March has been a fairly quiet month for Xbox Game Pass, with only eight games added for Game Pass Ultimate members, but it's still been pretty decent, especially when you consider that Atomfall is still around the corner. That said, I can't help looking towards April already - the lineup is filling up for next month before we even get there!
I'll be honest and say that at first glance, the big Xbox first-party title South of Midnight is not my most anticipated Game Pass title of the next few weeks - I'm just more captivated by what I've seen of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 so far. The visuals, the story, the look of the gameplay... it seems like it could be something really special.
That's not to say South of Midnight couldn't blow me away either though! Pure Xbox staffer Ben recently went 'hands on' with South of Midnight and immediately asked me if he could review the full game (the answer is yes!), while our former video producer Craig shared similar praise for the early preview. They both clearly love what they've played so far, so I'm eager to see what all the fuss is about on April 8th.
Those are the two big ones, but there's so much other stuff to come as well. In fact, we've even got another first-party Xbox release in the form of Towerborne, which is finally crossing over from PC to console on April 29th. Again, Pure Xbox staffer PJ played Towerborne a few months ago and enthused that it delivers a "fun and addictive ARPG formula".
Nobody seems to be talking about Descenders Next, but considering the original Descenders has been such a popular staple on Xbox Game Pass over the years, I'm expecting it'll prove just as popular when it launches on April 9th. Commandos: Origins is bound to give us another great real-time tactics experience on the 9th as well, while Blue Prince on the 10th has been described as a potential GOTY contender by a former PlayStation boss!
Last but not least is Tempopo... a colourful puzzle game that has the potential to become a low-key hit.
There's obviously a lot more to come for Xbox Game Pass over the next few weeks, but I'm stoked to see such a great lineup this far ahead of time! You can check out more details on all the Xbox Game Pass releases for April 2025 so far elsewhere on Pure Xbox, and I'm keen to hear which you're most excited for in the poll below.
What did you pick in the poll? Let me know down in the comments section.
Comments 34
March has been a fairly quiet month for Xbox Game Pass
I would probably need about 24 quiet months for Xbox GamePass just to do some catching up on my backlog 😁. And like you say Atomfall is still to come. I'm about to enter the last major area in Avowed at lv 27 and just love the combat combinations it allows. Hopefully I'll finish up before South of Midnight and Claire Obscure. I also want to play some Atomfall too.
Do we honestly have to have a hit every month on Gamepass? I mean who can even keep up with it to be honest. I am still playing Indy and Avowed and throughly enjoying them. There is no way anyone could have already gone through Avowed. If they did either A) They just rushed through the game B) Have to life C) Are fibbing.
@FraserG If Crash 4 doesn't come to Game Pass next month... 😓
On topic, next month is stacked. I'm hoping to be done with Shadows by then so I can catch up on the GP backlog.
March has given us Split Fiction and that’s plenty enough. What a magnificent game.
@Tasuki Seriously! I'm 31hrs into Avowed and I'm just now starting the Shatterscarp area.
@FarmDog08 I am 28 hours in and just finished up with Dawnshore. I am guessing you are just rushing through the game.
Really looking forward to Blue Prince.
I dont where to find time to play South of midnight, commandos origins (fan of the old commandos games) and expedition 33.
A great month for GP.
@Kaloudz i bought it on release lol back in 2020. Was well worth it
@Tasuki Shoot! Maybe I am rushing afterall, 😄!
I picked Expedition 33 but south of midnight is up there with it 😎 towerborne too gunna be a sick month
@Millionski I was close to buying it just before ABK was announced. Then, and ever since, I've been holding out knowing that it's coming sooner or later 🤣
South of Midnight’s my pick. I just love unique storytelling and settings in games. South of Midnight’s my most anticipated Xbox release this year full stop. Hope it delivers!
Blue Prince looks quite good too, and, of course, Clair Obscur, though for some reason I’ve got a weird feeling about that one.
