After delighting its audience with Xbox Developer Direct announcements and gameplay videos, Microsoft has also unveiled a new wave of games for Xbox Game Pass. Much more substantial than the one that preceded it, it also includes a surprise as unexpected as it is welcome. Curious to discover the complete line-up? Read on!
Hi-Fi Rush (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X|S) – Available now
The first novelty of the new wave of games for Xbox Game Pass was announced during the Xbox Developer Direct. It is a completely new game, presented as a surprise and launched in Game Pass immediately after the show: let’s talk about Hi-Fi Rush, new Tango Gameworks effort for Xbox Series X|S and PC! Distancing themselves from their latest horror / supernatural works, the developers led by Shinji Mikami have given the press a stylish and colorful action game with a sense of rhythmwhich sees aspiring rock star Chai and his friends battle against an evil mega-corporation to the sound of music.
In Hi-Fi Rush the attacks create an interactive soundtrack, in which the complexity of the music grows hand in hand with the speed of execution of the moves and the complexity of the combos. The tracklist includes names like Nine Inch Nails, The Black Eyed Peas and The Prodigy.
GoldeEye 007 (Cloud and Console) – January 27th
Directly from the last millennium comes GoldenEye 007Rare’s seminal game which, when it appeared on Nintendo 64 in 1997, redefined the concept of first-person shooter thanks to an innovative and fun split-screen multiplayer for 4 players, without forgetting even a captivating campaign based on the first James Bond film with Pierce Brosnan.
GoldenEye 007 returns tomorrow January 27 in Game Pass with a version faithful to the original but supported by 4K resolutiona high-level framerate, achievements and, of course, split-screen for four participants.
Roboquest – Game Preview (Console) – January 30th
Already available on PC Game Pass for a good year, Roboquest is preparing to debut in the Xbox Game Pass catalog to offer console players its frenetic mix between first person shooter and roguelite. In the game published and developed by RyseUp Studios you have to destroy hordes of deadly bots in procedurally generated environments, also wanting in the company of a friend thanks to the cooperative mode for two players. The upgrades, skills and technologies acquired in each game, even in case of defeat, are permanent, therefore they can be used in subsequent runs.
Age of Empires II Definitive Edition (Cloud e Console) – 31 gennaio
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, one of the most loved strategists of all time, is preparing to make the leap to the Xbox consoles thanks to an ad-hoc redesigned game interface and control system. To meet a user who is certainly less accustomed to certain mechanics, he will also offer a series of tutorials designed to illustrate the rudiments of the genre and facilitate enjoyment. Being a game with a long history of refinements and updates behind it, the amount of content is impressive: we are talking about at least 200 hours of gameplay, 100 years of human history and 35 different civilizations. Will they be enough for you?
Inkulinati – Game Preview (Cloud, Console and PC) – January 31st
Very chatty for his strange name, It’s a peanut is actually a very promising strategy game in which inky creatures come to life under the pen strokes of the Inkulinati, a mysterious group of illuminati in possession of an extraordinary substance, living ink.
The goal of the matches is to kill all the critters drawn by the opponent’s Inkulinatieach of which has specific abilities. The donkey, for example, can push enemies by playing a bagpipe, while the snail is capable of eating them in one bite. The mighty dragon, for its part, can strike more than one opponent at a time, while the bishop cat neutralizes the heretics with blows of prayers.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R (Cloud, Console e PC) – 31 gennaio
Reissue of the 2014 fighting game, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R has revived the original experience by changing the rhythm of the fights, in which it is now possible to perform interruptions and dashes in the air, and wink at the fans with new dialogues recorded by the voice actors of Part 6 of the anime.
The main mode, All Star Battle, is embellished with unpublished clashes specially created for this “R” edition, and is flanked for the occasion by the inevitable Arcade, Online, Versus, Training and Gallery modes. The roster features 50 wrestlers from all the sagas born of Hirohiko Araki, including Jonathan Joestar, Jotaro Kujo, DIO and Jolyne Cujoh.
Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console and PC) – February 2nd
Back in the catalog after 8 months of absence (it was added in June 2021 and removed in May 2022), Darkest Dungeon is an immersive turn-based roguelike RPG with a handcrafted gothic style. Cynical and ruthless – therefore unsuitable for players looking for a relaxing experience – bases its gameplay on the mechanics of “adventure stress”, which undermines the strength of the heroes by exposing them to stress, famine, disease and unimaginable horrors. As a good roguelike as it is, Darkest Dungeon provides for the permanent death of the characters (divided into 15 classes), procedural dungeons and a strong propensity for replayability.
Grid Legends – Via EA Play (Cloud) – February 2nd
Available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on Console and PC since last September, GRID Legends it will soon also be usable via the Cloud. This is the most recent episode of the Codemasters automotive series, characterized by an arcade driving system with some simulation ambitions, a career with hundreds of events, over 22 settings and more than 120 cars divided into 9 categories.
Hot Wheels Unleashed – Game of the Year Edition (Cloud, Console e PC) – 7 febbraio
Initially included in the December 2022 Xbox Game Pass line-up and then removed, Hot Wheels Unleashed – Game of the Year Edition is preparing to return to the catalogue, this time – hopefully – for a much longer period. Developed by the Italians of Milestone, it is a sincere and faithful tribute to Mattel’s toy cars, the object of desire of millions of children (and not only). 
Equipped with a fiercely arcade gameplay, Hot Wheels Unleashed amazes also and above all for the maniacal care in the reproduction of the models and the tracks. The GOTY Edition also includes the three Passes and additional packs released during post-launch support, with lots of cars and additional content for the already rich track editor.
Games that will be removed at the end of January
Starting January 31, Donut County, Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master, Telling Lies, and Worms WMD will no longer be playable. Pfinish them while you can or take advantage of the 20% discount reserved for subscribers to purchase them definitively.
