The best games for Xbox Game Pass users on PC
Best Games on Xbox Game Pass for PC Windows Central 2019
Xbox Game Pass is finally available on Windows 10 PC, bringing over a hundred games for a relatively low monthly fee. Whether you’re new to PC gaming or just new to PC Game Pass, it can be a bit daunting to trudge through the entire catalog to find what to play first, so we’ve listed nine of our favorites to get you started. All of the games listed here are included in Xbox Game Pass for PC, but can also be purchased separately at a discount for your subscription.
The Outer Worlds is an fun sci-fi romp for fans of Bioware and Bethesda RPGs of old, complete with Obsidian’s biting wit, gorgeous stylized visuals and addictive combat. This is a must-play Game Pass title.
Stellaris is a staggeringly deep space strategy game where you can build your very own empire. Will you be an alien cyborg hivemind hell-bent on destruction or a peaceful xenophile who wants to unite the galaxy? The choices (and consequences) are yours.
Wasteland 2 is a landmark classic cRPG that was crowdfunded by the game’s fans. The franchise inspired Fallout, with its gritty post-apocalyptic environment, tactical gameplay, and tongue-in-cheek humor. Ahead of Wasteland 3’s launch in 2020, be sure to give Wasteland 2 a try on Game Pass.
Wolfenstein II is a satisfyingly violent shooter that takes place in an alternate timeline where the Nazis actually won WW2. Carve a bloody path through hundreds of evil soldiers as BJ Blazkowicz, armed to the teeth with sci-fi weaponry.
Prey is another shooter from Bethesda, albeit with a completely different tone. Set on a lonely space station, Prey has you uncover a mysterious alien infestation as you dig deeper into illegal off-world experiments. With tremendous world building and thoughtful, near survival-horror style shooting combat, Prey is an underrated gem well worth a try.
One of the most popular simulation games on Earth, Football Manager is a realistic business management game that tasks you with the day-to-day running of your very own football club. Manage budgets, player transfers, matches, and more, now with Xbox Live achievements for good measure.
Moonlighter is one of the most unfairly overlooked games of 2019, and thankfully it’s now free to try so you no longer have an excuse! Moonlighter is a cute Zelda-like game where you fight your way through randomly-generated dungeons, acquiring materials to sell in your very own shop. It’s cute, addictive, and awesome.
Hellblade is an award-winning narrative adventure game from Ninja Theory that takes place in a Hellish world plucked from Norse mythology. The protgaonist, Senua, dives into the depths of Helheim in an attempt to rescue the soul of her brother, with some of the most stunning character work and audio in the business.
Mutant Year Zero is an eccentric turn-based strategy game with light RPG elements set in an apocalyptic world based on the eponymous tabletop game. As a group of mutant stalkers, its your job to venture into the forgotten wastes and recover supplies and tech, although there are deeper mysteries out there to uncover.
Undertale is a unique RPG with a retro aesthetic. Playing as a child lost in a world of monsters, you’ll meet all sorts of wild and wacky characters as you attempt to ascend back to the human world, filled with choice and consequence.
Hotline Miami is a fast-paced top-down shooter where your positioning and reaction time is as important as your ability to plan ahead. Set in an alternate 1980s version of Miami, you’ll carve your way through a seedy criminal underworld at the behest of mysterious messages on your answering machine. You know, for reasons.
So much to try
During the beta period, as Microsoft ramps up the associated app and service, Xbox Game Pass for PC costs just $5 per month. I’d argue that even at its full price of $10 it represents some of the best value deals in gaming, giving access to tons of games you’d otherwise have to buy separately.
Slipping in at the top spot we have The Outer Worlds, which by itself makes a month of Xbox Game Pass for PC totally worth it. Set in a distant colony controlled by corrupt corporations, you wake up from hyperspace deep sleep to find a civilization on the brink of collapse. Travel across various unique planets in a game where your decisions affect the outcome of every quest. Oh, and if you want, you can just kill every character in the entire game if that’s to your liking.
Wolfenstein II remains a personal favorite. The satisfying shooting coalesces with great visuals, an intriguing and varied story, and stunning audio work to create something truly special.
Mutant Year Zero is another personal favorite. Despite having pretty wacky-looking characters and plenty of humor, the story is actually rather dark and deceptively well-realized. The combat is aggressive, but not what I’d consider unfair by any stretch, focusing a little more on positioning and tactics rather than luck-based hit percentages.
Finally, I have to give a shoutout to Moonlighter. If you’re looking for something a little more light-hearted and easy-going, Moonlighter is a good choice. The combat is slick and well-executed, complete with a large RPG-style upgrade system that’ll have you losing track of time with all its addictiveness.
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