What’s On Game Pass June 2023

I was late getting What’s on Game Pass out last month, so in this month’s issue I’ve carried over some of the great titles that were added in early May.

There’s a lot more to look forward to this year on Game Pass. Starfield will land later this year; and there’s an upcoming showcase on June 11 that will apparently feature “tons of new gameplay”.

On that same day, there’s going to be another Xbox Games Showcase that will feature more information about titles we already know about, as well as exciting new titles that we can expect over the course of the next year.

So, what are the games to play, or not to play, this month on Game Pass?

Ravenlok

When I first played Ravenlok, I was struck by its out-the-box sheen. Considering the state some games release in, it was a pleasure playing a game that felt finished.

Ravenlok is set in an Alice in Wonderland style para-world that you gain access to after falling through an enchanted mirror. You play a young girl named Ravenlok whose parents have moved house to the country.

As fate would have it, the circumstances revolving around your appearance coincide with a desperate need in the troubled kingdom You’re there to save their realm from a blight that courses throughout the land, the tyrannical Caterpillar Queen.

The game uses an intriguing semi-static background that reminded me of Final Fantasy X. Ravelok has beautiful, fairy tale visuals and a fantastical score that enhances the journey. However, instead of turn-based combat there’s a simplistic, and satisfying, hack and slash system and spell casting.

A number of ‘big bosses’ must be overcome to progress the story. The arc of the game being the downfall of the corrupted Queen and a peaceful restoration from the onset of encroaching darkness.

Redfall

Unfortunately for Redfall, its release has been woeful. The game underperforms on console: low framerates, poor visual quality and gameplay hiccups. Considering Redfall’s announcement was accompanied by modest hype, it’s a real shame that it’s not worth playing at the moment.

It seems Bethesda can’t keep their buggy mitts off anything these days. I don’t recall Dishonored or Prey being released as complete messes. All eyes will be on Starfield later this year.

If you didn’t already know, Redfall is Left 4 Dead set in an open-world with vampires instead of zombies. Set in the fictional town of Refall, Massachusetts, the sun has been blocked by a legion of vampires (science experiments gone wrong in this instance), and your job is to expunge them.

You can play the game solo or with a squad of up to four players. There are different loadouts to choose from, which range from stealth to guns-a-blazing and you can customise your character with unique abilities and upgrades.

I don’t think this is the apocalypse for Redfall. In time, it will be a game worth playing. Until then I would wait for updates.

Besiege Console

I often mention how I enjoy playing games that I wouldn’t usually think of playing and that Game Pass is the perfect place to do that.

Besiege Console is a prime example of a game I would never buy. It’s a pared-down physics building game where you construct medieval siege engines to wreak havoc on small towns and monumental fortresses.

Different machines excel at different kinds of destruction. You might want to slaughter a few battalions of soldiers, or pull down the walls of a rival castle.

The destructible environments and how the game assets interact with each other is more satisfying that it should be. This is a great game to play when you don’t have much time and with an install that clocks in at 1.42gb on Xbox, there’s no excuse not to have it in your library.

Other New Arrivals

• Fifa 23
• Supraland: Six Inches Under
• Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2
• Eastern Exorcist
• Ghostlore

What Am I Playing?

I’ve recently overcome the second boss in Valheim and built a ship to set sail on the high seas.

However, after a disheartening session that saw a friend and I lose a couple of weeks worth of progress – an issue that has happened on two occasions now – we decided to search for something to keep us afloat in times of need.

The result was KartRider: Drift. A Mario Kart rip-off, but an excellent one at that! I don’t own a switch and neither do my friends and we’ve had a great time playing pre/post-serious session of Valheim.

I highly recommend playing if you don’t have much to play right now, or if you’re looking for a filler game to pass some time when you don’t have an entire evening to play.