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Skipped Xbox One, got Xbox Series and U Game Pass, what do I play?

Owlowiscious

Owlowiscious

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,473
I skipped the Xbox One, and just ordered an Xbox Series X. I got 3 years of Ultimate Game pass in September in case that upgrade deal went away.

Anyways, what games should I play? I don't plan on buying anything for Xbox atm since I should have a bunch of stuff I would want to catch up on first. So what's available on the Ultimate Game Pass that I should play?
 
MisterAnderson

MisterAnderson

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,517
I'm so confused right now. You purchased an Xbox Series X and 3 years of Game Pass without knowing what games you want to play? Not a single one?

My picks off the top of my head:

-Deep Rock Galactic
-Sea of Thieves
-Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel
-Gears 4/5/Tactics
-Halo 4 & 5
-Master Chief Collection
 
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OnionPowder

OnionPowder

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,323
Orlando, FL
This is gonna sound odd, but if you haven't played Slay the Spire yet give that a shot

Probably not a series X showcase but one of the best games on the service ngl
 
Letters

Letters

Prophet of Truth
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
4,443
Portugal
I mean, go look at the service page and see what catches your eye. There's a million amazing games in there for all kinds of taste.

Check out Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4 or the Ori games if you're coming from being playstation-only and are looking for some incredible games you couldn't play before
 
PunkSxE

PunkSxE

Banned
Apr 9, 2020
1,153
- Sunset Overdrive
- Forza Horizon 4
- Ori (both)
- Gears Ultimate Edition, 4 and 5 (and 2 and 3 if you haven't played them
- State of Decay 2
 

francium87

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,041
Jeff on Giantbomb podcast just said Forza (I think he's talking about FH4?) is the best looking show piece for the system right now, "looks insane"
Doesn't hurt that FH4 is one of the best games (not just racing) last gen (lego DLC is not free for game pass? but it's cool too)

and I'd like to mention KI (great tutorials and a solid single player mode) and Sea of Thieves (best water in games, though it's a bit of pain if you play solo)
 

Deleted member 8784

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
1,502
I've recently finished Celeste on Android and thought it was great. Highly recommend if you've not played that yet.
 
Jaded Alyx

Jaded Alyx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
35,352
Would also kinda help if you told us what kind of games you're into..

And it's 'Game Pass Ultimate', not Ultimate Game Pass.
 
killerrin

killerrin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,237
Toronto
I'd probably start with the first party games. If your a Halo Person; Get the Halo 4/5 Campaigns out of the way to prepare for Infinite. If you like Gears, get Gears 4/5 out of the way to prepare for Gears 6 when its eventually released. Go run around in Crackdown and blow some shit up. Enjoy Ori.

MisterAnderson said:
I'm so confused right now. You purchased an Xbox Series X and 3 years of Game Pass without knowing what games you want to play? Not a single one?
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If you are buying an Xbox, Game Pass is pretty much a no-brainer. Its like the selling point of Xbox since you wont actually have to buy games unless you want to. It's also not too confusing that someone would get Game Pass without having any particular games in mind. The library is absoultely massive with everything from Indies to AA to AAA titles.
 
M4xim1l1ano

M4xim1l1ano

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,094
Santiago, Stockholm, Vienna
I also skipped Xbox One gen so it will be nice to jump back in to Xbox (from 360).
I am curious on how Deux Ex: Mankind divided runs.. regardless it will be one of the first games I get but I'm still curious to know about the perf on XSX..
 
Drek

Drek

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,231
1.Forza Horizon 4, my personal favorite Xbox exclusive of the gen., probably the best racing game in a long time.
2. Both Ori games. Probably the best exclusives on the Xbox despite a few frustrating elements.
3. Gears 4 and 5. Still a really solid franchise, even if it shows some of the age from being a last gen IP that hasn't been dramatically changed.
4. State of Decay 2. Gets repetitive after a while and has some real jank but its a very fun sandbox for the first 20-30 hours.
5. Gears Tactics. If you like XCOM this is a good game within the same subgenre.
6. Halo Wars 2. Only if you like strategy games as HW2 isn't a best in genre game or something but a solid console option in the genre.
7. Sea of Thieves is cool if you have a group to play with.
8. Halo 5 and MCC. Halo is still good. Same as Gears 4/5, though I feel like Gears has had reliably good tweaks on the edges while Halo's tweaks have been a mixed bag.
9. Sunset Overdrive. Insomniac make good ass games. Its got a very hit or miss aesthetic but if you click with it its super fun.
10. Quantum Break. I don't like this as much as I do other Remedy games, but then some of Remedy's games are real high on my list.

