Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch Remastered (Xbox Series X|S)

Until 2022, Ni No Kuni had never graced the Xbox platform, and that was a huge shame! Fortunately, we were treated to a shadow drop of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered on Xbox Game Pass, and suddenly we all started to understand what the hype was about. It might be an old game now (the first version of it released back in 2011), but this is a game that's still a blast to play, particularly in its Remastered form.

The new version still features that classic Studio Ghibli animation combined with an excellent story and enjoyable turn-based mechanics, but it also adds improved graphics and performance to bring it up to date for a modern audience.

Also, if you like this one, the sequel is available on Xbox Game Pass as well!

  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Nobody Saves The World (Xbox Series X|S)

Canadian developer Drinkbox Studios never lets us down with the sterling quality of their indie releases, with the likes of the superb Guacamelee series, Severed and Mutant Blobs Attack rounding out an impressive back catalogue.

And so it is we've all been waiting with baited breath for their latest game, Nobody Saves The World, to finally arrive, with the studio once again absolutely nailing it. This is a colourful and clever dungeon-crawling romp with a bevvy of smart mechanics up its sleeve, including the ability to transform into everything from a robot, to a ghost, dinosaur, rat and warrior knight as you blaze a trail through its wonderfully well-designed dungeons and boss battles. As we said in our review, "this is one of the slickest indie RPGs we've played in quite some time."

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Octopath Traveler (Xbox One)

Square Enix's superlative Octopath Traveler is one of the finest JRPGs of the past decade. At first blush it may seem like just another throwback to the halcyon days of SNES-style action, but give this one a chance and you'll find a deep and rewarding experience that marries old-school charm with modern gameplay systems and conveniences, resulting in a truly stellar package.

With eight story paths to follow, an excellent combat system, wonderful "tilt-shift" art style and top-notch writing, acting and soundtrack to boot, this is a sumptuous and memorable JRPG experience that you'll find yourself entirely lost in once you give in to its charms.

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Omori (Xbox Series X|S)

OMOCAT's 2020 RPG sees players take control of a young boy named Sunny and his dream world alter-ego, Omori, in a rewarding and cathartic game that delves deep into some serious themes and issues.

Depression, anxiety and suicide are all touched upon here, and as such it may not be a game suited to every audience, but those who do decide to jump in are treated to a wacky, quirky and heartfelt experience that's packed full of humour, warmth, secrets and surprises. Omori is a truly special game and one you should dive into knowing as little as possible.

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Outriders (Xbox Series X|S)

People Can Fly's 2021 action RPG may not get off to the best of starts, with a story that's a little clunky in its opening hour, but give it a chance and Outriders will reward you in the form of some wonderfully addictive combo-centric combat that we've had an absolute blast with.

It's all about the looter shooter action here, with an endless array of ridiculous guns to collect that, alongside your protagonist's array of crazy superpowers, are a joy to mix and mess with. Outriders is explosive, flashy and addictive stuff that hinges on pulling off big combos by getting clever with your skills and weapons against excellent enemy AI, leading to constantly engaging shootouts.

There's a refreshing simplicity to the loadouts, modding and upgrading systems too, a decision that keeps menu time to a minimum and lets you get on with the non-stop slaughter of your enemies in the most spectacular manner possible.

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous (Xbox One)

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous founds its way onto Xbox a couple of years ago, and it's since wracked up a pretty impressive Metacritic score along with great reviews on Steam in particular where it holds a "Very Positive" rating.

If you're a big fan of the likes of Baldur's Gate 3 and Pillars of Eternity, this might be right up your alley. Our sister site Push Square ended up giving the Enhanced Edition an "Excellent" 9/10 a few years ago, stating that it's a "glorious game to get lost in for whole weeks at a time". Definitely worth looking out for!

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Persona 5 Royal (Xbox Series X|S)

It took a very long time to reach us, but Persona 5 Royal is finally now on Xbox! We probably don't need to tell you much about this one - it's one of the most beloved JRPGs of all time, and even though it can take 100 hours to complete it all, we think you'll have an absolute blast throughout the duration of that time. Seriously this game is amazing.

Naturally, we reviewed Persona 5 Royal when it arrived on Xbox Game Pass in late 2022, and ended up awarding it a very rare "Outstanding" 10/10 score. This version of the game plays even better on Xbox Series X and Series S, serving as "the ultimate version of a true all-timer".

"This next-gen version runs at a velvety smooth 4K/60FPS too, making for a truly unmissable experience that we highly recommend you dive right into. Games don't get much better than this."

And by the way, even though they're not included separately on this list, we highly recommend checking out Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Tactica on Xbox Game Pass, as they're all fantastic titles as well.

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Remnant 2 (Xbox Series X|S)

Gunfire Games' Remnant 2 takes everything we enjoyed about the original game and polishes it to a sheen. This is top-class co-operative stuff with a Soulslike sensibility to its difficulty and plenty of tasty loot to dig into discovering as you blast your way through some truly nightmarish enemies.

Playing in solo mode is fun, but where Remnant 2 really stands out is in how it forces you to work with your human squad-mates to survive some tough skirmishes. With procedurally generated routes through its meaty campaign, this is one slick and addictive effort that'll keep you and your pals entertained for a good long while.

  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

Scarlet Nexus (Xbox Series X|S)

Scarlet Nexus was one of the big surprises of 2021, on the face of things just another anime-inspired JRPG it is, in fact, a thrilling, combat-heavy experience that serves up two separate twenty hour campaigns, slick battle action and a huge and intricately woven supporting cast of characters.

Bandai Namco funnels you through this adventure by keeping the level design linear, but they then stuff each and every area full of enemies with which to engage in some excellent combat that mixes weapons and telekinesis-based powers to thrilling effect. Scarlet Nexus also fully delivers on the story front, with some top-notch world building and an amazing cast of characters across its two campaigns. With the whole thing wrapped up in some amazing anime-inspired visuals, this is one JRPG you really shouldn't overlook!

  • Xbox Game Pass? No

Sea of Stars (Xbox Series X|S)

Sea of Stars arrived day one on Xbox Game Pass just before the launch of Starfield, so there's every chance that a bunch of people overlooked it. That's a real shame, as we ended up giving it an extremely rare 10/10 score here at Pure Xbox, praising it as one of the very best Xbox games of 2023. High praise indeed!

Here's a little sample of what we had to say in that 10/10 review:

"Don't spoil this one for yourself, dive in as blind as you can and enjoy a truly magical journey that's easily one of the best games you'll play this year and an absolutely essential addition to Xbox Game Pass."

  • Xbox Game Pass? Yes

South Park: The Stick of Truth (Xbox One)

Looking for something more lighthearted? Then South Park: The Stick of Truth is a perfect example of a license tie-in done correctly. The game manages to perfectly embrace the style of the show, replicating the animated style as players explore the town of South Park. While it also gained a sequel on the Xbox One, we recommend the original version which was ported and we think is slightly better - certainly as a starting point.

The combat pokes fun at classic turn-based RPG combat, as does its story, which reworks traditional conventions and storytelling beats with the signature humour the show is known for. There's no RPG out there quite like this one (and its sequel) and for that reason we recommend you avoid any spoilers before diving in.

  • Xbox Game Pass? No