Xbox Game Pass already has an amazing legacy and reputation, after 2021 cemented it as a veritable library of hidden gems and AAA bangers. And at the start of the second half of 2022, the schedule is still going strong.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda made big titles like Skyrim reach the Game Pass. And many expect similar moves to come to games like Overwatch, Diablo 3 and maybe even World of Warcraft with Microsoft’s upcoming acquisition of Activision Blizzard still in the background.
But after daily releases and games from Xbox Studios, Game Pass offers some of the best indie and third-party games available. New games appear on the service every month, and many of these titles are available on multiple Xbox consoles and PC through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
With the size and variety of options it offers, Game Pass can be a little difficult to digest. But we are here to help. We’ve rounded up 10 PC and Xbox Game Pass games you should check out if you subscribe to Microsoft’s flagship service.
HALO : THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
The Xbox brand may never have taken off without the Halo series, the first-person shooters that helped popularize local competitive multiplayer on consoles before taking the party online following the launch of Xbox Live. The Master Chief Collection bundle includes several Halo games, all updated to keep them fun for modern audiences.
But what is so impressive about the collection is the amount of ways to play. You can cycle through the campaigns yourself. If you want to play with a friend but don’t want to compete, there’s co-op, allowing you to share game stories with a partner, whether online or split-screen. If you want to compete, you can do so locally against up to three other players on the same TV, or play online to challenge the wider community.
These are some of the best first-person shooters ever released, and they’re worth revisiting and having fun, no matter how you decide to play them. Sharing these games with my kids through local co-op has been an amazing journey, and this bundle includes many games, each with different modes and options. It’s hard to imagine getting bored or uninstalling the collection once it’s on your hard drive.
MINECRAFT (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
Minecraft is a game where everything is (or at least appears to be) made of large square blocks, and you can harvest materials and use them to build whatever you want with those blocks. It’s become well known in the last decade and you’ve most likely heard of it.
There’s not much to say about theMinecraftThat hasn’t already been said, but the game remains popular online and has the ability to keep my kids busy in a way that no other game can match, in my experience. They skip survival mode and jump right into creativity, treating it like a split-screen world where they can build whatever they want without worrying about running out of Lego pieces.
It’s a game that can be meditative when played alone and social when shared with others, and there are mountains of user-created content to sift through and explore. Like the rest of the games on this list, the Minecraft it’s very easy to get in, but you might find it hard to get out.
HADES (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
Hades takes you to the Greek underworld, putting you in the shoes of Zagreus, son of the Greek god of death. But being a child of Hades, trapped in hell for all eternity, sucks. So you have to fight your way out of the depths (with the help of your pious aunts, uncles and cousins) over and over again.
Hades was Polygon’s Game of the Year for 2020 not just because it’s an exceptional roguelite, but because it’s full of story and style. Each failed adventure sends you back, defeated, to the house of Hades. But before heading out again, you can chat with the various members of your household.
Sure, these conversations offer useful benefits to help you escape your father’s oppressive clutches – but they also build up the world around you in a way few other roguelites do. Supergiant Games has built a reputation for making games that combine style and story with mechanics. Among his creations, Hades is the best so far.
STARDEW VALLEY (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
Stardew Valley it’s exotic to say the least, but in the best possible way. You start the game by inheriting a farm from your grandfather and then move to a sleepy town to take over the dwindling acres. Over the next 10, 20, 50, 100+ hours, you work to turn that farm into a modern utopia.
This is easily the most relaxing game on Game Pass. All you do is plant seeds, take care of animals, mine some rocks and make friends with villagers. There’s a lot of drama to be had – with the Wal-Mart-like JojaMart and an army of goo trying to stop you from mining – but at the end of the day, you’ll still pass out at your farmhouse and get ready to plant more strawberries in the morning. Following.
DOOM (2016) (XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
Doom 2016 builds on one of the oldest franchises in gaming history with speed, stunts and an absolutely killer soundtrack. Doomguy moves extremely fast, switching between a variety of weapons, grenades, melee attacks, and a giant chainsaw to blast demons from Mars.
The game is gory, metal as hell, and surprisingly funny.Doomit makes you feel like a god, able to overcome any obstacle the game might throw at you, and it doesn’t offer a single dull level in its long campaign.
MASS EFFECT LEGENDARY EDITION (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
The Mass Effect franchise was massive for the Xbox 360 era, but it didn’t transfer well to future platforms – buying and downloading the entire story became confusing and expensive when moving to Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Legendary Edition 2021 has finally arrived the entire Mass Effect trilogy accessible in a single package.
The story follows Commander Shepard, a futuristic military hero tasked with assembling a collection of alien misfits for a variety of missions. Each game is beautifully crafted, with standalone stories and standout characters that don’t rely on the larger narrative of the series. As a trilogy, the games complement each other with meaningful choices that carry over to the next entry, giving weight to your choices.
The Legendary Edition is the best way to experience Mass Effect, and it’s a must-play if you’re on your first adventure to save the galaxy.
THE ELDER SCROLLS 5: SKYRIM SPECIAL EDITION (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
The Elder Scrolls 5better known as Skyrim, it’s a classic. And while you can play it on almost any console or device known to mankind at this point, it’s still worth playing on Game Pass if you’ve never given it a go or are just craving another journey into its sprawling world.
Like most of Bethesda’s roleplaying games, Skyrim is a first-person game with a giant, living world. There are dungeons to crawl through, stories to discover, and a variety of guilds to join. But you can also get off the beaten path and discover your own fun in Skyrim – it rewards you for being curious. It’s the kind of Game Pass game you can play for hundreds of hours and never get tired of.
FORZA HORIZON 5 (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
Forza Horizon 5 is the latest racing game to come to Xbox and Game Pass. It’s a visual feast filled with some of the most realistic cars you’ll ever see. But anyone who loves any of these Forza games will tell you that the Horizon series is much more than its graphics.
Horizon 5 takes place in a fictional Mexico and gives you the freedom to drive around a huge map in any car you want. You can drive a nice sports car while off-roading or drive a Hummer on a huge ramp. Forza Horizon 5 gives you the freedom and choice to drive how and where you want within a legion of incredible cars.
TRILOGIA HITMAN (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
Hitman, Hitman 2 e Hitman 3 are some of the best sandbox puzzle games ever made. As Agent 47, you’ll climb buildings, sneak around parties, and kill spies and debutantes with all sorts of tools. The trilogy on Game Pass includes the campaigns of all three games from IO Interactive’s recent World of Assassination trilogy, offering over a dozen maps to play with.
The Hitman series may be about violence and murder, but it manages to stay light-hearted and fun with its wild physics and silly scenarios. It’s the perfect series to play with if you want to be stealthy, or just want to see what happens when you drop a giant chandelier into a crowd of snobby idiots.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (PC, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X)
Guardians of the Galaxy It’s a game that shouldn’t work. But in a world saturated with Marvel content and already popular versions of these characters, Guardians of the Galaxy manages to tell a heartfelt story that gives each Guardian plenty of breathing room.
Like an action game,Guardians of the GalaxyIt’s fun enough, allowing you to soar through the air in Star Lord’s jet boots and fire with his iconic dual pistols. However, just like the story, the game shines the most when the team is working together. As a Star Lord, you can command Drax to stun an enemy, or Rocket to blast an entire group.
Guardians of the GalaxyIt succeeds over other group-based Marvel games because it offers a single-player experience that is still focused on friends. In combat and conversation, every member of the Guardians has a role to play, and that makes for one of the most memorable comic book games out there.
This article was based on the writing by Ryan Gilliam to the website Polygon.
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