Since its launch in 2017, Xbox Game Pass has become one of the best deals in gaming, providing access to a diverse library of hundreds of games for a monthly fee of $10 USD ($15 if you want access to both the console and PC libraries). And with new (often excellent) games added each month, its value has continued to increase over time.
We originally ran this list three years ago, but since then the Game Pass library has more than doubled, now offering over 250 games on console and nearly 200 on PC, according to Microsoft. With so many around the world staying home to help contain the spread of COVID-19, we’re updating this list so you can get the most out of your subscription. Here are the 25 best games you can play right now on Xbox Game Pass, listed alphabetically.
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Borderlands: The Handsome Collection
Xbox Game Pass (console)
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection bundles remastered versions of one excellent Borderlands game (Borderlands 2) and one pretty good one (The Pre-Sequel). Between the two main stories, six DLC campaigns, twelve playable characters, and an insane number of guns, hundreds of hours can be spent vault hunting in these two irreverent RPG loot-shooters.
Read IGN’s Borderlands: The Handsome Collection review.
Dead Cells
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Thanks to its ever-changing level design, each run of Dead Cells feels fresh. The fast and fluid action-platformer provides the promise of something new at the start of each run, creating a loop of discovery that alleviates the frustration of failure; with each death comes an eagerness to see what surprises the next run holds.
Read IGN’s Dead Cells review.
Devil May Cry 5
Xbox Game Pass (console)
Devil May Cry 5 is one of this generation’s best action games. While its story is certainly strong enough to propel you through its 10-12-hour campaign, as with the series’ past games, you’re likely here for the combat — and DMC 5 doesn’t disappoint. Featuring three playable characters with three distinct fighting styles and an impressive variety of enemies and bosses, DMC 5 encourages creativity in combat and leaves you feeling like a master demon slayer.
Read IGN’s Devil May Cry 5 review.
Dishonored 2
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Dishonored 2 is all about player choice. It’s clear from the very beginning, when you’ll choose between two playable characters, and extends throughout the roughly 12-hour campaign, which allows you to tackle each mission with any combination of stealth, smarts, and violence. And it’s all set within some of the best-designed levels in recent memory.
Read IGN’s Dishonored 2 review.
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Fable II
Xbox Game Pass (console)
One of the all-time great Xbox 360 exclusives, Fable II is filled with well-written and fully realized characters and stories, loads of quests, and moral freedom in how you interact with the fantastical world of Albion. In our initial review, we called it “a captivating, unforgettable experience,” and that still holds true to this day.
Read IGN’s Fable 2 review.
Fallout: New Vegas
Xbox Game Pass (console)
Another massive open-world RPG, Fallout: New Vegas is a take on the apocalyptic wasteland painted with developer Obsidian Entertainment’s signature wit and charm. A branching main story and excellent side quests keep you moving through the Mojave Wasteland, where you’ll encounter memorable characters (its dialogue is particularly brilliant) and creatures. Game Pass also includes Fallout 4, but if you don’t mind the 360-era graphics, New Vegas is our go-to for a Fallout fix.
Read IGN’s Fallout: New Vegas review.
Forza Horizon 4
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Playground Games has established Forza Horizon as the premier open-world racing franchise. With stunning visuals (highlighted throughout its shifting seasons), remarkable sound design, hundreds of customizable vehicles from over 80 car manufacturers, and a host of events—from racing and rally to drift and drag—Forza Horizon 4 is a must-play racer.
Read IGN’s Forza Horizon 4 review.
Gears 5
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Gears 5 may be the second game in the series’ new saga, but it feels very much like a first; The Coalition’s latest shifts its story focus to new protagonist Kate Diaz, introduces a more open world, and the new Escape co-op mode. However, not all is new: Gears 5 retains (and sharpens) the excellent cover-based shooting and visceral up-close combat the series was built on.
If you’re new to the series, we recommend you start at the beginning with Gears of War Ultimate Edition, as the entire series is available on Game Pass. If you’re put off by the time investment, at least start with Gears 4; it includes some important context to understanding the story of 5.
Read IGN’s Gears 5 review.
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Grand Theft Auto V
Xbox Game Pass (console)
This last-gen masterpiece came to Xbox One in 2014 with a fresh coat of paint that included enhanced textures, improved lighting effects, and greater draw distances that all added a new layer of life to the already vibrant city of Los Santos. Rockstar also added the game-changing ability to switch between the traditional third-person view and the newly implemented first-person mode, making one of the all-time best games ever made even better.
Read IGN’s Grand Theft Auto 5 review.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Xbox Game Pass is arguably the industry’s best value in terms of services, and within that service lies arguably the best value in terms of software with Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Compiling Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and beautifully remastered versions of Halo 2, 3, ODST, Reach, and Halo 4, The Master Chief Collection includes one of gaming’s greatest sci-fi sagas spread across several of its best first-person shooters.
Read IGN’s Halo: The Master Chief Collection review (2019 update).
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Hellblade tells an emotional 6-7-hour story, “one of confusion, sadness, fear, and loss [that’s] punctuated by moments of beauty, and strength,” as we said in our review. Its HUD-less display immerses you in a gorgeously realized Norse hellscape as protagonist Senua, whose perception of the world infiltrates your experience in imaginative, unsettling ways. The brilliant binaural audio design makes playing with headphones a must, as the voices in Senua’s head echo through yours. Even if it’s just to prepare for the sequel on Xbox Series X, Hellblade is a must-play.
