The Xbox Game Pass subscription is, today, Microsoft’s main argument in the video game market. It provides access to a catalog of games on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC, Steam Deck, Android and iOS. Here is a selection of the essential titles.
In 2017, Microsoft launched Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One. Since then, the subscription has been the delight of owners who agree to pay €9.99 or €12.99 per month to take advantage of it. It gives access to a library of games that evolves over time, Netflix style. If we can think that the titles in question are quite old, the subscription receives more and more recent productions. Not to mention that Microsoft provides its exclusives the day they are released, which makes it easy to monetize the Xbox Game Pass. It is now a great way to test several titles on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC, Steam Deck, Android and iOS (thanks to cloud gaming).
The Game Pass problem? As with Netflix, there are so many choices, it’s hard to know where to start. And we can even fall into the trap of starting one game, then two, then three… without ever finishing any of them. This is the main concern of this kind of formula which encourages channel surfing. Do not panic: players from the editorial staff give you some recommendations.
Xbox Game Pass is available on Xbox consoles (451 games, €9.99 per month) and PC (412 games, €9.99). For €12.99 per month, the Ultimate option allows you to play on both platforms and to benefit, in addition, from Xbox Live Gold (essential to play online on the Microsoft console), from the EA Play service and from the game. streaming on Android, iOS and PC (349 games).
Our recommendations on Xbox consoles
Doom Eternal
Released in March 2020, Doom Eternal is none other than the sequel to the reboot of the famous first-person shooter game franchise. And it’s an understatement to say that she pushes the formula to its limits. The result is a nervous experience, where immobility is constantly sanctioned. Beautiful as a devil, Doom Eternal is the new fast-FPS benchmark. No more no less.
Tunic
You shouldn’t be fooled by appearances: beneath her cute airs, Tunic hides a particularly difficult experience. Mix between Dark Souls and Zelda (the old ones), it takes the form of an adventure where absolutely everything is deserved. The first hours are off-putting, even frustrating, but you end up falling in love with these mechanics from another time.
Hades
Hades took its time before arriving on Xbox consoles (the game was first released on Nintendo Switch and PC). But Microsoft managed to bring it directly into the Xbox Game Pass. Excellent news, given the immense qualities of this demanding and addictive production. It places us in the costume of the son of the God of the underworld, whose ambition is to leave the place towards Olympus. Hades is based on a simple principle: you have to fail a lot to succeed a little.
Psychonauts 2
Smart and goofy, Psychonauts 2 is a game overflowing with generosity. This is a very well written and thought out adventure to take us through countless different settings. The feeling is a bit old-school, but it’s a trait that contributes to its charm and, by extension, to its success. At the helm, we find Tim Schafer, to whom we owe cult titles like maniac mansion, Tea Secret of Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle or Grim Fandango.
It Takes Two
Yes, It Takes Two requires two to play. But, behind this fairly easy to manage constraint (you can play online, therefore remotely), this experience published by Electronic Arts has a lot to offer. Generous and inventive, It Takes Two is one of the highlights of the year 2021. And it would be difficult to deprive yourself of its immense flood of ideas that allow you to have a good time. Spoiler: it’s even better as a couple.
Forza Horizon 5
Are you looking for THE game that will blow your mind on Xbox Series X? With Forza Horizon 5, you found it. This racing game developed by Playground Games is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful games on the console. It relies on accessible gameplay to take us through a fictional – but believable – Mexico in search of various challenges. It’s simple : Forza Horizon 5 is so impressive that you want to stop and contemplate the landscapes. A height.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Embarking on the Mass Effect trilogy is the assurance of being busy for hours and hours while waiting for the next opus (the development has been formalized by BioWare). In this RPG set in a SF universe, you simply have to save the galaxy from an ancient threat. The narration is pushed to its limits, knowing that we influence, a little, the dialogues by choosing certain sentences. In short, it is engaging and immersive.
Our recommendations on PC
Among Us
Among Us is one of the video game phenomena of 2020. Yet released in 2018, it manages to bring together thousands of people thanks to its simple rules – inspired by Werewolf games. At the Game Awards 2020 ceremony, it distinguished itself in the categories “best multiplayer game” and “best mobile game”. Deserved consecrations in view of its addictive argument during a period of confinement.
Humankind
Yes Humankind looks like Civilization on paper, this game released in August 2021 differs greatly from it. This new creation from the French studio Amplitude offers deeper mechanics by playing on multicultural interactions and lively diplomatic relations. Humankind almost gives the feeling of taking the controls of a real alternative history and although the beginning of the game is a little winded, it is a success.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Do you want to know what your recently purchased PC has in your stomach? Microsoft Flight Simulator is the game that will push your configuration to its limits. Visually stunning, this simulation is both uncompromising and accessible. The result is an ultra-complete title that is pleasant and intuitive to learn. For aviation enthusiasts, as for the curious.
Age of Empires IV
Wololo! The flagship saga age of empires is finally back with a fourth episode. Unsurprisingly, it’s a real Proust madeleine that the developers offer us, with a flavor of yesteryear that we taste without displeasure. The fans of Age of Empires II will find appreciable memories, knowing that everything has been improved (from the graphics to the interface, through the gameplay), but they will also be able to discover new mechanics, such as the ambush.
frostpunk
frostpunk is a demanding post-apocalyptic management game, in which you have to take care of survivors in the face of the cold that has fallen on Earth. There is a real notion of a state of emergency, which involves crucial choices very quickly, which makes frostpunk very interesting. Mistakes are unforgivable and it is necessary to have a few good reflexes in mind to get the adventure off to a good start.
Our recommendations on Mobile
Overcooked 2!
Overcooked 2! is an addictive party game based on a simple principle: succeed in as many cooking recipes as possible in a limited time. Very quickly, stress sets in, as customers demand more and more dishes. As a bonus, the developers have thought of stuffing the sets with traps so as not to make our task easier. Advice: play it with several people, unless you care about your loved ones.
Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Blind Forest is a spellbinding video game developed by Moon Studios. It is centered on a cute little creature, responsible for saving a forest in danger. Behind its magnificent artistic direction, accompanied by a delicate soundtrack, this experience remains difficult. The first steps are almost relaxing, but you’ll have to hold on to see the end ofOri and the Blind Forest. Good news: the sequel Ori and the Will of the Wispsis already available.
Carrion
In Carrion, the bad guy is you. Locked in a laboratory, a scary creature tries to escape. Endowed with scalable abilities, she won’t let anything or anyone stand in her way. Gory and violent, Carrion is not to be put before everyone’s eyes. But its original formula will hit the bull’s eye with those who like experiments that go to the end of their concept.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells is clearly not the most accessible of video games. It is even quite the opposite: his gameplay is cut in the requirement and it will be necessary to accept to die tens and tens of times to triumph. Drawing on various renowned influences (Dark Souls, Diablo, Castlevania,…), Dead Cells quickly takes the form of an addictive experience with relentless success. A real gem to try and to which it is easy to succumb.