Xbox Game Pass, August 2021: The first batch of games for subscribers

Xbox Game Pass, August 2021

Despite being practically in the middle of summer, even the first batch of games in August 2021 for Xbox Game Pass does not seem to lower the pace of the Microsoft service at all, which in this batch brings 15 more games to the subscriber catalog. In the face of the release of seven titles, among which the presence of GTA 5 in particular is recorded, the balance therefore continues to be decidedly positive in terms of the quantity of games available, but also the quality is certainly not secondary, considering the presence of games there absolute level like Hades and Art of Rally.

Indies continue to have a prominent place in these summer months, but as we have widely seen this is a very positive feature in terms of freshness and originality of the proposed experiences .

Curse of the Dead Gods - Cloud, Xbox and PC, August 5th

Curse of the Dead Gods, a roguelike of exploration, fighting, light and shadow The roguelike remains one of the genres most popular for the new indie proposals, but it also continues to be one of the types of game in which it is easier to find truly excellent titles, perhaps optimally marrying innovative thrusts with the more classic tradition of video games chi arcade and the like. In this case we are dealing with Curse of the Dead Gods, a game that starts from a hackneyed premise like the exploration of a cursed dungeon in search of incredible treasures but ends up staging one of the most rhythmic and exhilarating gameplay. are recently seen in this crowded arena, thanks above all to an interesting combat system.

Dodgeball Academia - Cloud, Xbox and PC, August 5th

Dodgeball Academia melee RPG, sports and adventure The captive ball becomes the subject of a sort of RPG in Dodgeball Academia, which transforms the ancient game in question in a particular mixture of role-playing and sports, with a strongly cartoonish and fictionalized version of the sport in question.

Otto is the protagonist of the story: a great dodgeball enthusiast who enrolls in the prestigious Dedicated academy and here he will have to contend with many talented rivals, trying to build a capable team and overcome the many challenges that separate him from international fame in this particular sport. As we saw in our recent review, Dodgeball Academia is able to best mix different characteristics, taking elements from sports, RPG and anime of the Inazuma Eleven genre.

Katamari Damacy Reroll - Cloud, Xbox and PC, August 5th

Madness returns with Katamari Damacy Reroll 14 years after the release of the surprising original, Katamari Damacy Reroll has managed to bring back intact all the crazy spirit that made him famous all over the world. It is, in effect, a sort of remastered version of the splendid puzzle game created by Keita Takahashi, relaunched in 2018 with an updated version in technical terms able to reproduce it practically intact to the new public, through modern platforms.

There is practically nothing new compared to the original, but precisely for this reason it is a game that should not be overlooked by anyone: the particular mechanics of the rolling to try to collect everything that is present on the screen in a huge ball is still perfectly capable of being addictive.

Lumines Remastered - Cloud, Xbox and PC, August 5th

Lumines Remastered brings back the play of light, color and music by Tetsuya Mizuguchi Let's continue with the recovery of the historical puzzle games with Lumines Remastered, which offers an updated version of another author's title for the genre in question, in this case by Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

Originally released on PSP in 2004, the game showed some of the typical characteristics of Mizuguchi's work, especially as regards sensory stimulation and the combination of soundtrack and graphic effects. The synaesthesia of musical rhythm and action seen in Rez is only hinted at here, but in this particular interpretation of the Tetris and Columns-style puzzle it is easy to notice the author's hand, since the simple action becomes a real almost hypnotic experience of lights, sounds and colors.

Skate - Xbox, August 5th

Skate proposes a sort of revolution in skateboarding games When it came out in 2007, Skate represented a real revolution in field of skateboard video games, consolidating with subsequent episodes and essentially stalling a decade ago, at the end of what was EA's brief push towards new brands.

Since then, the series has become a sort of cult and many have asked for its return, which seems destined to be realized with the new chapter in development: for the moment, we can celebrate this as a back on the videogame scenes with the revival of the first and mythical chapter, which for the first time it presented a real simulation of skate in an open world tailored to this sport, a kind of dream come true for the many enthusiasts of the board on wheels.

Skate 3 - Cloud, 5 August

Skate 3 represented an evolution of the particular Skate concept in every area In addition to the first chapter, on Xbox Game Pass it is possible to have a broader overview of the skateboarding series by EA with Skate 3, made available on cloud through EA Play. Released three years after the original, the third and (for now) last chapter of the series carries on the particular philosophy that characterizes this videogame interpretation of the skate with some technical improvements and a certain extension of the contents but at the time clearly losing the innovative thrust. that the progenitor had. Nowadays, it is perhaps the most appreciable chapter, above all for the greater quantity of contents and modalities present, therefore it is still a particularly advisable title because it has practically no equal in today's panorama.

Starmancer - PC, August 5th

Starmancer puts us in control of a space colony, as an AI Available in early access through Game Pass on PC, Starmancer is a strategic management detail that places us in command of a space colony, in the peculiar role of an artificial intelligence in charge of preserving human civilization from destruction.

With a particular representation that mixes 2D and 3D elements, the game by Ominux Games places us in front of important and impactful choices , with which we can decide the destiny of humanity in space, tending towards a real utopia or choosing a different and decidedly less orthodox path, with the relative c on sequences. Under the control of the Starmancer are digitized human personalities and minds ready to populate the colony, but a liveable environment and healthy society must be ensured for them to thrive.

