The next batch of Xbox Game Pass handouts is a set of greats on a silver platter. There's the indie sleeper hit The Pedestrian, the beloved time loop game Outer Wilds, and the remastered bundle of a classic trilogy - Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
Three games have arrived today, those being Gorogoa, a BAFTA award-winning puzzle game, Olija, a story about a man shipwrecked only to find a mysterious new country, and the afformentioned Pedestrian, a side-scroller set in the real world where you move through public signs. They're all playable on Xbox, PC, and the cloud.
All the games coming soon are listed below:
- Embr (cloud, Xbox, PC) - January 6
- Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Xbox and PC) - January 6
- Outer Wilds (cloud, Xbox, and PC) - January 6
- Spelunky 2 (console and PC) - January 13
- The Anacrusis preview (Xbox and PC) - January 13
However, if you want to play Mass Effect Legendary Edition, you will need EA Play what with it being an EA game and all. You get that as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, a slightly more pricey model with added benefits. The basic subscription is £7.99 per month while Ultimate is a little more at £10.99 per month. Still cheaper than Neflix, eh?
Outer Wilds was already on Xbox Game Pass but took a brief hiatus, leaving the service. Now it's back and is likely to stay for a while, but just in case it ever flakes and leaves again, it might be best to give it a whirl. It's a modern cult hit that was beloved by critics and audiences alike, only taking around 15 and a half hours to beat.
Meanwhile, Minecraft is holding its New Year's celebration right through to January 17. You can find giveaways in the marketplace along with skin and map packs, some of which are commemorating the launch of Caves & Cliffs part two. But on the downside, there are also the games leaving the service.
From January 15, you won't be able to play Desperados 3, Ghost of a Tale, Kingdom Hearts 3, Mount & Blade: Warband, Pandemic, or Yiik: A Postmodern RPG. There is a silver lining, though. PUBG is leaving the service on January 10. Sad right? If you're a fan, sure. But it's going free-to-play two days later on January 12.