Best PC Game Pass Games

Xbox Game Pass

is firmly established as gaming’s definitive subscription service, a reputation built upon years of goodwill. Each month, Microsoft adds a few games to the service, ensuring subscribers always have something new to check out. While slightly overshadowed by its console counterpart,

PC Game Pass

is a great option for people who prefer to play on a computer rather than an Xbox.

Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass offer many of the same games, which reflects Microsoft’s desire to cater to its whole customer base rather than just those who own consoles. That said, there are differences between the two, including some great titles that are only on the PC iteration. What are the

best games on PC Game Pass

?

In case someone prefers physical Xbox copies, links will be provided to the games’ Amazon pages.

Starfield

It has been a long time coming but

Starfield

is not only finally out but also available to Game Pass subscribers. Regardless of its reception, which has been largely positive, Bethesda’s sci-fi open-world game will go down as one of 2023’s most significant releases, if not the undisputed biggest. Throughout its pre-launch life,

Starfield

was kind of presented as

Skyrim

in space, and while not totally inaccurate, that description is not really reflective of the experience. For better or worse,

Starfield

is its own beast that takes ideas from Bethesda’s past without repeating them verbatim. The result is a game that might not immediately hit the mark with long-time fans who are specifically searching for sci-fi

Elder Scrolls

or

Fallout

, a fact that is not helped by the campaign’s slow start. However, once things open up, the game becomes something special.

Like so many classic projects by the developer,

Starfield

‘s greatest asset is the player freedom it provides. While the main story is by no means bad, it is merely a small part of the overall package and can be ignored for hours on end. Once players receive a ship and are allowed to do their own thing, they can simply go wherever they please. Explore, investigate, speak to NPCs, and just see what this universe has to offer. Using procedural generation, the game has more than a thousand visitable planets that can be used as a base for an outpost. They do not all have things worth discovering, but they can serve as settings for some fun events.

Starfield

‘s existing cities are also grand and impressive. The game’s gunplay is Bethesda’s best so far, and it is genuinely enjoyable even when compared to

other

sci-fi RPGs.

Lies Of P

September 2023 might go down as Game Pass’s best month for day-one releases.

Starfield

was its biggest name, but it was far from the only noteworthy addition.

Lies of P

is a Soulslike inspired by

Pinocchio

, with players taking control of the eponymous puppet as they find themselves in

Bloodborne

-esque hellscape where death lurks around every corner. Boasting a gorgeous visual style and satisfying combat, Round8’s project succeeds in crafting its own voice despite sharing quite a few similarities with the genre’s most beloved properties.

Set in the city of Krat,

Lies of P

nails its atmosphere and enemy designs, with the latter producing a few truly terrifying bosses. The combat system rewards fast and aggressive play, and while dodging is an option, guarding is arguably more important. Ultimately,

Lies of P

is an indie project when compared to FromSoftware’s titles, but it still manages to hold its own against that developer’s masterpieces.

Cocoon

Short but sweet,

Cocoon

is novel, innovative, and endlessly charming. Players control an insect as it travels through a desert-like world filled with orbs containing their own micro-universe. A cool concept executed brilliantly,

Cocoon

is a fantastic and well-paced puzzle game that regularly introduces new ideas to keep things feeling fresh.

2023 has certainly produced bigger releases than Geometric Interactive’s project, but it won’t produce many games that are actively better than

Cocoon

. If someone is looking for something short to play in between

Starfield

and

Lies of P

, this title should be perfect.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

If it were not for some behind-the-scenes issues, Sumo Digital’s

Friday the 13th

could have developed into one of the defining asymmetrical

multiplayer

horror games. While that project’s life was sadly cut short, the developer’s

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

should help fill the void for anyone who loves these sorts of releases. For the uninitiated, asymmetrical multiplayer refers to games that revolve around lopsided matches.

Dead by Daylight

is probably the subgenre’s most well-known representative and its shadow looms heavily over every other horror-leaning title that fits the description.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

does not deviate too far from its forefathers’ ideas, but it shakes up just enough elements to establish a new identity. For one, encounters pit three Family Members against four Victims, deviating from the typical 4v1 format. This makes sense since the former killers have no supernatural powers, so they are not a lot more powerful than the Victims. The characters have skill trees, so there is also a sense of progression.