Read IGN’s Hellblade review.
Hollow Knight
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
One of the best Metroidvanias in recent memory (and the first of two on this list), Hollow Knight is a stylish 2D platformer that prioritizes exploration and rewards those patient (and brave) enough to venture into its depths with a surprisingly developed story, challenging combat, and plenty of secrets to uncover.
Read IGN’s Hollow Knight review.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Xbox Game Pass (console)
The Phantom Pain earned a 10 from IGN for its extraordinary espionage gameplay that demands intelligence and creativity from its players. There’s no wrong way to play in this Kojima-created sandbox, which is a testament to its brilliant design.
Read IGN’s Metal Gear Solid 5 review.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Shadow of War builds on its already excellent predecessor, Shadow of Mordor, resulting in a bigger and more ambitious action game set in one of fiction’s most beloved worlds. The series’ main draw, however, remains the excellent Nemesis System, which has been expanded in Shadow of War to make even more memorable enemies out of otherwise forgettable foes.
Read IGN’s Shadow of War review.
Monster Hunter: World
Xbox Game Pass (console)
Monster Hunter: World is an excellent action-RPG with gameplay systems as deep as its open world is expansive. While more accessible than its predecessors, Monster Hunter: World is still dense, but commit to learning its systems and you’ll discover a wonderfully addictive crafting-and-hunting gameplay loop.
Read IGN’s Monster Hunter: World review.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps demands your attention from start to finish. It’s necessary as you dash and slash your way through its challenging platforming sections, and it’s constantly captured by the gorgeous environments, whimsical characters, heartfelt story, and excellent score. Will of the Wisps oscillates between tension and serenity, and the result is an expertly choreographed dance through the vibrant land of Niwen.
Read IGN’s Ori and the Will of the Wisps review.
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Outer Wilds
Xbox Game Pass (console)
Outer Wilds is a true adventure game, one that requires patience and thoughtful problem solving skills. To say much would risk spoiling its unique cyclical structure, but suffice it to say that as your understanding of its world and history grows, so does the satisfaction of discovery and exploration.
Read IGN’s Outer Wilds review.
The Outer Worlds
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
The Outer Worlds is developer Obsidian Entertainment doing what it does best: a cleverly designed, well-written RPG. Filled with dark humor, top-tier dialogue, and a wealth of player choice in how you build your character, interact with the world, and tackle quests, The Outer Worlds is easily one of the best RPGs of the last few years.
Read IGN’s Outer Worlds review.
Prey
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC, only until April 15)
Arkane Studios’ Prey may be the game to scratch your long-neglected BioShock itch. It’s a thought-provoking first-person shooter/adventure set in a remote, largely abandoned area, rich in environmental storytelling, and complete with a memorable mindfuck of an ending.
Read IGN’s Prey review.
Slay the Spire
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
“Slay the Spire takes some of the best parts of deckbuilding games, roguelikes, and dungeon crawlers and mixes them into a wholly new and extremely satisfying package,” reads IGN’s review. Like the best strategy games, Slay the Spire is easy to pick up but difficult to master, making its hundredth hour as engaging as its first.
Read IGN’s Slay the Spire review.
State of Decay 2
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Perhaps a post-apocalyptic simulation in which humanity was decimated by a plague is not the game you need right now, but State of Decay 2 does provide a fun, zombie-filled co-op sandbox in which you and your friends can connect as you practice social distancing. With the recent release of the Juggernaut Edition, which fixes many of its bugs, overhauls its visuals, and adds a ton of new content (and tutorials) on top of all the already-released expansions, there’s no better time to dive into State of Decay 2.
Read IGN’s State of Decay 2 review.
Sunset Overdrive
Xbox Game Pass (console and PC)
Sunset Overdrive is probably the most under-appreciated Xbox One console exclusive. Developer Insomniac’s singular vision of the apocalypse is full of color, charm, and comedy. The stylistic shooter also features some of the best traversal mechanics from this generation — only outdone by Insomniac’s followup, Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Read IGN’s Sunset Overdrive review.
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Undertale
Xbox Game Pass (PC)
Undertale is best played without expectations, so we’re going to be vague here. In short, while it may appear simple, Undertale is a humorous, emotional RPG, with a dynamic story that expertly complements its gameplay and vice versa.
Read IGN’s Undertale review.
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
Xbox Game Pass (console)
CD Projekt Red’s epic is this generation’s best RPGs — and arguably its best game, period. As the famed monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, you’ll explore a massive open world featuring a riveting story, worthwhile side quests, a memorable supporting cast, a bestiary full of creative foes, endless lore, and engaging combat. There’s easily over 100 hours of gameplay in The Witcher 3, and if escapism is what you’re after, this is the best Game Pass has to offer.
Read IGN’s The Witcher 3 review.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Xbox Game Pass (console)
What Remains of Edith Finch is a story-based adventure in the vein of Gone Home. Clocking in at around two hours, Edith Finch’s multi-generational tale is told through a series of allegorical vignettes. While each vignette follows the final moments of a different ill-fated member of the Finch family, the way in which each story is told is singular.
Read IGN’s What Remains of Edith Finch review.
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Those are our picks for the best games you can find on Xbox Game Pass. Let us know in the comments what made your list that might have been left off ours!
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Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.
Source: IGN.com 25 Best Xbox Game Pass Games