Bungie released Halo on Xbox in 2001, and it changed gaming and pop culture forever. I remember the first time I picked up an energy sword. It felt like I was playing something special. Now, about 25 years later, I can revisit that iconic experience with Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers a wide selection of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC or mobile device for as little as $10 a month. And with a subscription to the higher-tiered Game Pass Ultimate ($23 a month), you can access hundreds of games, including new ones the day they’re released, each month.
Here are all the games Xbox is bringing to Game Pass soon.
Shift at Midnight
On Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass now.
I’ve seen people post demo videos of this game online, and I’m excited to finally play it. It’s a horror game where you work as a convenience store clerk, but you have to investigate your customers since some of them are monsters in disguise. Let the wrong customer in, and you’ve got to set traps, hide and defend yourself from otherworldly horror. Don’t forget to restock the shelves and take out the trash before you clock out. (The trailer is age-restricted, so I can’t embed it, but you can watch it from behind your sofa here.)
Halo: Campaign Evolved
On Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass now.
Step into the boots of the legendary Master Chief as he takes on the Covenant and the Flood in the first installment of one of the most well-known gaming franchises in history. This remade version of the iconic Halo: Campaign Evolved includes 4K visuals, updated animations and more. There are also three new missions that take place a year prior to the start of the game. So grab your rocket launcher and some plasma grenades and get ready to take on the Covenant and the Flood for the hundredth — or first — time.
Beast of Reincarnation
Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Aug. 4.
Game Freak is widely known as the developer behind the Pokemon games, but its upcoming game Beast of Reincarnation is a different kind of beast — pun intended. You play as Emma and her trusty dog companion, Koo, as they try to save a post-apocalyptic Japan from corrupted creatures in this role-playing game. This game has real-time and turn-based combat, so it should present an interesting challenge.
Heretic and Hexen
New to Game Pass Premium on Aug. 4. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Face down demons, cultists and other infernal creatures with medieval weaponry and magic in these cult-classic games from the ’90s. If you look at these ported games and think they just look like Doom but with swords, you aren’t far off. Developer Raven Software used a modified version of the Doom engine to create Heretic and Hexen, so the games should look and feel familiar.
Other games coming to Game Pass
Those are a few of the games I’m looking forward to on Xbox Game Pass, but Microsoft is adding more to the service this month. Here are the other games you can try soon.
- Hell Is Us – On Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass now.
- Mistfall Hunter – Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on July 30.
- Corsair Cove – Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on July 31.
These games are leaving Game Pass on July 31
While Microsoft is adding several titles to Game Pass soon, it’s also removing eight others from the service on July 31. So you still have some time to play these games for the first time, but hurry before you have to buy them separately.
For more on Xbox, here’s what to know about the recent Xbox layoffs. You can also check out our Xbox Game Pass review and which Game Pass plan is right for you.