Payday 3

Payday 3

has been a long time coming, and it is following up one of the most popular multiplayer shooters of the last decade. Unsurprisingly, Starbreeze’s sequel opted against reinventing the wheel, instead focusing on fine-tuning the gameplay. As such,

Payday 3

is very similar to

Payday 2

, although its gunplay is considerably better. The sequel also emphasizes stealth, which provides an alternative approach during heists.

While unlikely to impress people who never liked its predecessor, the 2023 release should hit the spot with most fans, provided they go in with the knowledge that this is a live-service game with a long road ahead of it.

Payday 3

is somewhat lacking in content at the moment as most crews will probably complete the current roster of jobs in under 10 hours; however, that is when the grind really begins.

Guilty Gear Strive

Guilty Gear Strive

is Arc System Works’ latest entry in its anime fighting franchise. While overshadowed by

Dragon Ball FighterZ

,

Guilty Gear

is arguably the developer’s primary license, and

Strive

stands toe-to-toe with the best fighters on the market. Balancing style and substance, the game offers fast-paced and skill-based combat that is immediately enjoyable but difficult to master.

Early entries in the series did not do a great job of introducing beginners to all the games’ systems, but

Strive

does show improvement in this area. That said, there is still a fairly steep learning curve, particularly if someone plans to jump into the online mode.

Hi-Fi Rush

Christmas came late for Game Pass owners as

Hi-Fi Rush

randomly debuted on January 25, 2023, and the hack and slash title proved to be quite a delightful surprise. From the developer behind

The Evil Within

and the polarizing

Ghostwire: Tokyo

,

Hi-Fi Rush

is a colorful and high-octane action romp built on music. Through a series of unfortunate events, Chai winds up with a music player in his chest, which means his actions naturally get a boost when he times them to the beat. This proves handy when he is taking on the campaign’s colorful and challenging bosses.

Hi-Fi Rush

pops off the screen with vibrant cyberpunk environments and beautifully designed characters. The game is a looker that also plays and sounds great. The combat system starts satisfying and gradually extends its complexity; when not engaging in stylish battles, players can look forward to enjoyable platforming.

Atomic Heart

Garnering quite a bit of pre-release hype,

Atomic Heart

struggled somewhat to live up to expectations, although it is by no means a bad game. A first-person shooter set in an open-world based on the 1950s Soviet Union, Mundfish’s title benefits from a unique setting and some rather impressive visuals. While nothing to write home about, the gunplay improves significantly once players unlock most of their abilities.

Ultimately,

Atomic Heart

will likely not go down as one of the best games of 2023, which is a difficult ask for any developer. However, it is a fine project that fits snuggly on Xbox Game Pass, presenting people who would have otherwise skipped the FPS with a cost-effective way to give it a spin.

Celeste

There are roughly a billion indie 2D platformers. Some of them are fantastic, a few are awful, and most are utterly forgettable.

Celeste

firmly belongs in the first category, and it was arguably among the independent scene’s greatest achievements of the 2010s. So, does this make it a must-play for anyone with a PC Game Pass subscription? Well, yes and no. If someone loves 2D platformers, they owe it to themselves to try Extremely OK Games’ title. However,

Celeste

is a hard-as-nails precision platformer that can be exhausting for anyone who is not really looking for an especially difficult challenge. It is not particularly accessible.

Unlike quite a few entries in the genre,

Celeste

has a pretty in-depth story. Players control Madeline, a woman who goes on a soul-searching journey to climb Celeste Mountain. Touching upon mature themes like depression, the platformer is surprisingly character-driven, and its punishing gameplay reflects Madeline’s journey.

Cassette Beasts

Pokemon

will never come to Xbox Game Pass, so monster-taming fans must look elsewhere to get their fix. Debuting in April 2023,

Cassette Beasts

instantly declared itself as a fantastic alternative to Nintendo’s flagship property. As the name suggests, the turn-based RPG revolves around beasts that can be recorded via a cassette tape; if successful, which is hardly a guarantee, players gain the ability to transform into that monster during battle.

Cassette Beasts

‘ combat blends the familiar with the novel to create a battle system that is both accessible and challenging. Although not its only interesting mechanic, combat presents the option to fuse monsters, creating a superpowered entity that will be very useful against the campaign’s harder enemies. Narratively, Bytten Studio crafted a fascinating story set on a mysterious island cut off from the rest of reality.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Those that played the

Warhammer: Vermintide

series will definitely want to get their hands on

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

, which takes the concepts from previous titles and amps up the action even further. This release features a different story arc by having players step into the shoes of prisoners, forced to clear out enemy-infested zones and complete tasks for their captors. The gameplay remains much the same as

Vermintide

, with players jumping into missions and joining others cooperatively to battle against hordes of bloodthirsty creatures and powerful bosses.

