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.
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The selections listed here will include games available on EA Play, which is included with a subscription to Game Pass Ultimate.
The adventures of the Master Chief have never been as accessible as they are in theMaster Chief Collection. This gathering ofHalogamesis the definitive collection of 343 Industries’ endeavors to immortalize the series. Not only is every mainlineHalogame (not countingHalo 5: Guardians) included, but the fantasticHalo 3: ODSTandHalo: Reachwere added as well.
From beloved campaign co-op to thrilling Firefight matches to iconic multiplayer modes, theMaster Chief Collectionhas it all. Anyone who thinks of themselves as aHalofan 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.
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 lovedDoomclones of all time —HereticandHexen.
If you’re familiar with their souped-up port of the classicDoomsaga,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. WithHeretic, 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). WithHexen, 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 withDoom, but they innovate and tweak the formula enough to keep it interesting.Hereticintroduces 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 ofHexen’shero 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.
The firstGroundedgame is amazing. It refreshes the rather worn genre of survival-crafting with a charming and unique take. Instead of surviving a zombie apocalypse or a remote deserted island, you’ve been shrunk down to the size of an ant and have to contend with backyard insects, obstacles, and hazards.Grounded 2, despite being a Game Preview and therefore not complete, is still a delight and, even in its unfinished state, an improvement upon its predecessor.
You can feel the expertise gained by Obsidian Entertainment from its first run around the block in every blade of grass you chop, spider you stumble across, and mutation you upgrade. As you can tell, I’m a huge fan ofGrounded. I’ve sunk hours into the first game, and I look forward to sinking even more into the second. (Just never thought it would be the cockroaches that would scare me more than the spiders this time around.)
The firstLittle Nightmaresgame was a stupendous iteration of the atmospheric horror formula originally pioneered byLimbo. You controlled a small, relatively helpless protagonist in an eerie world full of danger, working your way through platforming puzzles. WhatLittle Nightmaresin particular brought to the table was an iconic style, incorporating Tim Burton-esque monstrosities and terrifying fairy-tale inspirations.
Little Nightmares IIups the stakes with more dangers, more gut-churning “antagonists” with their unique and chilling gimmicks to inform level design, and more mystery surrounding the narrative. The story is absorbed through environmental details, which I know can turn some people away. But when the environment isthisgood andthisfrightening, you know you’re in for a wild ride consuming the narrative, bit by contextual bit.
Made by some of the minds behindRick and Morty,High on Lifeis the zany FPS experience you’ve been waiting for. You can’t go three minutes in the game without confronting the humor and crassness fans have come to know and love from the show. Hell, you can’t go one minute in the game.
But humor aside,High on Lifeis an entertaining shooter game that combines a solid foundation of FPS mechanics with the sort of platforming you’d expect to see in 3D platformers of old. If you’re looking for something hilarious and engaging (and you’re in the mood to play a video game instead of watching a show), we most heartily recommend playing someHigh on Life.
The Ascentmashes together several elements that get along swimmingly — the charm and action of a twin stick shooter meet the loot-heavy shenanigans and progression elements typical of isometric action-RPGs in a delightful cyberpunk setting. Players control “Indents,” so-called employees of a massive corporation as they work to pay off their contract’s debt. Up to four players can roam the gritty arcology of the planet Veles, engaging in shootouts with rival gangs or mechanized ferals.
Combat inThe Ascentis intuitive and never feels like a grind. If anything, despite the raucous, neon nature of the world, lighting up the streets of the metropolis with a handful of friends is simultaneously relaxing and exciting.The Ascentkeeps players riveted with the entertaining gunplay without bogging them down in hard-to-learn systems. It’s everything one could want in a cyberpunk-themed game.
The “Survivor” trilogy, as the newestTomb Raidergames are colloquially known as, is one of the best ways to experience Lara Croft’s story and character. And if we were to pick out the jewel of this trilogy, it would have to beRise of the Tomb Raider.
This middle entry improves upon the foundation the original laid down and avoids the mistakes its eventual successor makes. Narrative-wise, it focuses on Lara’s drive to uncover the secrets her father first delved into and her need to overcome the guilt she feels at both disregarding her dad’s theories as well as dragging her friends into these dangerous endeavors. What follows is an awe-inspiring, and often harrowing, adventure into the secret of immortality.
You’ll solve puzzle rooms a la Indiana Jones-style treasure caves and shoot your way past Trinity goons who are trying to reach that eternal-life-giving secret before Lara.Rise of the Tomb Raidercombines the adventure you’re used to seeing in this series with a more emotionally impactful story, and it succeeds in giving us the kind of journey you can only experience in aTomb Raidergame.
It’s about time thatCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timemade it to Xbox Game Pass. SeveralCrashgames, includingTeam Racingand theN. Sane Trilogy, are on Game Pass already. UsCrashfans were basically twiddling our fingers untilCrash Bandicoot 4came along too. The most recent installment in this legendary game series marries the nostalgia of the past with the polish of the future.
Crash and Coco are back in 3D platforming goodness, jumping and running through various levels, all new, but all hearkening back to the style of platforming from Crash’s heyday. Expect to die a lot in some of the harder levels, especially if you’re looking to collect everything. But as with mostCrash Bandicootgames, there is such a degree of replayability here, that it’s worth your while to take up install space for this instant favorite.
Xbox Game Pass is on a winning streak, and they just keep on coming!The Altersis the latest in a series of great games to launch on Microsoft’s premier subscription service, and it is a phenomenal gem of a game, another notch in the belt alongside the likes ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33,Oblivion Remastered, andDoom: The Dark Ages. InThe Alters, you play as Jan Dolski, the only survivor of a spaceship/station that’s been stranded on a dangerous planet. And with just one man around, the only way to get back-up is to use alternate copies of himself.
Using alien elements Jan is able to pull up versions of himself that possess the skillsets he requires. So if he needs a medical doctor around, he can “generate” the alternate-universe version of him that became a doctor. Sounds strange? IT IS. But its unique take on the base-building and management sim genre is unparalleled, especially in how it explores its narrative themes of what is and what could have been.
If you’ve stuck with us through the literal years of curating and adding to this list of the best games on Xbox Game Pass, you might have sussed out that we’re massive Warhammer 40k fans. Whether we’re talkingBoltgun,Rogue Trader,orDarktide, we’ve played and loved them all. Same for Saber Interactive’sSpace Marine 2.
So, of course, logically, we thoroughly loveWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition. Bearing in mind this is a remaster of an aged game, this is such a fun glimpse into the series’ past. Don’t expect the polish of its sequel, but consider this an enjoyable hearkening to the days of the Xbox 360.
You step into the mighty Space Marine boots of Titus as he deals with an Ork invasion on an Imperial Forge World. He’s got his OG squad with him (ugh, freakin’ Leandros), and they’re on Graia to slaughter through the horde. The star of the gameplay is clearly the melee combat, with level design and gunplay both feeling fairly basic compared to what we see in the sequel. But it’s a blast from the past that we both enjoy to no end. The Codex Astartes DOES support this action.
