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Can you believe it’s already December? One minute ago, I had just moved house in August and the next thing I know, I’m renewing my tenancy. Perhaps Earth has hit a temporal anomaly on it’s journey around the sun? Who knows.
Either way, Christmas is fast approaching. Before you know it, we’ll be wishing one another a Happy New Year! It seems the folk over at Xbox didn’t want to disappoint, so they’ve kindly supplied us subscribers with a haul of games to pick through.
If you haven’t got the wherewithal to keep up with the latest triple A, look no further than a Game Pass subscription and try playing games the old fashioned way. It sort of reminds me of the days of demos, when every magazine came with a CD enclosed within a slender jewel case. On said CD, numerous, and I mean numerous, demos could be played. I recall a time when all I seemed to play was demos; they were so long and thorough, and they frequently provided enough entertainment for this here whippersnapper!
So, treat Game Pass like the demos of old this month and try a bit of everything. Variety is the… bla bla bla. Moving on to the new additions.
Spirit Of The North: Enhanced Edition
This had been on my radar for a long time, so I was pleased that it came to Game Pass. In Spirit of the North, you play as a fox, travelling through a frosted wilderness to reconnect with an ancient power. At least that’s how I interpreted it.
Along the way, you will uncover what appears to be an apocalyptic story: you will discover the remains of buildings and the skeletons of dead humanoids. The controls are simplistic as the main focus of the game is atmosphere and speed. When you begin the game, the fox is slower, but by the end, there is an impetus behind the fox that carries you through the landscape like a rolling snowball.
This is one to play with a partner, when you’re in a relaxed mood, or wanting to be in a relaxed mood, and happy to be carried away for the evening. A stunning soundtrack accompanies you on your journey and only enhances the time you spend in the tundra.
Remnant: From The Ashes/Remnant II
Remnant: From the Ashes is a soulslike shooter and a very good one at that. The post-apocalyptic environments are interesting and unique, and the world-shifting is an interesting concept. There’s a variety of weapons to choose from and each one makes the game play slightly different.
My only criticism is how repetitive it becomes. This is allayed somewhat when teaming up with a friend. The first in the Remnant series supports crossplay between Xbox and PC, so there’s no need to miss out here.
Remnant II, whilst as good as the first game, is lacking a vital feature: cross-platform… Now, why would a studio provide cross-platform on their first game in the series and remove it for the second?
Remnant: From the Ashes was quite an unusual game, insofar as it felt like an indie game and yet it was rather polished for what it was. Remnant II continues where its predecessor finished and even sharpens some of the janky gameplay.
These two games are worth an install, especially From the Ashes, which is great with friends and the closest I’ve come to soulslike two-player fun.
Rise Of The Tomb Raider
One of my favourite films to watch at Christmas is National Treasure. There seems to be a dearth of genuinely good adventure films, and so Tomb Raider scratches that itch.
Although this is the second of the new series, it can be played as a stand-alone game. Whilst I would say it’s the worst of the three, it’s still a brilliant game, with a fun story, exciting locations and stylish gameplay.
The newer Tomb Raiders allow for all out carnage if that’s the way you prefer to go. There’s plenty to do on each portion of the map and you can expect intense cinematics and breathtaking visuals. Perfect for the screenshotter.
What Else Is New?
• Clone Drone in the Danger Zone
• Coral Island
• Dune: Spice Wars
• Dungeons 4
• Killer Instinct: Anniversary Edition
• Persona 5 Tactica
• Rollerdrome
• Spirittea
• SteamWorld Build
• While the Iron’s Hot
• Wild Hearts
• World War Z: Aftermath
What Am I Playing?
I haven’t had as much time as I would like to play games this month. However, if you know me by now, you’ll know what I’m about to say… Sea of Thieves. That’s right, I’ve been gathering some more coin and levelling up our guild, the Scuttled Corsairs. My main aim is to afford another pet, without spending real money of course, levelling up the Order of Souls to 75 and perhaps dabbling in Athena’s Fortune. You’re more than welcome to join my guild and add me as a friend: doomhaunted is my tag.
I started a new class in Darktide: the Zealot. I’ve been enjoying the class more than the Psyker, which is a bit of a glass cannon. Fun, but sometimes risky. I like the giant swords the Zealot wields and some of the rifles can be quite destructive, especially when paired with special abilities.
I will be moving on to While the Iron’s Hot and Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, which is another crossplay game, in the coming weeks.
What are you playing on Game Pass? Let us know on our socials.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to anyone that’s reading!
Lots of love,
Ben.