Another big month for Xbox Game Pass, I had been eyeing Wreckfest and Killer Queen Black for a while so I am a happy gamer.

Check out the list of games below that are coming to, or disappearing from Game Pass.

Coming Soon

Code Vein (PC) – February 18

In the not-too-distant future, a mysterious disaster has collapsed the world as we know it. At the centre of the destruction lies a hidden society of Revenants called Vein. Team up with your friends and embark on a journey to the ends of hell to unlock your past and escape your living nightmare in Code Vein.

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition (Console) ID@Xbox – February 18

The ultimate edition of the award-winning RPG from the masters at Obsidian Entertainment is coming to Xbox Game Pass, featuring all major updates and expansions. Bend the world to your will as you explore the depths of infinite possibilities, including detailed character customization, total freedom of exploration, and more meaningful choices at every turn. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Ultimate Edition redefines the role-playing game experience for a new generation.

Wreckfest (Console and PC) – February 18

Break the rules and take full-contact racing to the limit with Wreckfest! Expect epic crashes, neck-to-neck fights over the finish line, and new ways for metal to bend. These are the once-in-a-lifetime moments that can only be achieved in Wreckfest, with its true-to-life physics simulation crafted by legendary developer Bugbear, who also brought you FlatOut 1 & 2!

Killer Queen Black (Console) – February 23

Fight for your hive in this strategic team platformer! Killer Queen Black is an intense multiplayer action/strategy platformer for up to eight players. Hop on the snail, hoard berries, or wipe out the enemy’s queen to claim victory. Fly solo, or team up with three of your friends as you race to complete one of three possible victory conditions.

Dirt 5 (Console and PC) – February 25

Get behind the wheel of incredible extreme cars and tear up the most stunning global locations in Dirt 5 – the next generation of off-road racing. The award-winning racer from Codemasters delivers a story-based Career mode, the all-new Playgrounds custom arena hub, customization options galore, thrilling online party modes and more, all with a pumping official soundtrack and bold art approach.

Elite Dangerous (Console) – February 25

Take control of your own starship in a cutthroat galaxy. Elite Dangerous is the definitive massively multiplayer space epic, bringing gaming’s original open world adventure to the modern generation with a connected galaxy, evolving narrative and the entirety of the Milky Way re-created at its full galactic proportions.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete (PC) – February 25

Time moves only when you move. The long-awaited third game in the groundbreaking Superhot franchise, Superhot: Mind Control Delete gives you more insight into the signature power fantasy world of Superhot with more story, more signature gameplay, more action, and more guns. Keep dancing the slow-motion ballet of destruction for so much longer than ever before.

Leaving Soon

With Dirt 5 coming soon, it’s time to say farewell to Dirt 4. Remember to get some practice in Dirt 4 before it leaves the library on February 24! Don’t forget to dive into the rest of the games leaving the Xbox Game Pass library on February 28. As always, you’ll be able to use your member discount to save up to 20% on games if you choose to purchase them before they go!

 Leaving February 24

• Dirt 4 (Console)

Leaving February 28

·       Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (Console and PC)

·       Mother Russia Bleeds (PC)

·       Oxenfree (Console and PC)

·       The Jackbox Party Pack 4 (Console)

·       Vambrace: Cold Soul (Console and PC)

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Another month of fantastic entries to the Game Pass library have arrived this month.

If you haven’t played Final Fantasy 12, do. And if you didn’t like it when you first tried it, play it again as it’s much better in hindsight.

Ghost of a Tale also looks like a gem on PC.

Week of 1 February: 

Ghost of a Tale

February 4 (PC)

Project Winter

February 4 (Console and PC)

The Falconeer 

February 4 (Console and PC)

Week of 8 February: 

Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age

February 11 (Console and PC)

Jurassic World Evolution

February 11 (Console)

Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones 

February 11 (Console)

Leaving February 15

• De Blob (Console)
• Ninja Gaiden II (Console)
• World of Horror (PC)

Leaving February 16

• Shadows of the Damned (EA Play/Console)

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Have you been excited to check out Battletoads? How about being terrified by Resident Evil 7?

Well there is a whole lot of games coming to Game Pass in the next few weeks including the excellent Don’t Starve.

Platformer fans shouldn’t sleep on Super Lucky’s Tale either which is simple, but adorable.