With a variety of weapons to unlock and multiple characters to play as,

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

is the perfect release to scratch the FPS itch, especially for those who are looking to slash and shoot their way through tons of enemies.

Shadowrun Trilogy

Based on a tabletop RPG,

Shadowrun

‘s video game legacy dates back to 1993. Following a rather lengthy dry spell, the franchise made a big return in 2013 with

Shadowrun Returns

, a grid-based tactical RPG that successfully brought to life the source material’s fascinating science-fantasy setting.

That project was followed up by two expansions/sequels,

Dragonfall

and

Hong Kong

, which follow their own stories and fine-tune their predecessor’s core mechanics. All three RPGs are great in their own right, and they feel more at home on PCs than on consoles.

Stranded Deep

Stranded Deep

lets everyone live their

Cast Away

fantasy, a concept that is absolutely perfect for the survival genre. Players survive a plane

crash

and land in an ocean surrounded by a few islands, which they will need to explore in order to see another day. Gameplay-wise,

Stranded Deep

sticks relatively close to the standard survival formula with a gameplay loop revolving around scrounging for resources, crafting tools and shelter, and monitoring meters.

While it has an end-point,

Stranded Deep

is about the journey and not the destination. As the map is randomly generated for each playthrough, the game can be essentially replayed endlessly, although the meat of the experience will largely be the same from campaign to campaign.

Ghostwire: Tokyo

After spending a year as a PS5 console exclusive,

Ghostwire: Tokyo

has finally joined the Xbox family, with the port launching directly on Game Pass. Tango Gameworks’ atmospheric first-person game brings to life a creepy version of Tokyo and follows a protagonist who is pushed into the role of spirit hunter after an evil descends on the city. As ghosts flood the streets, players will have to turn to a few unique abilities as they try to survive the story’s challenges.

Although not without its detractors,

Ghostwire: Tokyo

is generally well-regarded. The title has a cool setting and excellent visuals; in fact, the campaign’s high points tend to focus more on exploration than action. That’s not to say the combat system is terrible, as it is more than capable of producing a few inspired moments, despite coming across as clunky at times.

Loop Hero

PC Game Pass has an impressive selection of indie projects, and that includes a few games published by Developer Digital. While not the most well-known project in existence,

Loop Hero

is an addictive experience with no direct contemporaries on Game Pass, even though it takes many ideas that are common in the RPG and roguelite genres. As the title suggests, levels consist of a hero automatically walking along a looped path, and they will fight enemies and collect resources along the way.

The catch is that the game takes place in a world suffering from widespread amnesia, and each loop starts off as a blank slate. En route, players pick up cards that can be placed on the map to “remember” that spot, transforming the level in the process. Each card comes with positives and negatives, creating a delicate and strategic balancing act as players will need to craft a route that will allow them to ultimately defeat a stage’s boss.

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator

has enjoyed a successful launch, and its availability on PC Game Pass has only brought more eyes to niceplay’s project. As suggested by its title, this game revolves around crafting potions through alchemy, a concept that is surprisingly accessible while still offering depth. Players run a shop that seeks to fulfill their customers’ requests, which can range from the obvious to the obtuse.

Along with acquiring resources, the alchemist will need to experiment with their ingredients in order to craft the desired potions, and the process prioritizes strategy over trial and error.

Potion Craft

is a relaxing game that still requires players to pay attention.

Pentiment

Pentiment

is a grandiose adventure through 16th Century Bavaria. Those looking for a narrative-driven adventure that features puzzle elements should find tons to enjoy about

Pentiment

. Featuring beautiful and artistic

graphics

, along with wonderful sound design and an engrossing landscape,

Pentiment

should keep players on the edge of their seats from the start.

Players will have to explore their surroundings, engage with NPCs, and solve puzzles sprinkled around each plot line to progress through each of

Pentiment

‘s exciting “acts.”

Like A Dragon: Ishin!

