With Xbox Game Pass offering a wide range of games, it’s easy to miss some of the fresh arrivals. Here are some action-packed offerings that hit the platform in recent weeks, including day-one additions and a prequel to a classic series.
1. Echo Weaver
Included in Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass on PC as a day-one release on October 8, Echo Weaveroffers a time loop to explore, reality-bending powers courtesy of an alien weapon, and a pizza-slinging cat. The player moves through the world as a Weaver, whose job is to break the time-loop cycle by piecing together puzzles from the past. Fortunately, the Weaver isn’t alone; other characters help them navigate this fractured world, offering information and hints.
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Along with knowledge, the player also has powers at their disposal, which are revealed during gameplay. The Weaver is fully aware of what it can do, but the player has to learn as they pick up tips and techniques as they progress. Echo Weaveris a 2D platformer where the player guides the Weaver across the screen as they explore the world and delve into the mystery they must solve to break the time loop once and for all.
2. Neon Abyss 2
Another October 8 release, Neon Abyss 2is available on Game Pass Premium, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass. As a sequel to Neon Abyss (2020), Neon Abyss 2 lets you dive deeper into the world of the Abyss, a brightly colored underworld that shifts like a kaleidoscope and constantly delivers new challenges, mini-games, and bosses. Neon Abyss 2keeps the world as vibrant and fast-paced as ever, with the running-and-gun gameplay fans of the first game know and love still at their fingertips.
The sequel also offers an exciting new addition. Players can now play with friends, with a co-op option available for up to four people. Friends can work together to defeat the waves of enemies flooding the dungeon, combining their unique combinations and combat styles to win the day. For those who prefer to dive into the Abyss solo, Neon Abyss 2 also includes the solo option from the first game.
3. Gears of War: E-Day
Available on Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass on PC, Gears of War: E-Dayserves as a prequel to the classic Gears of Warfranchise. Set fourteen years before the first game, E-Day introduces players to Marcus Fenix in his younger years, along with Dominic Santiago, just before his tragic story begins. The game also includes two brand-new characters, Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes.
Like Neon Abyss 2,this game has co-op availability with up to four players. Gears of War: E-Dayalso offers a two-player split-screen option, so friends can play side by side, no matter where they are. And, of course, it also offers a single-player option, with any of the four main characters, Marcus, Dominic, Mags, and Lucas, available for action.
