No Man's Sky (Xbox One)

Hello Games' sci-fi survival masterpiece, and yes it is a masterpiece, got off to a rocky old start, with pre-release promises and massive amounts of hype left unmet in many ways, punters were not happy with what they got versus what they were told to expect. However, since launch, it's been an extraordinary trip to watch this indie dev deliver on everything it had said it would and a ton more besides.

No Man's Sky, as it stands today, is a towering achievement, a glorious galaxy full of undiscovered wonder in which to explore, create, fight, hook up with other players and more besides. This is a user-friendly Elite Dangerous, a game that gives you the never-ending space fantasy without alienating those who don't want to get bogged down in the intricacies. Oh, and it all looks and runs like and absolute dream. Another essential title on Game Pass.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox Series X|S)

Ok, so it's literally impossible to choose between the two entries in the Ori series as both Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Ori and the Blind Forest are amongst the finest examples of the modern platforming genre. Both of these games deal in weaving slick and inventive gameplay with phenomenal graphical and audio work and narratives that will keep you, and your kids, hooked right throughout your adventures.

We've plumped for Ori and the Will of the Wisps here purely because we reckon this 2020 sequel has a better tempo to its narrative, the combat has been fine-tuned and the whole thing is just grander in overall scale. Thankfully you don't have to gnash your teeth over this choice too much as both are available on Game Pass to get stuck into right now!

The Outer Worlds (Xbox One)

A small scale Fallout-style RPG set in a version of deep space that's jam-packed full of irreverent humour, sarcastic citizens, some excellent action and a bunch of the best AI buddies we've ever had the pleasure of battling beasties with.

Obsidian's The Outer Worlds is a kooky, off-kilter delight that serves up a delightfully colourful space romp that fans of Fallout should check out ASAP. The main campaign here may not last for nearly as long as we expected it to - something that's been somewhat remedied by two generous dollops of DLC - but this is still a hugely entertaining game while it lasts, a delightful slice of sci-fi that's got us well and truly enthused for its incoming sequel. Oh, and Parvati is our favourite AI companion of all time.

Planet of Lana (Xbox Series X|S)

When a game as stunning as Planet of Lana comes along, we always get a bit nervous that it'll struggle to live up to the hype. Fortunately, that didn't happen this time around! We had an absolute blast with Planet of Lana here at Pure Xbox, giving it a "Great" 8/10 score in our review and praising it as a "superb indie adventure".

What you can expect here is a puzzle-platforming adventure with a heavy emphasis on the puzzle side of things. You play as a young girl who suddenly finds her friends and family have been captured by a robotic army-of-sorts, and so she sets out on adventure alongside a feline companion in order to rescue them. Definitely worth a download!

Persona 5 Royal (Xbox Series X|S)

We probably don't need to tell you too much about Persona 5 Royal at this point, especially if you've had access to a PlayStation console over the past couple of years! This is one of the very few games that we awarded an "Outstanding" 10/10 score to in 2022, calling it "one of the best games of the last generation of consoles, and in with a very strong shout as the greatest JRPG of all time".

That's pretty much all we need to say about this one - it's 100% worth your time if you're interested! Don't forget that Persona 3 and Persona 4 are also available on Xbox Game Pass, and we highly recommend those as well.

Pentiment (Xbox Series X|S)

You can't really go wrong with Obsidian! The legendary development studio brought us one of the only Xbox Game Studios releases of 2022 in November of that year, instantly drawing critical acclaim with Pentiment. This historical narrative-driven game is unlike anything else on Xbox Game Pass, and Obsidian has crafted it to near-perfection.

We recommend reading our exhaustive Pentiment review here at Pure Xbox for more details on what to expect, but the gist of it is that you play as an illustrator caught up in a medieval murder mystery in which you'll need to embark on an investigation to "decide the fate of the community". It's one of the best Xbox exclusives in a long time!

Prey (Xbox One)

2017's claustrophobic sci-fi spectacular, Prey, might not get as much attention as fellow Arkane Studios stablemates Dishonored and Dishonored 2, but believe it when we say this unsettling FPS is every bit as good as those two masterpieces.

With a thoroughly intriguing premise, clever and dynamic gameplay, a stunningly atmospheric setting and some truly unsettling enemies, this is a game many missed first time around, and one you absolutely need to get added to your backlog ASAP.

Psychonauts 2 (Xbox Series X|S)

Tim Schafer's Double Fine returned in 2021 with a sequel to their 2005 cult classic, Psychonauts, and let's face it, they absolutely nailed pretty much everything they set out to achieve with this one.

Yes, there's definitely a bit of noughties clunk to the platforming here, but the story is so well-written, the world so carefully crafted and expanded upon that which we experienced in the original, and the whole thing is full of so much child-like wonder and genuine emotion, that it's easy to overlook these minor mechanical issues. Psychonauts 2 is an absolute delight, a game that could easily have won our GOTY title for 2021, and a trip that will properly surprise and enthral you, should you choose to take it.

Quake 2 (Xbox Series X|S)

You've got two different choices when it comes to Quake games on Xbox Game Pass, and they're both fantastic! Quake 1's remaster is an excellent way to dive into the series and get stuck into its first outing, but we think Quake 2's remaster is even better - and it's still also a blast to play in online multiplayer!

When we say we think this is "great", we're not kidding! In fact, Quake 2 received one of our rare Pure Xbox 10/10's in mid-2023, which places it even higher than Starfield in our books! That's high praise, and the best bit is that it's a very small download so you can potentially be playing it in seconds. Go, download it!

Rare Replay (Xbox One)

Released back in 2015 to celebrate Rare's 30th anniversary, Rare Replay is a splendid compilation that spans the developer's work across multiple genres and console generations. From the ZX Spectrum right up to the Xbox 360, there's a treasure trove to explore here and it's enhanced by behind the scenes footage, interviews, snapshot and rewind functions, built in cheats and more besides.

Yes, we're missing a couple of biggies (update: Goldeneye will be along in the near future!) but there's so much more to dig into here that it's genuinely not that big of a deal in the end. With the likes of Sabre Wulf, R.C. Pro-AM 2, Blast Corps, Battletoads, two Perfect Dark titles, Jet Force Gemini, Killer Instinct, Banjo Kazooie and a whole heap more, this is a fascinating history lesson and boatload of fun-times all rolled into one.

Sea of Stars (Xbox Series X|S)

Sea of Stars is an absolute must-play if you like old-school RPGs. This is another one that we awarded a very special 10/10 to here at Pure Xbox, praising it as "an exhilarating and absorbing indie gem that serves up delightfully clever turn-based RPG action in a world that's packed full of great characters, fun puzzles and genuine emotional heft."

Here's a bit more from our 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."