PC Game Pass subscribers have plenty of

Yakuza

games at their fingertips. In fact, they can play through the entire mainline entries, including

Yakuza: Like a Dragon

. Sega’s franchise has delivered consistent quality for years now, and all these games are worth playing since they tell great stories that feature unforgettable characters. The gameplay tends to be solid as well. However, if someone wants to experience Kiryu’s full journey (to this point), they are looking at hundreds of hours of gameplay, which can be a daunting task. Therefore, as an alternative, they can just play the standalone

Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Set during the Edo Period,

Ishin!

takes the likeness of

Yakuza

‘s famous characters and drops them into a new era, giving them new (historical) names in the process. Although very much a non-canon campaign,

Ishin!

still has all the hallmarks of a core project in the series. That means players can look forward to a lengthy and engaging narrative, fun combat, and a dense open-world filled with optional content. There are not all that many games set during this part of history, and

Ishin!

does an admirable job of bringing it to life.

Grounded

Players who enjoy games like

Minecraft

and

Terraria

should definitely consider hopping into

Grounded

. This microscopic adventure sees players entering a backyard landscape after being shrunk down to a fraction of their former size. Players will have to battle against hordes of vicious bugs to collect various materials to strengthen their armaments and increase their survivability.

Along the way, they will uncover an underlying storyline that will have them traveling all over the backyard to collect a variety of specialized computer chips. Players can embark on this journey by themselves or join in with up to three other friends.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Asobo Studio’s highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s

A Plague Tale: Innocence

is finally out, and

Requiem

is just as brilliant as its predecessor. Once again cast as Amicia, players find themselves heading out on a harrowing journey to find a cure for Hugo, the protagonist’s younger brother, during the French Inquisition and black plague.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

sticks close to the blueprint established by the first game, all the while improving upon a few elements. The sequel has a far superior combat system that presents Amicia with a wider variety of options. The story is also fantastic and builds up nicely.

Vampire Survivors

After spending almost a year in early access on Steam,

Vampire Survivors

made its full debut on October 20, 2022. The top-down roguelike has been nothing short of a colossal hit, and the game has received plenty of updates over the last year.

After selecting one of

Vampire Survivors

‘ available characters, players drop into a stage where they are bombarded by waves of enemies. The goal is to simply survive until the time limit while upgrading weapons, unlocking power-ups, and gaining gold coins.

Vampire Survivors

is a great

PC Game Pass game

since its gameplay loop is perfect for a subscription service that encourages playing multiple titles simultaneously.

Monster Hunter Rise

Originally a Switch exclusive,

Monster Hunter Rise

eventually made its way to other platforms, including PC Game Pass. People familiar with Capcom’s franchise will feel right at home with the 2021 release, especially if they experienced

Monster Hunter World

; however,

Rise

is still a unique beast that stands well on its own two feet. Opting for smaller scale maps and missions than its predecessor,

Rise

strips back some of the fat in order to emphasize

Monster Hunter

‘s core appeal: the combat.

While

Rise

has something of a story, it is merely there to guide players toward the end game when they can focus on grinding monsters to unlock better loot (which can then be used to grind even deadlier monsters). This gameplay loop has worked for decades, and

Rise

is no exception.

Amnesia: Collection, Rebirth, & The Bunker

Added to PC Game Pass in time for Halloween 2022,

Amnesia: Collection

contains

The Dark Descent

and

A Machine for Pigs

. The former is an influential first-person horror game set within a castle. Along with piecing together the events that led the protagonist to this situation, players must also manage their sanity meter while solving puzzles.

A Machine for Pigs

tends to be overshadowed by

The Dark Descent

, but it is an intense and memorable horror experience in its own right.

Amnesia: Rebirth

and

The Bunker

are the most recent entries in the franchise, both of which are decent survival horror games with unique settings. Even if they do not come that close to reaching the heights of

The Dark Descent

, they still warrant playthroughs.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Mount & Blade 2

is an ambitious game that blends ideas from the management, strategy, and action RPG genres. Such a wide scope unsurprisingly results in a few missteps, but the overall experience is still a positive one. Set on a massive map,

Bannerlord

casts players as nobodies but gives them the resources to become rulers, and that journey is defined by trade, war, and relationships.

Mount & Blade 2

can be overwhelming, particularly for those who did not play the franchise’s previous releases; however, it is quite unlike anything else on

PC Game Pass

.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

In recent months, Ubisoft has been adding its projects to both Sony and Microsoft’s subscription services. PC Games Pass has

Assassin’s Creed Origins

and

Odyssey

, two open-world action-adventure games that will collectively keep somebody busy for over a hundred hours. Both titles are fantastic, and personal preference for the games’ settings is likely to dictate which release is considered superior.