If you're talking GamePass in general, well, thats a huge catalog with tons of options. Outer Wilds, Steamworld Dig 2, and Goose Game are must plays on the service for example.
 
The Albatross

The Albatross

Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,985
Ori 1 and 2 are must plays. Definitely my favorite Microsoft published game last gen, and two of my favorite games of the whole generation. Ori and the Will of the Whisps is more refined IMO, but you should play Ori and the Blind Forest first. You don't have to play them in a particular order, it's not like you "Can't understand the story" if you play them out of order. BUt it's worth it to play Blind Forest first, then Will of the Wisps.

Forza Horizon 4 is great, but for me it's like the game I jump into when I feel like kinda just wasting time in a game. It's a wonderful racing game and the battle royale online mode is a lot of fun and very creative.

Sea of Thieves is super fun if you have friends to play it wwith, otherwise for me it didn't click playing with randos.

I never got into Gears, Halo. I liked Sunset Overdrive but damn that was years ago. Never played QUantum Break and I want to. Hopefully Control comes to it soon.
 
FelipeMGM

FelipeMGM

#Skate4
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
3,012
If we are talking games published by Xbox Game Studios, these five come to mind:

Sunset Overdrive, one of the best open-world designs of the generation
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (I honestly think its okay to skip Blind forest, this is that game but better)
Forza Horizon 4, the best arcade racing game of the gen
Sea of Thieves, one of the most unique multiplayer experiences I had on Xbox
Gears 5 (or 4 I guess since for this one I'd recommend going back to get the story and characters background)
 
MisterAnderson

MisterAnderson

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,517
Drek said:
5. Gears Tactics. If you like XCOM this is a good game within the same subgenre.
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Is Gears 5 required lore to understand everything/have all the character backstory for Gears Tactics? I played 4 but not 5 yet. I'm a little more excited to see how Gears was converted into XCOM than playing 5 first, but I'm not against playing them in order.
 
dr.rocktopus

dr.rocktopus

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
7,250
At the very least, Ori, Gears 4/5, MCC, Forza Horizon 4, Forza Motorsport 7. Rare Replay is on there depending on your opinion of revisiting their classics. There are a lot of great Indies on there but they come in and out. Depending on your third-party exposure you can go from tons of FF, Yakuza, RE7, DOOM Eternal, Tetris Effect, etc.
 