• Microsoft Flight Simulator (PC) – Available Today!
• Spiritfarer (Console & PC) ID@Xbox – Available Today!
• Battletoads (Console & PC) – August 20
• Crossing Souls (PC) ID@Xbox – August 20
• Darksiders: Genesis (PC) – August 20
• Don’t Starve: Giant Edition (Console & PC) ID@Xbox – August 20
• New Super Lucky’s Tale (Console & PC) – August 21
• Hypnospace Outlaw (Console & PC) ID@Xbox – August 27
• Tell Me Why: Chapter 1 (Console & PC) – August 27
• Double Kick Heroes (Console & PC) ID@Xbox – August 28
• Wasteland 3 (Console & PC) – August 28
• Crusader Kings III (PC) ID@Xbox – September 1
• Resident Evil 7 Biohazard (Console & PC) – September 3

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I have enjoyed the Gears series for many years now.  It started off with some muscly dude bros killing bug aliens using oversized guns with a chainsaw attached, to a series with a story that got more interesting and engaging as those characters got fleshed out and became super likeable.  The consistent gameplay is what kept you playing and enjoying the games so you could engage with the slow but rewarding stories.

So Gears Tactics takes the series into a new genre to roll the dice on whether it has the legs to survive.

Tactical cover shooter?

Jumping into Gears Tactics I was expecting something totally different, but what shocked me the most was how much the third person cover shooting gameplay matches so well to a tactics game. 

It shouldn’t have been so surprising because a third person cover shooter has you moving from cover to cover, trying to take enemies out without leaving yourself exposed. Whereas a tactics game has you moving characters from cover to cover trying to take out enemies without leaving your troops exposed… albeit a little slower.

This is of course a great thing because it still feels like a Gears game, but instead of innovating via a few new features or minor tweaks that start to feel a touch samey, this new genre balances heaps of new without shifting from what makes Gears great.

Prequels of War

The story takes a huge step back from the characters we have seen evolve over time, and takes place 12 years before the first game.  It kicks off with the massive Hammer of Dawn attack that destroyed so much of the earth but didn’t take out all of the locusts.  

Annoyingly the characters are all interesting and build a dynamic, but it doesn’t get fleshed out the way I have come to expect.  This seems to be a casualty of the genre shift as most storytelling is told in cutscenes between battles whereas a surprising amount of the character development was told throughout the gameplay of the original games.  This results in an awesome overarching story, with massively undeveloped characters including the antagonist.

Swarms of fun with some bugs

The gameplay for the most part is a polished experience.  Each character has a number of moves per turn, and you can use them to run, shoot or lay down cover fire.  This strategy can be a lot to take in at first, but it is so much fun to learn. 

The annoying thing was hitting some bugs like when I couldn’t switch characters using any of the options available.  What I wound up being able to do was shoot one of them and then revive them which worked a couple of times.  But I hit this bug more than I would consider fair, and it was always after a long time of play which is infuriating if you are forced to close the application and reopen, or killing your character uses up valuable turns which puts you on the back foot.

Gearing up for sequels

Gears Tactics is a fantastic foray into the genre that is only hampenbed by some rough bugs, and too much content which ultimately becomes repetitive.  A little more character time and a little less generic missions could have made this a tight, excellent experience, but it winds up overstaying its welcome too much.  

Hopefully a sequel is in the works which refines what they have built here as it could do something truly special.

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If you needed more games to play in Level 3 lockdown, well Xbox is bringing more awesome with it’s Game Pass additions for April.

The Long Dark (ID@Xbox) – April 16 (Available Now)

There are no zombies — only you, the cold, and all the threats Mother Nature can muster. A thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness in the aftermath of a geomagnetic disaster.

Gato Roboto (ID@Xbox – Day One with Xbox Game Pass) – April 21

Make a valiant effort to save your stranded captain and his crashed spaceship! Inside of your cozy armored mech, set off on a dangerous trek through an alien underworld full of irritable creatures and treacherous obstacles.

Deliver Us The Moon (ID@Xbox – Day One with Xbox Game Pass) – April 23

Will you save mankind or be forgotten in the dark abyss of Space? Deliver Us The Moon is a Sci-Fi thriller set in an apocalyptic near-future, where Earth’s natural resources are depleted. A lunar colony providing a vital supply of energy has gone silent and a lone astronaut is sent to the moon on a critical mission to save humanity from extinction.

HyperDot (ID@Xbox) – April 30

Quickly evade enemies and test your skills in over 100 hand-crafted trials during campaign mode, outlast your friends in multiplayer battles, or build complex challenges with the custom level editor in this minimalist action arcade masterpiece with one rule: dodge everything.

