About a year after the launch of Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft announced that all future first-party titles would be made available on the service simultaneously with their release dates. This was in addition to the first-party Xbox titles already available on the service. With Microsoft having put its own weight behind it, Xbox Game Pass gained some much needed legitimacy and Xbox users on the service no longer had to worry about whether or not they would be missing out on games as big as Halo Infinite.
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Since then, Microsoft has also negotiated with several third party publishers in order to get some major titles, like ones as old and critically acclaimed as Grand Theft Auto V (which was just added this month) and Devil May Cry 5 (which was added August 2019, just months after its initial launch date). Still, here are some titles not on Xbox Game Pass that would make the service even better.
Kingdom Hearts Series
This one is a big ask but would be worth it in the long run. With the new ReMind DLC for Kingdom Hearts 3, and Microsoft announcing just months ago in November that both Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue are coming to Xbox One in 2020, putting the games on Xbox Game Pass would give Xbox fans the opportunity to try out an action RPG franchise that they have been potentially missing out on since the PS2 generation.
All that fans currently have on the system is Kingdom Hearts 3 which is not exactly a game designed to be played by newcomers to the series. Additionally, if Microsoft and Square Enix to put the third entry on Xbox Game Pass with the rest of the series, then players can even get the chance to play through pretty much every game in the series. Square Enix has already announced that 10 Final Fantasy games will hit Game Pass the service in 2020, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.
Divinity Original Sin
From developer Larian Studios, Divinity Original Sin and its sequel have quickly become two of the most beloved RPGs to come out for PC. With both titles having been available to purchase on consoles for a few years now, the two games would make great additions to Xbox Game Pass especially for players looking to sink in dozens of hours into these types of games. Additionally, both titles have extensive multiplayer modes, both local split-screen and online, where players go through quests and explore areas together (or not, as players could just as easily play within the same game but do completely separate activities and quests from each other).
Overwatch
Overwatch is a hugely popular FPS and would be right at home if it were to come to Xbox Game Pass. Ever since the original Xbox, Microsoft has positioned itself as the console maker to choose when deciding where to play the next biggest shooter. Fans could certainly look to all of the Halo titles on the service to get their shooter game fix, but Overwatch would be a fantastic substitute while they wait for Halo Infinite (even though both franchises play differently). Blizzard could potentially be interested in putting Overwatch on Xbox Game Pass as it would be another opportunity for it to market the game and promote its forthcoming sequel.
Control
Remedy Entertainment’s Control is already one of the most requested titles among Xbox Game Pass users for it to come to the service, even after the studio said Control isn’t coming to Xbox Game Pass. Control is a third person action sci-fi game where players ostensibly play as a Jedi FBI agent of sorts. Besides the fact that the title received great acclaim, Xbox Game Pass users have probably been heavily requesting this title in particular due to the history between developer Remedy Entertainment and Microsoft.
Before this game, Remedy released the sci-fi video game/television show Quantum Break which has some elements from the developer’s new game as well. Quantum Break was also the last title from the developer that was published by Microsoft (Control was published by 505 games, which it also put out on PS4).
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
There aren’t many Ubisoft games on Xbox Game Pass, meaning there is somewhat of a lack of major action adventure games, but one title from the publisher that is bound to bring Xbox users dozens of hours of historical joy is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The 2018 game was the last entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise and, with rumors of a new Viking-based game called Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok, it would be a great game to hold fans over as they wait for the next entry in the franchise.
The game combines all of the main elements of previous games in the franchise and cuts them down to simplicity to form a streamlined action RPG. It has the stealth mechanics that the series is known for, the RPG systems introduced in Assassin’s Creed Unity, the open naval combat found in Assassin’s Creed 3 and Black Flag, and the combat of Assassin’s Creed Origins. The multi-leveled quest structure is sure to keep engaged players in the loop for dozens of hours (hundreds, when taking into consideration the amount of story in the main game and the DLC expansions).
Xbox Game Pass is already an impressive subscription that offers many major games as part of its catalog (the service is so impressive that some wonder if Microsoft is wasting money on Xbox Game Pass), but it would benefit even more from the inclusion of all of these great games from the past few years. With each passing month, there is always chance for everyone’s requested games to finally appear on the service, and February’s games should be announced any day now.
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