Dirt 4 - Xbox and PC, 10 August

DiRT 4 continues the long series of rallies by Codemasters With the entry of Codemasters into EA, the EA Play catalog is filled with some of the best racing games released in recent years, taken directly from the portfolio of the British team specialized in the genre. We start with DiRT 4, the twelfth chapter of the series that started with Colin McRae Rally and the sixth to follow the new name "Dirt".

For those unfamiliar with the series, this is a rally game with some official licenses that offers various races and specialties in the field of racing on mixed tracks, the result of a long experience in the field by the developers of Codemasters. In this case, racing offers different approaches to the player between simulation and a more arcade setting, thus also allowing a less technical approach.

Dirt Rally - Xbox and PC, August 10

DiRT Rally represents a re-foundation of the series, as a real simulation Perhaps one of the most "felt" projects by Codemasters, the first DiRT Rally was born as a sort of experimental title, with the will to build a new dedicated pure simulation to the rally and to be enriched also thanks to user feedback through the early access program, similar to what Kunos Simulations did with Assetto Corsa and other titles of the genre.

The EGO Engine has been specially modified to return a more realistic behavior through a more complex physics management, in order to refine what the team previously did on this type of racing. The result was greeted with great enthusiasm by the community and still represents one of the best rally games ever.

Dirt Rally 2.0 - Xbox and PC, August 10

DiRT Rally 2.0 represents a Total evolution of the first chapter between technique and contents Direct evolution of the first chapter, Dirt Rally 2.0 continues the realistic approach to rally seen in the previous episode, increasing its contents (also through numerous DLCs) and improving the technical aspect between graphics, sound and driving model.

The result is a simulation that has been perfected under various aspects, richer and more complete than ever, taking advantage of the in-depth know-how developed by Codemasters over the years of the long DiRT series. It is to all intents and purposes a total celebration of rally, which includes an enormous amount of tracks, cars and racing modes, capable of spanning the various historical periods of this famous motorsport discipline. Undoubtedly a title for fans, but also accessible for beginners.

F1 2020 - Xbox and PC, August 10

F1 2020 is the official simulation of last year's top car championship Nella substantial injection of driving games carried out by EA Play with the arrival of Codemasters titles could certainly not miss F1 2020, perhaps one of the most important games in the catalog of the British team, deriving from one of the richest licenses ever. The official videogame adaptation of the top car championship has convinced everyone, both as a technological evolution given by the use of the new EGO Engine 4.0 and as a completeness of game options and modes.

Among the new features we find in fact the career mode with My Team which allows you to create a new team and drive it to success, new classic cars and the reintroduction of multiplayer with split screen, as well as the possibility of facing the Formula 2 championship.

Grid - Xbox and PC, August 10

Grid offers a remarkable mix of disciplines and types of "sim-falls" races We complete the long series of Codemasters titles added to EA Play with Grid, one of the most celebrated titles in recent years for the British team.

It is, also in this case, a racing, in this case composed of a mix of different disciplines and racing specialties, therefore able to offer a rather complete and varied experience in this field. The driving model tends towards the arcade itself, but in line with the style of Codemasters it is also profound and therefore also meets simulation enthusiasts, staging clashes between cars belonging to even profoundly different categories and the possibility of to compete on a large amount of circuits.

Art of Rally - Cloud, Xbox and PC, August 12

We are still in the field of racing games, but define Art in this way of Rally could be almost an understatement, considering the particular interpretation that the title of Funskeletor Lab makes of the genre in question. The game incorporates the iconic Group B cars in an "artistic" reinterpretation of the rally that makes the rhythm and flow of the race its main and characterizing element, in a particular sensory experience all centered on drifting and the best trajectories in search of the times record.

The challenge is with the community of players, but above all with oneself in a continuous self-improvement that requires concentration and inner calm, just to re-enter the Zen philosophy that seems to distinguish the whole game.

Hades - Cloud, Xbox and PC, August 13

Hades is a roguelike with a mythological setting that surprised and convinced everyone The most important game added in this Xbox Game Pass send is probably Hades , the roguelike that proved to be a real revelation between 2020 and 2021. The title starts from Supergiant's experience on the action genre with an isometric view and adds the new curtains roguelike experimental nes, reaching a truly impressive quality level with regard to all its elements: graphics, art direction, level design and combat system, all combined with a constant and practically irresistible progression. Hades is one of the most awarded games of 2020, and you can see precisely why by downloading and launching yourself into the underworld in this incredible dungeon crawler.

Microsoft Solitaire Collection: Premium Edition - PC, August 17th

Microsoft Solitaire Collection: Premium Edition is the complete collection of good old Windows Solitaires There is very little to present when it comes to the Microsoft Solitaire Collection, as it is the collection of the various solitaires that Microsoft puts inside of Windows, therefore a sort of universal pastime known by practically everyone, perhaps the most popular "video game" of all, in several respects.

The Premium Edition, added to the Xbox Game Pass catalog, transforms everything into a complete package that allows a much wider experience of the classic solitaire and applied variants, adding coins, boot and removing the advertising banners compared to the standard game. Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, TriPeaks and Pyramid can therefore be played freely by all Xbox Game Pass users on PC.

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