Xbox Game Pass, June 2021: The second batch of games for subscribers

Xbox Game Pass, June 2021

The month of June 2021 was particularly important for Xbox Game Pass, given that the Microsoft service was the great protagonist of the Xbox conference and Bethesda at E3 2021, probably the moment of greatest interest, in terms of the quantity of announcements and the density of trailers and news, of the whole summer fair this year. Virtually all the games announced there will be launched directly in the Xbox Game Pass catalog, resulting in a truly rich program of titles for the coming months and 2022, as you can also see in the summary image below.

Xbox Game Pass, the major games announced for service at E3 2021 On the other hand, the first party production of Xbox Game Studios is closely linked to Xbox Game Pass, so where one goes the other and the effects of the expansion of Microsoft's internal teams will be felt on the service starting from these months, with new introductions of considerable level at a rather constant pace. For the moment, we therefore refer to the second batch of the known games regarding June 2021, practically already available from this week, waiting to receive more precise information on the third wave, of which we already know a couple of titles, or Dungeons & Dragons : Dark Alliance and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered.

Arx Fatalis - PC, June 13

Arx Fatalis looks a bit dated now, but its game and world building solutions are still notable With the arrival of Arkane inside of the Microsoft stable, the Xbox Game Studios have obtained a team of fundamental importance, given the ability shown by the studio to create truly profound and interesting experiences using above all the first person. Last but not least, they often manage to be original games with notable character, which is also evident in Arx Fatalis, despite being the first game of the team, dated 2002: this particular first-person action RPG is now a bit dated. technically, but it is still quite capable of saying something in terms of game design, gameplay and world building, having demonstrated early on what Arkane was made of. A title to definitely have in your collection.

Dishonored 2: The Death of the Outsider - PC, Xbox and Cloud, June 13

With the presence of the first and second chapter, on Xbox Game Pass was actually missing Dishonored 2: Death of the Outsider, the stand-alone expansion of the second chapter, which has arrived these days completing the entire Arkane series. The game can be enjoyed independently from the other chapters, although it is advisable to avoid playing it "blindly" in order not to lose all the various narrative references, also because Death of the Outsider does not linger too long in telling the story and background, contenting itself with providing a cross-section from a different point of view and staging the story of Billie Lurk and her incredible feat, or the attempted deicide of the Outsider to put an end to her machinations. It is a very interesting premise and it is developed properly, making this a title to download and try, like the rest of the series.

DOOM - PC and Xbox, June 13

Also in this case it is a question of completing the offer by the Bethesda teams, now first party: DOOM is therefore back available within the Xbox Game Pass, strangely after DOOM Eternal, thus normalizing the position of the id Software series as a team belonging to Xbox Game Studios, which notoriously have all of their titles in the downloadable catalog of the Microsoft service. This is the chapter released in 2016, or that of the reboot that has completely relaunched the series through a return to the style of the origins but with numerous evolutions applied to the gameplay and the technological base. The result is one of the best FPS still around, even denser and more compact than Eternal, although the latter surpasses it in terms of content and variety of situations in general.

The Evil Within 2 - PC, Cloud, Xbox, June 13

With the first chapter already in the catalog for some time, it was only a matter of time before we saw The Evil Within 2 land on Xbox Game Pass, which happened with this new release largely dedicated to Bethesda. The second chapter of the horror series by Tango Gameworks does exactly what a sequel should do: it takes the particular style and setting of the original and improves all its aspects, making it a much more refined and complete game, without losing the original peculiarities. but evolving everything towards a decidedly more convincing videogame form also in terms of stability and performance. After all, it is a game by Shinji Mikami, therefore a considerable guarantee.

