It Takes Two (Xbox Series X|S)
After the excellent co-operative jailbreak adventure, A Way Out, Hazelight Studios delivered us the incredible It Takes Two, which feels like the culmination of years of experimentation in the genre finally paying off big time.
This Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-style adventure was designed and built entirely around two players co-operating - there is no single player here - and sees you and a pal assume the roles of Cody and May, two miniaturised parents who need to seek out their daughter, Rose, and return to their full-sized forms.
Crammed full of fun and inventive gameplay mechanics, clever puzzles, brilliant minigames and featuring a wonderfully colourful art style, It Takes Two was one of the very best games of 2021 and a proper gem that fans of co-op games need to get stuck into ASAP.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 (Xbox Series X|S)
Jurassic World Evolution 2 was a surprise arrival on Xbox Game Pass in May 2022, not being announced ahead of time, and we're certainly glad it joined the lineup! This is another superb strategy title from the talented minds at Frontier Developments, challenging you to become a park management master in the world of Jurassic Park.
The campaign mode features an original narrative that follows on from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, complete with voice work from the likes of Jeff Goldblum and Bryce Dallas Howard, while those who want a bit more freedom can check out the Sandbox mode, and there's also a Challenge mode in which you can test your skills.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Xbox Series X|S)
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga didn't reinvent the LEGO formula when it arrived back in April 2022, but it didn't need to. The team's latest intergalactic adventure successfully built on what LEGO Star Wars has always done — which is provide plenty of casual but fun platforming and shooting action — by adding an absolutely huge selection of vast open world planets for players to enjoy.
The Skywalker Saga proved a noticeable step up in the graphics department as well, delivering a fitting technical upgrade for the series' first Xbox Series X|S outing. All in all, this is a hugely enjoyable LEGO Star Wars adventure and one definitely worth taking on Xbox Game Pass. In fact, we deemed it "fantastic value for money" at launch - doubly so as part of Game Pass then!
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Xbox One)
Three of the most universally adored sci-fi epics ever made brought together in one huge and lovingly remastered package. It was hardly gonna end badly was it?
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a dream come true for Mass Effect fans and a chance for us all to return to this wonderful world full of choice and consequence, dense and fascinating lore and, as the franchise progresses, some absolutely cracking combat sequences.
There are still a few rough edges here, we'll just never enjoy planet scanning or driving that infernal Mako, but overall this is one epic, emotionally charged sci-fi package and a long-awaited return to the Normandy that we hadn't even really realised we were so excited about. It was sure good to see you again, Shepard.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (Xbox Series X|S)
Some might say Microsoft Flight Simulator is less of a game and more of a, well... a simulator — call it what you like, but there's no doubting that Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most impressive "games" to ever make it to console, featuring the ability to literally fly anywhere you like in the world. If it exists on our globe, you can fly to it.
It's a next-gen only exclusive for obvious reasons, and it'll take you some time to get used to all the various controls, but once it all clicks into place, there's nothing quite like cruising over your own house in Microsoft Flight Sim and looking for all the various landmarks in your area... even if many of them do turn out to be fairly unrecognisable.
Minecraft (Xbox One)
A game that needs zero introduction at this point, Mojang's sandbox behemoth has continued to grow since its first release and continues to be a supreme example of games as a means of expressing oneself, an endlessly entertaining creation that affords adults and children alike the power to build, create stories and enjoy the freedom of crafting your very own worlds.
With a story mode to follow along with if you're needing inspiration, one that takes you through the Nether and beyond to a face-off with the Ender Dragon, and endless possibilities in the form of a never-ending flood of add-ons and player-created mods, Minecraft was a phenomenon when it released and has only continued to expand and improve from there. This is essential stuff.
MLB The Show 23 (Xbox Series X|S)
Sony's top drawer baseball simulator hits Xbox, and Game Pass, for the third year running and it is, as usual, another deep, slick and satisfying simulation of the sport.
Long-time fans may be just a tad disappointed with the additions that MLB The Show 23 brings this time around, with a lack of really juicy updates or upgrades - although the new Storylines feature is definitely one of our personal highlights - however, this is undoubtedly still the premier video game baseball experience in 2023, and a bit of a must-play all around.
Monster Hunter Rise (Xbox Series X|S)
Monster Hunter Rise landed on Xbox Game Pass in January 2023 after a fantastic debut on Nintendo Switch a couple of years ago, and quickly became one of the best Xbox Game Pass games that Capcom has provided so far.
There's definitely a fairly steep learning curve to this one, but if you get invested in it and find some friendly online players who can help you out along the way, we think you'll have an amazing time with Monster Hunter Rise. We gave it a "Great" 8/10 score in our review, and the Sunbreak DLC will only improve the game in the future.
Mortal Kombat 11 (Xbox One)
NetherRealm's 2019 fighter is a stunning game and an example of its genre that stands apart at a time when so many of its ilk arrive in a barebones state, requiring you to dish out piles of dosh in order to make them feel anything remotely like a full game. Mortal Kombat 11 arrived fully-formed, jam-packed full of modes, with a superb, genre-defining campaign, a huge roster of cracking characters, excellent netcode supporting its online action, great big bloody towers to rampage through and a crypt's worth of goodies to unlock.
The beauty of Mortal Kombat has always been the pick up and play nature of its astonishingly brutal action. There's a ton of depth here, but you can be sure newcomers can grab a controller and immediately enjoy the catharsis of a well-time uppercut to an enemy's jaw. Mortal Kombat 11 delivers this and more, alongside everything else we love about this finest of franchises in a gorgeous package that's absolutely bursting at the seams with content and attitude. It's one of the best fighting games ever made, and it's right here waiting for you on Game Pass.