shawnoftheshred

shawnoftheshred

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,285
Calgary, AB
XBOX Games:
  • Forza Horizon 4. Honestly, there's arguments that 2&3 are better, but 4 will come with all the updates you want for the new machine. It's super fun and often results in jaw-dropping moments. I recommend cockpit view for maximum wow factor.
  • Ori & the sequel. Both games of the generation.
  • Sea Of Thieves. If you have 1-3 friends that'd join you on hopping into the game, it really is a blast. Less fun solo, and may keep your interest or not, but it's a really unique game and one worth trying.
  • Gears of War / Halo series are obviously considered important to XBOX. I thought Gears 4&5 were super fun, and 5 should show off your new machine well. The plots are kinda infuriating and they haven't evolved all that much, but if you skipped those earlier games, either should feel fresh. Maybe just watch a "Gears of War" story vid on Youtube. Halo, well, it's Halo. I hadn't played any since Halo 1 until a couple of months ago and found it to be a fun game, but not a must-play. I didn't know what was going on, but it's fun to shoot things regardless.
  • Killer Instinct. There's a case to be made it's the best fighting game of last gen. Super diverse character list, super accessible (but hard to master), and best netcode in the FGC.
  • Sunset Overdrive. Like Spiderman, but more zany. Great movement and fun factor. You might hate the style of humour, but the game is amazing.
Third Party Standouts:
  • Jedi Fallen Order (added today)
  • Doom Eternal (recently added)
  • Destiny 2 Beyond Light (added today)
  • The Witcher 3 (obviously a game of the generation for many)
  • Tetris Connected (technically not on PS5 for awhile, though the base game was)
  • No Man's Sky (the game has gotten really expanded and will have a next-gen upgrade)
  • The Outer Worlds (like a smaller Fallout)
  • Celeste (game of the generation platformer)
  • Carrion (John Carpenter's The Thing, but you play the monster)
  • Outer Wilds (many peoples' game of the year)
  • Remnant: From The Ashes (been playing a lot lately - great shooting feel, kind of like Dark Souls with guns, but easier)
Bite-Sized Games (fun ones that can be done quickly)
  • Battletoads. It's not amazing, but it's one of those beat in a day or two fun distraction games.
  • Streets of Rage 4 (great beat 'em up)
  • Overcooked 2 (best party game around...can play online)
  • Oxenfree (mostly dialogue based, but super fun)
  • Slay The Spire (one of my games of the generation - card game rogue like)
  • The Touryst (super charming - can be finished in a weekend)
 
Pyro

Pyro

God help us the mods are making weekend threads
Member
Jul 30, 2018
14,505
United States
Shadows of the Damned & Jedi Fallen Order will be among the first games I play
 
Ojli

Ojli

Chicken Chaser
Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,652
Sweden
There is a nice second OT on gamepass with all the games
GamePass OT2

I would just suggest scroll through the list on your new Xbox and pick a game that catches your eye. What's the harm in trying something unknown?
 
Zarshack

Zarshack

Member
May 15, 2018
541
Australia
I'm in the exact same boat, my play list is :
Ori and the blind forest
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The Outer Worlds
Monster Hunter World
Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice
Pillars of Eternity
Quantum Break
Sunset Overdrive
Tales of Vesperia
Titanfall 2
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Doom: Eternal
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

There's more I am planning on playing but that's probably a long enough list, hope there's something in the list that piques your interest.
 
OP
OP
Owlowiscious

Owlowiscious

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,473
MisterAnderson said:
I'm so confused right now. You purchased an Xbox Series X and 3 years of Game Pass without knowing what games you want to play? Not a single one?

My picks off the top of my head:

-Deep Rock Galactic
-Sea of Thieves
-Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel
-Gears 4/5/Tactics
-Halo 4 & 5
-Master Chief Collection
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i heard a lot of good games coming to game pass, i never wrote them down or anything since i didn't have/want a one. one and series is two generations of game pass stuff, so I thought it'd be worth it and a good time to catch up
MiserablePerson said:
Did you have a 360?
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yes. and had a ps4 in this prior gen.

[everyone else]
thanks for the recommendations, I don't want to quote everyone haha
 
Myself

Myself

Member
Nov 4, 2017
1,282
PunkSxE said:
- Sunset Overdrive
- Forza Horizon 4
- Ori (both)
- Gears Ultimate Edition, 4 and 5 (and 2 and 3 if you haven't played them
- State of Decay 2
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Is Gears Ultimate meant to have a really shitty framerate? I fired it up on the XSX and I could swear it rarely even hit 30 - it was a mess.

To the OP: You'll want to play Ori.
 
MisterAnderson

MisterAnderson

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,517
HeRinger said:
Even single player only?
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I have a lot of fun solo-ing in Sea of Thieves, but it's always multiplayer and you'll run into players with the opportunity to make friends (or enemies, you never know). There's also an active community so its very easy to find people to play with on discord or by finding people playing it on Twitch.
 
Djalminha

Djalminha

Alt-Account
Banned
Sep 22, 2020
2,103
Exploring weird little games is the best thing about Gamepass, I try like 5 games until I stick with one. We are having lots of fun with Knights and Bikes right now if you're looking for coop goodness.
 
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