Levelhead (ID@Xbox – Day One with Xbox Game Pass) – April 30

Create incredible contraptions and machines, craft adventurous expeditions that require brain and brawn to complete, or just create a relaxing music experience. Build, play, share and compete using the platformer maker. With the deep, intuitive systems of the level editor, you can create the levels of your dreams and other players’ nightmares. Supports up to four players for couch co-op mayhem!

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks

In case you missed it, we added some new Perks last week for you Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members! Get some time on the court (virtually) with get 5,000 MyTeam points and 30 skill boosts from NBA 2K20. You can also get an Xbox Starter Bundle with Credits and more from Warframe and jump into Phantasy Star Online 2 with a monthly bonus pack. To unlock all of these and more on console and PC, simply go to the Perks section inside the Xbox Game Pass tab to redeem them! Perks are also available for redemption through the Xbox Game Pass mobile app.

Game Updates

Coming April 22 to Sea of Thieves, it’s true that Ships of Fortune introduces an entirely new element to trading companies by allowing pirates to serve as emissaries and collect bonus loot and exclusive rewards (also introducing Reaper’s Bones as an all-new company), as well as an overhaul to The Arena… but what I care most about is the cats! The Pirate Emporium will now have three breeds of feline friend for your pirate: the scruffy Wildcat, fluffy Ragamuffin, and slinky Mau. Catch up on all the Ships of Fortune upgrades here on Xbox Wire.

Leaving April 30

It’s time to say goodbye to some games, so get the play time in now! If you want to keep the game going, you can use your membership discount to get any of these games for up to 20% off while they are still in our library:

·       The Banner Saga 2

·       Bomber Crew

·       Braid

·       Fallout 4

·       Full Metal Furies

·       Metal Slug 3

·       Ruiner

·       Silence: The Whispered World 2

·       Smoke and Sacrifice

·       Wolfenstein: The New Order

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What better way to pay for Valentines Day than using your already active (or about to be active as it’s fantastic value) Xbox Games Pass sub.

Xbox has recommended 5 good co-op games that are available now on the service to get you and you’re loved one, or ones, gaming together tomorrow.

Bleeding Edge (beta)

Bleeding Edge’s beta arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day! The perfect game for long-distance relationships, as you embark on a multiplayer campaign – teaming up and causing chaos in this brawler, before it’s official release in March. If you’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass you’ll automatically have access to the closed beta from Feb 14.

Overcooked 2

Ah, the perfect game to test the strength of your relationship. Forget Monopoly, Uno, or a trip to Ikea, Overcooked 2 will either tear your relationship apart or take it to the next level. The premise is simple; you and your beau need to dish up as many meals as possible while working around some stress-inducing obstacles. Mastering Overcooked 2 requires high-level communication and strategic delegation. If you’re still speaking to one another after playing this game, you know you’re meant to be.

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

Looking to get some action in this Valentine’s Day? In order to make it out alive in the Borderlands, you and your partner will need to trade loot, know your characters, and take down ferocious enemies.

Monster Hunter: World

For what it lacks in local co-op, it makes up for with some of the most addictive and explosive co-op play this generation. Deep RPG systems, elaborate battles, and gorgeous visuals make this Xbox Game Pass title one you and your partner can sink your teeth into.

Minecraft

Minecraft is the perfect game to play with a partner, whether you work through the game in tandem or divvy up building and mining. Are you and your partner working through plans for your dream house? Build it out in Minecraft! Building not your thing? Armor up, whip out your diamond sword and see what you can find in this enormous game that’s jam-packed with content.

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Xbox Games Pass just keeps justifying itself as insane value for money, and 3 big hitters coming this month include the co-op jams Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Death Squared , and the monster JRPG Final Fantasy XV.

Final Fantasy XV and Wolfenstein: Youngblood land on the 6th, followed by Death Squared on the 13th

Other perks coming February 11 are the following DLC:

Dead Cells DLC – The Bad Seed (Console and PC)
Harvest a few souls with your new scythe! Play through The Arboretum, The Swamp, and The Heart of the Swamp. 

Metro Exodus DLC – Sam’s Story (Console and PC)
In this sandbox-survival expansion, forge Sam’s path on his journey through Vladivostok on his mission to find his way home to the USA, where he hopes to find his family – alive.

The following games will be leaving the service soon, so jump on them if you want to try before thy go.

·        Disney Epic Mickey 2

·        Jackbox Party Pack 2

·        Pumped BMX Pro

·        Rage

·        Shadow of the Tomb Raider

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