Need for Speed Unbound (Xbox Series X|S)
The latest mainstream entry in the Need for Speed series has arrived on Xbox Game Pass, and while we haven't always been big fans of the NFS games in recent years, Unbound is pretty great! Keep in mind that the developer of this one is Criterion, which famously worked on the beloved Burnout series back in the day.
Here's what we had to say in our "hands-on" of Need for Speed: Unbound back in late 2022:
"Unbound isn't a revolution for the franchise (you can tell it's broadly using the same tech), but something here just feels a little more satisfying overall. Vehicles are more planted, drifting doesn't feel quite as artificial as say, Need for Speed 2015 or Heat, and the racing itself is incredibly fast-paced and thrilling - it's safe to say we've been enjoying our time racing around the streets of Lakeshore so far."
Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch Remastered (Xbox Series X|S)
The Tokyo Game Show 2022 was a really great outing for Xbox Game Pass, with the likes of Deathloop and Assassin's Creed Odyssey being announced during the show, along with a total surprise in the form of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered, which dropped the same day as the show - September 15th, 2022.
And so, Xbox fans were finally treated to this epic PlayStation JRPG, which was first released all the way back in 2011. Featuring animated sequences produced by Studio Ghibli, this is an adventure you'll definitely want to experience if you're a fan of the genre, with the remastered version adding in some key graphical improvements too.
Once you've completed this one, don't forget to check out Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom on Xbox Game Pass as well, which comes with a whole bunch of free DLC for Game Pass subscribers!
Comments 30
You don't have any of the Dishonored games or Prey on here.
That's illegal I tell you! (No Arkane love)
Again, this is another of those guides where everyone should feel free to throw suggestions in the comments — we'll add to it accordingly in the future
Hollow Knight is my favourite 'picked up on a whim on game pass' game. One of the greats and not just within its genre in my opinion.
Nier Automata and resident evil 7 would round out my top 3 suggestions, but others are dead cells, tetris effect, the forgotten city, nobody saves the world, halo collection, deaths door, pyschonauts 1 + 2, dead space, dragon age, mass effect trilogy, fallout 3/NV, doom + eternal... Basically a lot 👍.
Edit: I forgot what remains of Edith Finch, lumines and Limbo.
Forza Horizon 5 has pretty much been a desert island game for me, I already logged hundreds of hours, one of those games I could play forever. Halo Infinite is another obvious hit, best FPS I have played in a long time. Outside of that I just love to check out some of the occasional indies, but I have also loved playing No Man's Sky.
Prey and Dishonored 2 are truly 2 gems that deserve to be in this list
I would add Remnant from the Ashes. It is even better than Outriders in his genre.
Artful escape is amazing. Easy to play and what an experience.
Yakuza 3, 4, 5 and 6 say hello.
@homme_parametre besides both being third person shooters they're hardly the same? Typing this the complaints about Outrider's difficulty sprang to mind, something which I definitely didn't mind and sure as hell wouldn't make me class it as a soulslike, the way remnant from the ashes is. But it is a great game and should definitely be in this list.
@Kurt101 you're right about that, it's short, pleasing to the eye and jam full of good songs. My goty of last year, such a surreal experience.
@PureXbox You should have us rank ‘em with some votes. Always fun to see how NSO games rank on NintendoLife. I think it’d get really interesting.
Not agreeing with every game on this list, obviously - so many people and so many tastes - but in my book, the first Gears of War and Forza Horizon 4 should absolutely be in this list.
@Nf157 What Remains of Edith Finch is beautiful indeed, despite the terrible performance in the first stages of the game.
@Bartig I forgot about the performance issues until you mentioned it. Probably a telling sign of how good it is.
@Cherip-the-Ripper Sure both games aren't exaclty the same (Remnant is basically a Souls-like with guns...) but i would put them both in the "looter shooter" folder imo.
Dovahkiin and Streets of rage.
GamePass has a huge value, still I consider it as a "try" platform: if I play a game on the service and I like it, I will eventually buy it using the 20% GP Offer or another sale due to respect and incentive to the developers.
Can we rate the games ourselves so the list is based on community preferences like the lists they make on NL and PS?
Really want them to add some 360 games like The Witcher 2
@everynowandben I remember the ac list on p+ being terrible so maybe not that good of an idea.
@everynowandben Yes, it's something we want to look at doing at some point - bare with us!
@Chaudy The Witcher 2 on 360 was awful. Loads of framerate issues and fog everywhere. I had a PC by the time it released so I played it there but for consoles we need the superior Xbox One X Enhanced version of The Witcher 2 on Game Pass, not the 360 version.
Im currently playing banjo tooie again. On my phone with xcloud gamepass. Having a great time! I just have to wait till nobody is in the house as xcloud won't work very well
I finished or played for a good chunck (at least 5/10h until I retired them) 22 out of those 75 although some of them I completed on other systems prior (for instance desde cells, dragon quest or Skyrim). Let's see If the number evolves with time
@EliJapan Great spot, thank you!
Chorus is one of my favorite game this year , beautiful graphics, fast action with all the powers you acquire dog fighting is a blast to play unlike other flying/space games, if you like space shooter you will fall in love with chorus.
Good list. Personally I’d also add - Tinykin, Hellblade, Forza Horizon 4&5, Halo Wars (both), Master Chief Collection, Halo Infinite, GRID Legends & Dishonoured
Will there be a review for The Legend of Tianding? I’m curious as to whether or not it will make this list.
Few more games added to / removed from the list!
@FraserG I would like a series of weekly brackets of 10 games each poll us on our three favorites and the top 5 move on to the next round
@themightyant Love Arkane. (Dishonored 2 is on the list, PREY should've been on it also.)
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