Index
Black Desert -
Xbox One, September 12 Stranger Things 3: The Game - Xbox One, September 12 The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics - Xbox One, September 12 Company of Heroes 2 - PC, 17 September Halo 3: ODST - PC, September 23 Destiny 2: Forsaken and Shadows from the Deep - Xbox One, September 23 Night in the Woods -
PC and Xbox One, September 24 Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - Xbox One, September 24 Kathy Rain - PC , September 24 We therefore arrive at the second sensitive summary on
Xbox Game Pass as regards this September 2020, now running out but which was able to reserve some interesting news in the second half of the month. A good amount of games added to the catalog for subscribers and a finally more balanced balance between console and PC, considering that even the latter is starting to receive large-caliber additions at a faster pace, probably also to justify the entry into force of the standard subscription, at full price, after the long beta period of the service. What comes out is therefore an early autumn that seems very intense, further strengthened by the recent DOOM Eternal announcement arriving on October 1st, which we will therefore include in the summary on the first batch of games next month.
It goes without saying that this move is probably the first symbolic step of Bethesda's progressive inclusion within the Xbox Game Pass catalog, as the whole group is now part of
Xbox Game Studios and its games are destined to arrive (barring surprises)
on day one on the
Microsoft service. In short, a significant evolution is expected in the inclusion of games within the Game Pass, because with 23 internal teams we can expect, even only with regard to first party productions, a rather constant contribution of new games in the catalog. Given the caliber of the developers in question, however, the fear that it may be only or largely of medium-sized productions also disappears, given that the amount of support teams is able to create a considerable continuity between triple A and another type, all this without even bothering the contribution of games from third parties, which will continue to exist anyway.
Black Desert - Xbox One, September 12
The excellent MMORPG Black Desert
is back on Xbox Game Pass, after being already present in the catalog and subsequently removed. It is an online multiplayer role-playing game developed by the Korean studio Pearl Abyss and has several characteristics typical of the Asian taste within this genre, however it is universally attractive thanks to the breadth of its settings, the open structure, the excellent system of combat and the great care taken in the graphic realization. Although the typical symptoms of the virus of wild grinding and micro-transactions are present, Black Desert still manages to be enjoyable even if played at human rhythms and without necessarily resorting to additional expenses, also because the gameplay is particularly dynamic and fun.
Stranger Things 3: The Game - Xbox One, September 12
After being released on the PC section, Stranger Things 3: The Game now also reaches Xbox One. This is a suitably vintage videogame tie-in, considering how the TV series leverages on nostalgic re-enactment, therefore the game is an action adventure characterized by isometric framing, represented with a graphic style that recalls the pixel graphics typical of the 90s. The game follows the events of the series with a different twist and puts teamwork between the protagonists as the main element of the gameplay. Beyond the reference to rather classic mechanics for this type of games, with the sense of nostalgia also reinforced by the very fact of being an old-style tie-in, a peculiarity of the game is the fact that it can form teams of two players to explore Hawkins' world, solve puzzles and fight the villains of the Upside Down as one of the twelve characters from the beloved series.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics - Xbox One, September 12
The strategy genre is pretty well covered in the Xbox Game Pass catalog, especially as regards the PC area but with excellent introductions also on consoles, however there is always room for some new exponent. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics takes up the classic tradition of strategic RPGs in a fantasy setting to stage a game entirely based on combat and the tactical study of these, but with a characterization that tends more to the fairy tale. Often light-hearted and ironic, the game stages the Gelflings' resistance against their oppressive masters, the Skeksis, in more than 50 turn-based, strategic RPG-style battles. Perhaps not exactly endowed with an overwhelming identity, The Dark Crystal still has everything you need to make any fans of this genre feel at home, recovering the classic characteristics of the turn-based strategy with some influence also coming from the Japanese variety of this type of games.
Company of Heroes 2 - PC, September 17
Still talking about strategic, but in this case in real time, here we are in front of one most famous exponents of the genre in question: Company of Heroes 2, developed by the expert hands of Relic, begins to have a few years on its shoulders but proves to be still perfectly enjoyable. Inside we find two campaigns ranging from Stalingrad to the Ardennes offensive, with 5 usable factions between single play and multiplayer mode. After the enormous success of the progenitor, the second chapter proposed an adequate continuation of its structure, although it also received numerous criticisms, especially for the vision considered a bit partial or even biased of some episodes of the Second World War staged in the countryside. However, it remains a really well-made RTS, advisable to practically everyone and therefore also to those who are not normally really a fan of the genre. It is also the Complete Collection edition of the game, which also contains all the expansions released after the original launch for the complete experience.
