilities will definitely take some getting used to.
That said, the game hosts a rabidly competitive playerbase. In addition to conventional “Competitive Matchmaking,” Valorant features a “Premier” queue and game mode specifically for players that are looking to go pro — so if you’re looking for an esports grind to get good at, this is the title to fill that void for you.
The Case Of The Golden Idol
The Case of the Golden Idol is an exceedingly clever murder mystery game that stages a series of horrible events players need to unspool bit-by-bit. The premise is simple: players are presented with an image of some ghastly event and a block of text where crucial information is missing that they need to fill in.
By poking and prodding at the image like a good detective, players start to uncover the names of people and places, as well as potential murder weapons and actions, that explain everything that transpired the day or night of the incident. It’s clever, satisfying, and its twisted world and events are so inventive, it’s impossible to put down.
Neon White
If you’re someone who is tired of FPS games frequently leaning toward the photorealistic and wish there were more that embraced a striking visual art style but still played phenomenally, have you met my friend Neon White? Neon White is a must-play FPS game if you’re at all a fan of the genre. We know that’s a phrase that’s used a lot (we’ve probably used it ubiquitously in several entries here), but the flash and polish of Neon White makes it more than worthy to be labeled as such.
In a dizzying blend of Mirror’s Edge and Doom Eternal, Neon White pirouettes its way into the genre as a platforming shooter that has you racing as the main protagonist across levels, exterminating heaven-invading demons as you go. For each run, you must shoot all enemies as quickly as possible using the abilities at your disposal, and what follows is a dance of gunplay and traversal that makes you feel like a veritable badass.
The story (a former denizen of Hell trying to earn a spot in Heaven) is fun, and getting to hear Steve Blum’s dulcet tones is always a plus. But the cream of the crop is the gameplay, which, as we said earlier, is a must-play phenomenon.
Ryse: Son Of Rome
Though it originally surfaced as a launch title for the Xbox One some ten years ago, this fairly straightforward third-person brawler wears its age fairly admirably — though that isn’t to say that it doesn’t wear it at all. It’s definitely an Xbox One game, but it’s a solid one.
Ryse: Son of Rome slips you into the hobnailed sandals of Roman general Marius Titus, and… well, without spoiling too much, proceeds to unspool a plot more than vaguely reminiscent of the Y2K film Gladiator. In terms of story, it does the job, but it’s far from the game’s selling point — the meaty, visceral, highly stylized combat.
On the tin, it’s a simple enough affair of timed prompts and quick-time events. It never gets too complex, but will certainly offer a challenge and manages to provide some depth with a series of unlockable “perks” that provide different bonuses upon defeating enemies.
The real kicker, however, is the sheer amount of visual flair that it manages to pack in and the fluidity with which it implements its systems into the visual effects. If you missed this one upon the Xbox One’s 2013 launch, it’s well worth the seven or eight hour spin to beat.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
It’s not often that a game comes close to matching the arena brawl perfection that is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; that title has long been the bar that similar games strive to reach. Quite honestly, the first Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was an absolute failure and didn’t come within miles of that standard. However, with this second entry, the unbelievable has occurred: we’ve gotten a brawler that feels unique, has fantastic, nostalgia-driven fighters, and comes leagues closer to that Smash Bros. mark.
There is twice the polish here than there was before, and the inclusion of Slime-fueled ultimate attacks lends the game an extra bit of identity. And being frank once again, it’s just freakin’ cool to be Squidward slapping the heck out of Jimmy Neutron. We grew up on these cartoons, so getting the chance to play as them with such a silly fun concept is a blast. Plus, there aren’t many fighting games available on Xbox Game Pass, so this makes for a great addition to the library.
Still Wakes The Deep
The walking-simulator style of horror games we’ve gotten in recent years have been superb. And one of the most exemplary titles of this genre is Still Wakes the Deep. This game places you in one of the most unique settings we’ve been to in a video game, and a ripe one for scare potential. You play as Caz, an electrician aboard the Beira, an oil rig way out in the North Sea. Everyone working on the rig is pretty much isolated from the rest of the world save for some shoddy radio equipment, aged lifeboats, and one lone chopper.
This isolation, as you could probably guess, comes into play when the workers drill into something they should not have drilled into. As Caz, you have to navigate the crumbling rig and bypass these otherworldly horrors that begin enmeshing themselves within the infrastructure of the rig and your human coworkers. The performances in Still Wakes the Deep are absolutely phenomenal. No fake screaming here. As the people begin undergoing grotesque transformations, their howls, moans, and shrieks all feel terrifyingly legitimate.
And while the minimal gameplay is not going to win any awards, it’s an enjoyable, albeit spine-tingling walk through what it would feel like if a Cthulhu-inspired infection/monstrosity broke out in your place of work.
Have A Nice Death
Work yourself to death. Or, well, a little ways past it. That’s the gist of Have A Nice Death. This slick little roguelike puts you into the tattered robes of an adorably stylized Grim Reaper — or Death — and tasks you with getting the whole business of the afterlife back on track. And it is very much a business, these days. Things have gone a bit wonky with Death Inc. and you, as the CEO, have a moral obligation to fix it with some… relatively aggressive micromanagement.
