The Xbox Game Pass library has grown to over 850 titles now that it’s received an influx of Ubisoft games and more, like this month’s Ninja Gaiden 4. Because of that, some titles are easily overlooked, no matter how great they are — or new, as is Keeper‘s case.
With this week’s recommendations, we want to spotlight favorites that are perhaps easily forgotten on Microsoft’s subscription service. They include a decade-old comedic RPG, an indie platformer about climbing, and an immersive sim with one of the coolest abilities in gaming history.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last several months — in which case, lucky you — you’ve probably heard that South Park is back in a major way, and pissing off all the right people. If you’ve already devoured the latest episodes, take 2014’s South Park: The Stick of Truth for a spin. It’s a Dungeons and Dragons-inspired turn-based RPG where you choose from one of four classes: Fighter, Thief, Mage, or Jew (who specializes in “Jew-jitsu”). Like its source material, it’s never afraid to push the envelope for a good bit, and no taboo topic is off-limits. You’ll fight aliens, Nazi zombies, and even former Vice President Al Gore, who bores your party to sleep with a slideshow presentation.
If all that weren’t reason enough, it’s also made by Obsidian, who launched three games this year alone: Avowed, Grounded 2, and, most recently, The Outer Worlds 2. It’s no secret the studio has been cooking with gas in recent years, but The Stick of Truth is a reminder that it has been putting out bangers for well over a decade now. —Jen Glennon
Jusant
I’m not even sure I realized Jusant was available on Game Pass until Microsoft announced it would be leaving the service at the end of the month. Let me implore you: spend some time with it before it leaves, as you won’t regret it. Don’t Nod’s rock-climbing puzzle-platformer is a beautiful exploration of a barren world. Over the course of five or six hours, a young boy transports a sentient water droplet up a tower that was once surrounded by ocean, and now only desert. Through journal entries and environmental storytelling, you’ll surmise the secrets of the people who used to call the tower home. At the very least, check out Jusant‘s soundtrack — it gives Lofi Girl a run for her money in terms of chill music to study to. —Austin Manchester
Dishonored
Game Pass obviously presents new games as its biggest draw, but it’s still a solid repository for terrific older games. As much as it hurts to admit, yes, Arkane’s immersive sim Dishonored is more than a decade old — but that doesn’t mean it’s any less playable. You play as a blank-slate guy named Corvo, the chief bodyguard for an empress of a steampunk, industrial-era realm built on the whale blubber trade. At the start of the game, mysterious adversaries murder her and frame you. Shortly after, Corvo learns a bunch of magical powers, including one of the most game-changing video game abilities ever: Blink, which allows you to teleport short distances, transforming traditional spaces into playgrounds for chaotic creativity. Play with Blink for just a single level and you’ll see why, 13 years later, every studio should still steal it for their games. —Ari Notis