Halo 3: ODST - PC, 23 September
The Halo:
The Master Chief Collection on PC updates and expands again with the arrival of Halo 3: ODST, a spin-off of the famous third chapter that stages some events of the war against the Covenant, investigating in particular on the events following the invasion of New Mombasa. For the first time, this chapter took us out of Spartan armor to drop us into the unprecedented position of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST), a select unit specializing in missions behind enemy lines and reconnaissance. This also makes the gameplay somewhat different, because an ODST cannot rely on the power and stamina of the Spartans, having to act more quietly and tactically to defeat enemies and face threatening situations. The new version has undergone a graphical update that brings the resolution up to 4K with a frame-rate of 60 fps, as well as some PC-specific additions such as mouse and keyboard support, field of view adjustment and improvements to textures and quality of the lighting.
Destiny 2: Forsaken and Shadows from the Deep - Xbox One, September 23
Destiny 2
is finally available on Xbox Game Pass, complete with the maxi-expansions Forsaken and Shadows from the Deep, undoubtedly representing a significant addition to the Microsoft service. As we've said in the past, you could also see a symbolic return of Bungie to the fold, although that's obviously not the case. In any case, it is an important title for the Game Pass, because as a live service game it is able to represent a sort of constantly supported and updated platform, set up specifically for multiplayer gaming, or very effective features for a subscription service. . The second chapter has substantially evolved the gameplay perhaps still immature of the first and the expansions present here probably represent the sum of the contents seen so far in Destiny 2, therefore the advice, even for those who have remained rather cold in the face of the new epic Bungie, is to try it now that it's on Game Pass, because it's easy to get caught up in its irresistible mechanics.
Night in the Woods - PC and Xbox One, September 24 Although it may seem like just one of the many narrative adventures that have arisen in the indie arena, Night in the Woods remains imprinted as one of the most fascinating and memorable titles in its rich field. It is a story of maturation and formation, which illustrates the return home of Mae, a young cat, to the small hometown of Possum Springs, which is somewhat of a typical provincial town but inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. Therefore, starting from a sort of failure such as leaving college and returning to provincial normality, the story becomes complicated and deepens, progressively staging the strangeness and mysteries that hide under the apparently banal facade of Possum Springs, becoming a real and own adventure. The story also lends itself to different readings and deals with various and profound topics, from the homologation and stagnation of rural reality to psychological problems combined with the difficulties of growing up and becoming adults. All represented with a 2D graphic style capable of recreating truly impactful atmospheres.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - Xbox One, September 24
L he fantasy universe of Games Workshop has shown several times to be able to decline according to different perspectives and representations, thanks to the particularity and richness of its imagination. Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is another example of this eclecticism, in this case applied above all to the gameplay and style of play, which goes a little beyond the RPG or the standard strategy to stage a first-person action game focused on the cooperative multiplayer action. Using five different characters, each with different characteristics, fighting styles and weapons, we find ourselves having to fight the overwhelming armies of Chaos, represented in this case by a race of humanoid rats called Skaven. The game is well structured in terms of combat system and level design, but it must clearly be played in multiplayer to be fully enjoyed, which of course we recommend to everyone.
Kathy Rain - PC, September 24
Point and click graphic adventures still exist and have evolved in their own way over the years, but there is no doubt that their spirit is deeply rooted in the golden age of the genre , that is the 80s and 90s. Kathy Rain tries to fully resume that style by going to recover the 90s both in stylistic terms and as a temporal setting: it is an investigative adventure represented in 2D with pixel art graphics, which has The protagonist is a tenacious journalism student engaged in investigating the death of her grandfather, apparently part of a series of strange events on which she intends to shed light. Despite being a somewhat underground title, Kathy Rain is probably one of the best classic graphic adventures released in recent years, so the download is highly recommended to all fans of the genre but also in general to those who appreciate games focused on puzzles and narration.