Which, naturally, entails taking up your scythe, spells, and a host of other potent tools and hacking, blasting, and platforming your way through disgruntled minions to get to the bottom of Death Inc’s management woes. The action’s pretty fast-paced — you’ll need to coordinate your dashing, jumping, and various attacks pretty effectively to make meaningful progress, but it’s pretty easy to get the hang of once you’re into the swing of things.
Most of the game’s trappings aren’t reinventing the wheel. You have limited (but replenishable) heals a la Dark Souls, you’ll map your powers and equipment to a precious few limited slots, and spend currency on upgrades between deaths or at the occasional shop along the way. But where Have A Nice Death shines is in the tight gameplay elements, cutesy aesthetics, and naturally, the humor born of a corporatized afterlife. It’s bound to be particularly appealing if you loved Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight, so give it a swing.
The Callisto Protocol
Many were disappointed with The Callisto Protocol when it first launched as they were expecting a direct analog to Dead Space given that developer Striking Distance Studios’ Glen Schofield, one of the original co-creators of Isaac Clarke’s first adventure aboard the Ishimura, was behind the game. However, when you begin your first forays with Callisto, it’s clear that while some inspiration for the setting and monsters are apparent, the gameplay and principle behind combat is wildly different.
You play as Jacob Lee, a man wrongfully imprisoned on the moon of Callisto at the worst possible time. An outbreak of something is turning the inmates into monsters, and you play as Jacob as he struggles to make his way out of Black Iron Prison. An intriguing premise, and when you first get control of Jacob’s movements, there’s this feeling that it’ll be just like walking in Isaac Clarke’s shoes once again. However, combat is a more measured affair, relying on timed swings with your melee weapon, dodging swipes from hideous monsters, and conserving ammo for when you encounter larger monstrosities. The fighting is more restrained, and the journey itself is far more linear.
Despite these differences, The Callisto Protocol is a more enjoyable horror romp than people give it credit for. The tension as you trudge through dilapidated prison corridors is vivid, and the visuals are nothing short of breathtaking despite the horrific surroundings. Both its linear nature and inclusion on Xbox Game Pass’ library lend added weight to the game’s approachable nature. So if you’re looking for another horror offering, Callisto Protocol is the perfect game for you.
Octopath Traveler
You might take one look at Octopath Traveler’s cover art, skim over a few screenshots, and assume that it’s nostalgia bait — a plainly-written love letter to JRPG enthusiasts stricken with the notion that it never got better than ATB battles rendered in 16-bit graphics. And really, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But you’d be doing yourself a significant disservice if you assumed that was the entirety of what this game is putting on the table.
Octopath Traveler wears its nostalgia trap on its pixellated sleeves, that’s true. But it wraps that core in several layers of modernized goodness that truly make it pop. Firstly, the entirety of the game is rendered in an initially disorienting (and eventually charming) 2D/3D design direction, with 2D sprites for characters interacting in 3D environments. It also sprinkles in a few decidedly “modern” graphical effects — just-modern-enough to give its mid-90’s aesthetic a modern sheen.
Upon getting started, the game immediately confronts you with eight overlapping character stories to choose from (each character resembling a different JRPG class trope, naturally), each with its own arc and satisfying conclusion. That said, having eight distinct character arcs to work through can be a bit time-intensive — but hey, those of us used to four-disc PS1 epics shouldn’t really find that to be an issue.
Another Crab’s Treasure
Xbox Game Pass has been really on top of adding fantastic games to its collection these past few weeks (and for you reading, we mean at the time of writing this updated entry). So many titles have been added, it’s been tough playing them all in a timely fashion to keep up with including the best ones here. Which is why we’re a bit late to add Another Crab’s Treasure to our list.
You play as a small hermit crab who gets their shell “repossessed” by a Loan Shark (a talking shark head; it’s hilarious) on behalf of the Duchess of Slacktide. And thus begins your journey to reclaim your shell, find out what is going on in this deteriorating ocean land, and battle a heck ton of bosses.
To put it simply, Another Crab’s Treasure is a Soulslike with a cute visual style and a whopping amount of humor. When we first picked it up, we were not expecting it to be as charming as it was. But the heart of the game and its fairly deep yet still approachable mechanics make it a fantastic Soulslike game to try.
Harold Halibut
Before even thinking about installing Harold Halibut, you should know exactly what kind of game you’re getting into. Harold Halibut is a glacially-paced, narrative-driven title that, on the surface, doesn’t say much. You’re following along the amiable yet bland Harold aboard the Fedora, an underwater ship that has been marooned on a watery planet for years.
This station is full of quirky characters you can talk to and assist throughout the game’s runtime. And while there are a handful of fascinating gameplay moments sprinkled throughout, you’re largely just side-scroll-ambling down corridors to start mild conversations with these people.
This all may sound like harsh critiques against the game, but Harold Halibut’s status as a hidden gem is enshrined between two pillars: its unique visual style and the unrelenting adherence to the themes it’s going for. The handmade, stop-motion techniques on display are both delightful and impressive. There is no other game that looks like Harold Halibut.
Similarly, there is no other game that is about what Harold Halibut is about. (I’m not going to spoil the plot.) So while there is a possibility you will play through the game and find it resoundingly boring, there is also a chance that the themes it’s trying to convey will just solidly land for you. And if they do land, they will land hard.