March was a little quiet but we have Atomfall arriving March 27th directly into gamepass. I know Atomfall isn't a massive groundbreaking release but from everything I've read and seen the game looks like solid fun. Not every game needs to be the biggest, most advanced thing ever made (unless you're GTA 6 because I expect nothing less from Rockstar after the brillance that is GTA 5 and especially RDR2). I think Atomfall will be a decent game, it looks like fun so if everything works as good as it does in previews I think it'll be solid.
South of Midnight is a game I've been hyped for since it's revealing at the 2023 Xbox Games showcase. Compulsion games has been a studio that kinda does their own thing. Contrast was a gem that I wasn't sure about until I actually played it for myself. It was actually released as a PS+ monthly game which is how I got acquainted with the game. It's mix of 3D/2D platform puzzling was quite unique upon release.
We happy few was another game Compulsion games released that was really cool in thought, however it's execution didn't land as well. The concept of a dystopian society all around you but you can't see it due to the "happy" meds they provide to keep you content with how awful the world truly is. I very much enjoyed that concept however the gameplay for me just fell short. It was a little rough and clunky which is what ultimately kept me from finishing the game.
The reason I'm excited for South of Midnight is because it'll be compulsion games biggest title to date, with the backing of Microsoft. I'm a fan of 3rd person action adventure style games. I love the idea of exploring folk tales, and think the stop motion inspired animation looks great, along with the Southern Gothic aesthetic. If they nail the gameplay and storytelling I think South of Midnight will be a pleasant surprise for sure.
It's been a quiet year.
@Tasuki same I'm about 35 hours in and still have stuff to do in Dawn shore. I've completed every bounty in the game, got the achievement, and yesterday I got an achievement for opening every certain type of chest that's in the game lol Avowed has been a phenomenal game that's kept me entertained the entire time. I've enjoyed it so much that I am already planning a second playthrough whenever I finish. I really hope we get some type of DLC in the future though.
Blue prince and tempopo look like guaranteed winners.
Hoping that for Clair obscur too
@Tasuki yeah I’m at least 40 hours and finishing up emerald stair. Might be more like 45 hours! Seems like each zone takes me 20 hours. I’m actually TRYING to hurry, but I’ve been doing all the side quests. Don’t wanna take forever but don’t wanna miss stuff either! I’m gonna maybe try spending less time climbing around for loot. The loot gets pretty samey.
I don’t know how other people are getting through the whole game in 20 hours…
@FarmDog08 I have no idea how you playthrough at that speed, you must skip loads of quests and not bother reading dialogue surely?
My save file says three days and 12 hours and I'm early in Shatterscarp. I do complete all missions - no point in playing a game and ignoring most of it for me.
As for GP, its unequivocal that we get FAR less games now then we ever used to. There's been some recent bangers which helps keep me subbed, but if you have specific tastes it is likely there will be months with nothing for you. Atm, once Claire Obscura is finished (its the only title I care for here) I will unsub and only come back if it looks like there will be another run of games I want. I suspect that's how most will behave, but we never get numbers so it's impossible to know!
Clair Obscur is my highlight, but don't sleep on Blue Prince.
@Titntin I used to have a flatmate who would literally run through games, he'd run past all the enemies and keep going if he could, he wouldn't stop to take in the sights, talk to NPCs or search every corner for loot... something i'm probably a bit overly obsessive about. But he, and his like, is the reason for invisible walls around battles in games, without them he'd literally only engage with the game when forced.
We used to rent games through Love Film and he would get so annoyed about how it would take him a day or two to finish many games and me a week or two, he was often left waiting. I'm not saying my way is right, or his was wrong, it's just two different approaches. He couldn't play my way, he'd find it too tedious; and I couldn't play his way, i'd feel I was missing too much of the game/experience. But it did make me think about how games are structured and designed and cater to different players sensibilities in a way other mediums like literature, film & tv can't.
@themightyant
As you say mate, no right or wrong
When I was making games, I was a big believer in putting in details and breadcrumbs to them that rewarded those who took the time to notice, and I still feel as an invested player, that I owe the Devs that level of attention, to notice and appreciate the time and effort they made bringing the game alive. I guess I'm just a bit old school now - probably appropriate for an old geezer...👴
@Titntin I felt like I was going slow. I've cleared each map, done almost, if not all side quests so far, have my gear in the red, and I'm lvl 16. I just added the 4th party member.