RAGE - PC and Xbox, June 13

Also in this case we are faced with the strange case of a progenitor that arrives in Xbox Game Pass after its sequel, but it does not bother at all, given the fact that these are two very distinct games. The original Rage came out ten years ago directly under the id Software label and was the team's evolution of the classic FPS concept itself. The post-apocalyptic setting serves as a theater for a very large and open first-time shooter, featuring the use of the Tech 5 engine which at the time represented a significant leap forward from a technological point of view. Today, of course, this impact is less, but the particular futuristic design and the original approach to standard FPS mechanics are still appreciable.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - PC, Cloud and Xbox, June 13th

We also complete the MachineGames series, which has best relaunched one of the oldest brands of id Software, with the second chapter of the new adventures of Blazkowicz in his dystopian world. This is the apotheosis of the new Wolfenstein, which proposes an even more epic and crazy story within the alternative world created by the team, staging the start of the great revolution against Nazi domination by the protagonist and the Kreisau Circle. In a continual crescendo of action, twists and turns and increasingly powerful enemies, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a true celebration of classic FPS, built with great care in both world creation and gameplay elements. br>

Fallout - PC, June 13

Difficult to explain in a few words what Fallout is, and probably futile, considering the level of popularity it has achieved. Perhaps not everyone has played the original, however, which makes this re-release on the Xbox Game Pass particularly valuable, although at the moment limited only to the PC. Released in 1997, the isometric RPG staged an extremely peculiar vision of the post-apocalyptic world, the result of a remarkable marriage of minds between Feargus Urquhart, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, all elements later merged into Obsidian. All this makes Fallout a game still perfectly enjoyable after 24 years, with still things to teach in terms of design and ideas to the modern gaming landscape.

Fallout 2 - PC, June 13

Fallout 2 returns to PC through Xbox Game Pass Released only a year after the progenitor, Fallout 2 is basically an extension of the first chapter in terms of content and story, with related improvements on the technical front but maintaining the same game structure and style now well defined. What has been purchased compared to the first chapter, however, is the support of Chris Avellone, who contributes to an even more engaging and profound writing, in terms of general story and individual quests. Although the impact was obviously less than the first, Fallout 2 is a more refined and evolved RPG, able to involve today exactly as in 1998, therefore another download practically obligatory for all Xbox Game Pass subscribers in possession of PC , perhaps hoping for a possible console or cloud conversion.

Fallout Tactics - PC, June 13

Fallout Tactics is an interesting variation on the style of the series With global notoriety now achieved, in 2001 the time also came for a spin-off of Fallout, focusing on the strategic combat system and aptly named Fallout Tactics. The general setting is the same but the game moves to the Midwest and is all about the famous Brotherhood of Steel and its internal issues that also affect the events of various geographical areas. The story diverges so much from the other chapters that it is officially considered "non-canonical" by Bethesda, but it is still an interesting point of view on the post-apocalyptic world created by Interplay. Strategic combat is an interesting variation on previous classic RPGs and in general this is still a chapter to recover.

Fallout 3 - PC, Cloud and Xbox, June 13

The great step towards the mass audience for the series was certainly Fallout 3: with the handover to Bethesda, the third chapter still managed to remain faithful to the original spirit, yet equipped with a completely new setting given by the first-person view borrowed in part from The Elder Scrolls lore. The ability to visit a large post-apocalyptic open world, with a dive never seen before, represented a notable evolution for Fallout, which otherwise kept the historical elements of the game such as the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. and the various features of the classic RPG. It is still a very good game today, which deserves to be tried in case it has not been done before, being a true classic of its kind.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon - PC, Cloud and Xbox, June 13

With the release of all previous chapters on Xbox Game Pass, the arrival of Yakuza: Like a Dragon completes the series in the catalog, further cementing the bond between Sega and the Microsoft service. However, it is still a fairly recent game, having been released as an Xbox Series X | S launch title, which makes this introduction particularly valuable. The seventh chapter of the saga represents a remarkable renewal, staging the adventures of the new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga (already seen in Yakzua Online), in the new setting of the Yokohama district, among others. The variation is also felt in terms of gameplay, since the fights are now managed as in a sort of turn-based RPG, with very interesting and innovative solutions even for those who know the previous chapters by heart.

Medieval Dynasty - PC, June 18

Arrived by surprise on Xbox Game Pass during the Xbox Showcase Extended, Medieval Dynasty is an interesting survival with management elements set in the High Middle Ages in Europe. Still in early access, the Render Cube game is already proving to be a very interesting title, due to the profound reconstruction of medieval settings and certain dynamics of social and daily life of the time. In the role of a young man who escaped from the war front, we find ourselves having to face various problems first immediate and linked to strict survival and then increasingly broad and complex in trying to found a new community and make it self-sufficient, to break away from the typical dynamics of power. of the time, between nobility and clergy. A real immersion in the harshest Middle Ages.

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