With social distancing measures in place, games have become an important part in many people's lives. And, for those who haven't already, now is a perfect time to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. For a monthly fee, subscribers receive access to a library of over 100 games with more being added every month.
Of course, like with other subscription services, this also means that some games have to go away. Fortunately, you still have about a week to play them, as the games don't leave until April 15.
NieR: Automata Become as Gods Edition
If you're looking for an open-world action-RPG with a deep story that will leave you pondering philosophical questions, this games is for you. NieR: Automata tells the story of human-made androids, the YoRHa squad, who are trying to take back the Earth from a mechanical army from another world that drove all of the humans away. While the androids don't have emotions (or even real names), they each have unique quirks that set them apart from one another. Throughout the game, you'll encounter several characters named after famous philosophers like Blaise Pascal, Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre.
The game features 26 different endings (though all but five are essentially game over screens), and you'll want to play the game several times to get the best ending. Plus, the Become as Gods Edition includes the 3C3C1D119440927 DLC, adding extra side-quests and outfits to an already packed game.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service
Fans of games like Overcooked! or Untitled Goose Game who are looking for another weird and hilarious game should check out Totally Reliable Delivery Service. In this game, you will deliver packages around a sandbox world as carefully or haphazardly as you can. Get your deliveries done as quickly and efficiently as possible, or take a break and explore a world full of toys, vehicles and machines that may help get the job done.
The game combines platforming with ragdoll physics, and it provides plenty of chaotic fun for up to four players in local or online multiplayer, making it a perfect way to spend time with loved ones.
Alvastia Chronicles
A retro-style RPG that features over 100 companions, Alvastia Chronicles tells the story of two siblings on a journey to avenge their parents. As Elmia and Alan make their way across the world, they will assemble an army to help them bring their parents' killer to justice and bring peace to the world. They will also encounter monsters on their way, which can be fought in turn-based combat featuring up to 13 party members.
Alvastia Chronicles comes to Game Pass on April 9. It will be available for both console an PC.
Journey to the Savage Planet
This first-person adventure game is like a weird but charming No Man's Sky. As the newest recruit to the interstellar exploration company, Kindred Aerospace, you are sent to the uncharted planet ARY-26 to determine whether or not it is suitable for humans. With few resources at your disposal, you'll catalogue the plant and animal life of ARY-26 while crafting anything else you might need with a 3D printer that can turn trash into useful items.
For those who have played Journey to the Savage Planet before and are lookin g for a challenge, there's "Old Game Minus" mode, which starts you out with three lives (which are shared if you're playing co-op) and deletes your save data if you fail. This unique and quirky approach to a hard mode (and an obvious parody of the New Game+ modes found in many contemporary games) is the type of quirky humor you can expect from from this game.
Journey to the Savage Planet comes to Game Pass on April 9.
Leaving: The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
This comedic and clever point-and-click adventure is one of four games that will be leaving Game Pass on April 15. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 parodies various fantasy tropes, featuring gnome mages, elf princesses and a wise old wizard reminiscent of Gandalf or Dumbledore. This game features references to everything from Minecraft to Monsters, Inc, but they all seem to fit into a world full or beloved stories.
Leaving: Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Guacamelee! is a 2D-Metroidvania where players control a luchador, Juan, as he goes on a journey to save his beloved from an evil charro skeleton who hopes to sacrifice her to gain control of the worlds of the living and the dead. One of the only complaints critics had about the game was its short length, but this just means that you'll probably be able to get through all of this exciting game in the next week.
Leaving: MX vs ATV Reflex
You have another week to play this off-road racing game that allows you to race and perform death-defying tricks on motocross bikes or ATVs. MX vs ATV Reflex features real-time terrain deformation, meaning that different vehicles will shape the land as they drive over it, creating realistic and dynamic ruts and bumps to navigate. In online mode, you can join rooms of up to 12 players and participate in various tournaments and minigames.
Leaving: Prey
Prey is a first-person shooter where you play as Morgan Yu, a human researching the Typhon, a hostile alien species, on a space station. When the Typhon break out of containment and kill most of the crew, Morgan has to explore the station to find survivors and defeat the alien threat all while trying to uncover their own lost memories. Certain choices made throughout the game impact how the story ends, including whether Morgan lives or dies.
Leaving: Samurai Shodown II
A port of the 1994 fighting game, Samurai Shodown II is a sequel to one of the games that established the sword-fighting genre. The game features most of the cast of the first game and adds six new fighters to the roster. Fans of classic fighters and other SNK games will want to check this one out before April 15.