Odyssey

is gorgeous, ambitious, and narratively engaging. Building on

Origins

‘ gameplay,

Odyssey

fine-tunes the melee combat to create a satisfying experience that packs quite a punch.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Prior to its Early Access release,

Disney Dreamlight Valley

was a difficult project to pin down. Set in a Mickey Mouse-themed world, the sim tasks players with rejuvenating a village by convincing Disney’s iconic characters to move into the area. While the project is still in development, the current version is fun and rewarding.

Ultimately, a person’s appreciation for this title will primarily come down to their interest in Disney and Pixar properties. Non-fans might still enjoy

Disney Dreamlight Valley

as it is a solid life-sim with adventure elements such as quests, but a pre-existing love for these characters certainly helps.

Inside

Playdead’s

Inside

is a dark and unsettling 2.5D platformer about a boy traveling across a dystopian world. Utilizing ambiguous storytelling that focuses more on atmosphere rather than twists, this 2016 indie darling is a triumph of level and environmental design.

In terms of gameplay,

Inside

does not necessarily do anything all that unique, but the game executes its puzzles so well that it still manages to stand out. This is one of those projects that simply needs to be experienced by everyone interested in gaming, and

Inside

is one of the

best PC Game Pass games

.

Limbo

is also on PC Game Pass.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

The heroes in a half-shell are back in a modern beat ’em up that harbors back to arcade classics like

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time

, and this adventure delivers far more than just a nostalgia trip.

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge

presents a delightful modernization of the side-scrolling brawler formula, one that preserves and enhances that old-school ’90s charm of when these styles of games were inescapable.

Featuring six playable characters who each feel unique and 16 stages that pay homage to the

TMNT

franchise,

Shredder’s Revenge

is a must-play for long-time fans of the franchise or simply any PC Game Pass subscriber looking to try out an awesome title.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection

Xbox Game Pass subscribers had

Ninja Gaiden


Black

and

Ninja Gaiden 2

at their fingertips for a while, but the same could not be said for PC owners. Thankfully, the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection changed this, bringing this fantastic hack and slash franchise to a wider spectrum of platforms.

This compilation contains

Ninja Gaiden Sigma

,

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2

, and

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge

, delivering dozens upon dozens of hours of Ryu goodness. Now, an argument can be made that the

Sigma

iterations are not the best versions of these games, but they are still very good. While the third entry has plenty of flaws,

Razor’s Edge

‘s combat system is a blast when played on the normal difficulty level.

Tunic

Calling back to classic adventure games such as

The Legend of Zelda

,

Tunic

wears its influences on its sleeve, and the 2022 release does justice to them. Set in a meticulously crafted world, this adventure tasks players with exploring the land and dungeons all the while collecting new weapons and items.

Do not be fooled by the adorable visuals,

Tunic

can be quite challenging, both in terms of the standard enemies and the array of bosses that are fought along the way. A delightful indie game that succeeds in feeling modern while paying tribute to classic titles from yesteryear,

Tunic

is certainly not a game someone wants to miss.

Mortal Kombat 11

Mortal Kombat 11

is one of the better entries in NetherRealm Studios’ highly-regarded fighting franchise. Ever since the 2011 release,

MK

has been on a tear, delivering entertaining over-the-top narratives with deep gameplay and a lot of online content.

MK11

slows down the combat considerably, crafting an experience that prioritizes precise and strategic movements over button-mashing. The game’s competitive scene can be quite overwhelming, especially now that

MK11

has been out for more than two years, however, the single-player campaign is plenty of fun and can also be completed within a weekend.

Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition

The indie scene has become flooded with Metroidvanias in the last decade or so, and few games have done a better job of capturing the genre’s magic than

Hollow Knight

. Set in Hallownest, players guide a knight through a complex, beautiful, and frequently haunting world filled with tough enemies, secrets, and lore.

Hollow Knight

does not handhold players, opting to emphasize the importance of exploration and discovery. Although not overly complex,

Hollow Knight

‘s combat system knocks it out of the park and manages to remain enjoyable for the entirety of the campaign’s length.

Microsoft Flight Simulator Standard 40th Anniversary Edition

Microsoft Flight Simulator

is a niche product that is also one of the reasons to pick up a

PC Game Pass

subscription. Permitting someone’s computer can run it,

Microsoft Flight Simulator

offers an experience unlike anything else on the market.