@Sol4ris I'm the opposite. Avowed is the only title I've enjoyed on GamePass in the past year (besides a couple I already owned like Spyro) and right now I'm just sort of twiddling my thumbs waiting for DOOM, Tony Hawk, Ninja Gaiden, and Outer Worlds 2. The fact that I can even list 5 games I'm anticipating in a single year is a huge deal considering I've been lucky to find even 2 a year for the past 10 years, but the sparseness between GamePass releases does make it difficult to justify keeping the service active throughout the year.
@Titntin Totally agree and as a player I LOVE things like environmental storytelling. Whether it be entering a room in Fallout and piecing together what has happened here in the past, or something like the Frank and Bill story in TLOU2 which was much more subtle than in the TV show but the clues were there if you were willing to dig deeper. It just adds to the worldbuilding and makes me more embedded in the world, it makes it all more real. When games don't have this they often feel much more one dimensional.
@FarmDog08 nothing wrong with any way you choose to play my friend and I am always slower than most. I will walk and run around the map clearing all the 'fog of war' to ensure I haven't missed anything - as nothing regenerates I feel the need to clear everything to ensure I am maxed for each new challenge.
Like I say, I'm approaching 4 days on my save (stupid to have days as a unit mind you). I'm a little ahead of you mind you - pretty much all my gear is legendary and the fourth team member has been with me for some time.
I find it annoying how the most useful abilities are tied to a character. I always take the dwarf, as no matter how much you look, unless you use his scan you will miss a ton of materials and resources, and similarly, I hate seeing a shimmering illusion and not having the ability to dispel it in the team, meaning my team is pretty much picked for me!
I suspect I'll be finished a few days and its been fun. I hope you are enjoying it too
@Titntin I'm having a blast with it. Very good game. Maybe I need to run through Dawnshore and the Emerald Stairs again with Marius to make sure I have everything. I don't have anything else to fight in those locations, so should be easy cleanup. I switched him out to Giatta after getting her to join.
@jesse_dylan @Master_Cthulhu70 Yeah I just hit Emerald Stair myself and already I am thinking of what I am going to do for another playthrough lol. I too pretty much explore everywhere for me that fun. I want to see everything this world has to offer. I have also made it a point to craft as well which is why my weapons are currently as high as they can go right now. I just started finding the next craft materials I need to further up my weapons.
@themightyant I have a friend like that lol. I tried playing WoW with him and I just couldn't. His thing is though he runs through a game like that then gets to a point where he's not geared right or too low leveled and stops playing the game cause it sucks lol. He doesn't have that problem nowadays with games as much as he did years ago. That play style just leaves me thinking well, if you leveled up and get better gear.....
@Tasuki I think I burnt out a little spending too much time on everything. Some of the side quests are just okay. Which is totally fine, but I don't want to miss the good ones. I think I'm maybe doing too much exploring and insisting on finding everything. When did I become this way??? It makes me feel like I don't have time left in my life for everything and need to hurry up.
@Tasuki Totally. I'm like you I burn out trying to experience it all. e.g. I really enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima up to a point but by the 15th fox shrine and 9th haiku I was bored and moved on. If I was able to just stay on the critical path I might have enjoyed it more and finished it. Pros and cons.
south of midnight this month, doom in may and tony hawk in june. nice three month stretch we have coming up. hoping south of midnight delivers. i have zero doubt the other two will
March was an incredible month.
WWE 2K25, Assassins Creed Shadows, Atelier Yumia and Split Fiction. 👍🏼
@themightyant LOL that's probably why I start so many games and never finish them. After awhile I just get so overwhelmed with the side quests and the main story and then I look and go crap I have been playing this game for six months and I have this huge backlog. But then I try to skip some stuff but then my OCD kicks in and I feel that if I skip that I will miss something really cool or special.
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