With Earth as its open-world, the flight sim allows pilots to plot courses and head out into the skies, traveling above vistas that could pass for real-life photographs. Ambitious, complex, and addictive,

Microsoft Flight Simulator

is a technical masterpiece and a triumphant work of art.

Forza Horizon 5

Playground has yet to drop a dud when it comes to

Forza Horizon

, and the 2021 entry marks a new high point for the beloved racing series. Set in Mexico,

Forza Horizon 5

unleashes players on a massive and varied map filled with races, cars to unlock, jumps to make, and challenges to complete.

Visually stunning and boasting a respectable soundtrack,

Forza Horizon 5

is an arcade racer with almost no peers. Going by previous releases, the 2021 game should have a lifespan of at least a few years, so drivers have a lot of time to enjoy Mexico’s biomes.

2023’s

Forza Motorsport

is an option for players who prefer sim rather than arcade racers. The game has a mixed reputation so far, largely thanks to launching in a less-than-immaculate state.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

The entirety of the

Halo

franchise took a lengthy hiatus from PC after its initial outing with

Combat Evolved

, but all of that finally changed in 2019 — when the

Master Chief Collection

finally migrated to PC. Now mouse-and-keyboard warriors can follow the whole of Spartan-117’s saga and indulge in the full suite of multiplayer offerings alongside their Xbox brethren.

The

MCC

is virtually a crown jewel on the Xbox side of Game Pass, and it loses very little of that status in its transition to PC. All the entries hold up well and rank among the best console FPS games of all time.

Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite

launched simultaneously on Xbox and PC, with the multiplayer being free for all. The single-player campaign is a notable improvement over

Halo 5: Guardians

. While there are the typical missions found in all

Halo games

,

Infinite

also includes open-ended sections so that players can take on side quests and explore Zeta Halo.

The gunplay is as satisfying as ever, both in single-player and multiplayer. The campaign is substantial and long, while the online modes ensure people will keep on playing

Halo Infinite

for years to come.

A PC Game Pass subscription is not required to play

Halo Infinite

‘s multiplayer.

Deep Rock Galactic

If someone is looking for a bombastic and lighthearted cooperative shooter that manages to avoid sacrificing depth or action, then they need to look no further than

Deep Rock Galactic

. Players saddle up as one of four distinct classes of deep-delving Dwarves to plunge into various intergalactic caverns and plunder them of their valuable resources.

Of course, said caverns are usually inhabited by voracious alien species that have a taste for Dwarf flesh — but it’s nothing an impressive arsenal of weapons and repurposed mining tools can’t handle.

Deep Rock Galactic

is an absolute blast and a must-play for weekend gaming groups and dedicated co-op partners.

Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Pillars of Eternity

(and more specifically,

Pillars of Eternity 2

) is for gamers that either missed out on or are looking to relive the golden years of

Baldur’s Gate

‘s heyday. Taking place several years after the first installment, players return to the role of a “Watcher” (a sort of spiritual medium in the game’s world of Eora) to hunt down a vengeful god.

As mentioned,

Pillars of Eternity

evokes strong nostalgia in the vein of classic CRPGs, featuring satisfyingly deep role-playing opportunities and progression mechanics alongside smartly developed skill and attribute systems.

No Man’s Sky

Thanks to numerous updates,

No Man’s Sky

is not the game it once was when it was first released; it is so much more. PC games excel as living titles that are updated regularly, and no game has made such a comeback thanks to this work-in-progress model than

No Man’s Sky

.

Players can take to the stars and explore countless planets at their leisure, building bases and searching for resources the entire time. The freedom afforded by the scope of

No Man’s Sky

‘s universe is breathtaking. Being able to explore the far reaches of space all from the comfort of your gaming chair makes this game a must-play title in the Xbox Game Pass library.

Gears 5 Game Of The Year Edition

Gears 5 Game of the Year Edition

includes the base game, the

Hivebusters

expansion, 30 days of Boost, and the

Halo: Reach

character pack. Building on the fourth entry,

Gears 5

blends the franchise’s hard-hitting third-person shooter gameplay with a couple of open sections similar to

Halo Infinite

, albeit nowhere near as vast as that game.

Kait Diaz takes center stage as the franchise’s new protagonist, and

Gears 5

does a stellar job of exploring her connection to the Locust. Along with

Gears 5

,

PC Game Pass

also has

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

and

Gears of War 4

, along with the

Gears Tactics

spin-off.

MORE: The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass