Bartig

I think Contrast was originally a PS3-game and has been free on PS Plus a few years ago, but ah well, why not give it a second chance. I'll download all three and see what will stick.

Oof, this game didn't interest me at all, but I didn't expect this score...

Not my most anticipated game of Annapurna, but will try and probably like this anyway.

Viva Pinata.

I would rather have a Forza collection though.

@Barry_Biscuits Oh yes, definitely a +1 for Lonely Mountains Downhill!

What. A. List. So many brilliant games.

I would personally add:

• Omno
• Call of the Sea
• The Last Stop

@Dunric That's the problem right, just like the new free-to-play and Nickelodeon variants: they're just not good enough.

Continued playing A Way Out with my online coop buddy, want to try Rainbow Six as well, despite the reviews.

That's great. I way prefer the mumbling!

Seen some very interesting speculations on the net. One being that Disney would be interested to buy (the gaming/media department of) Sony, as Sony holds Spider-Man and Wolverine licenses.

Now, think back to Microsoft and Netflix nodding to each other openly for Netflix' games expansion...

So another meh coop shooter? Meh.

Everyone praising Death's Door, try Nobody Saves the World too! It's from the creators of Guacamelee and plays great!

Heard very bad things about Rainbow Six Extraction from a few reviewers that had a chance to play it yet... then again, those guys aren't really into coop shooters, so it may still be decent...

Already going to call out...

Nobody Saves the World will be a blast! Coop fun with great looking gameplay, from the creators of Guacamalee!

This was my #1 anticipated release of this year, oops!

Not really my series - if I want to pick up a new trilogy, I think I'll stick to Mass Effect - although the action really feels a bit too stale and dated to enjoy.

Maybe I should just finish the Halo Infinite campaign?

Please delay this. Put anything into it to make it better than Aliens Fireteam Elite, and especially The Anacrusis. What a turd that is.

I expect the Anacrusis to be very bad, from what I saw in IGN's footage this week. Spelunky may be the better coop game of the two - but I'll try them both.

It's double-edged sword, this. I know people that got an Xbox with Game Pass and got into Forza Horizon just as heavily as I did with part 4, and I know people that bought an Xbox with Game Pass because of Forza Horizon 5 - and will probably plunge into other games later as well.

I think we get all the goods this week on Game Pass already.

On a sidenote, the Microsoft Store really needs to stop asking for age requirements. I mean, you need to enter your birth date over and over for something like Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story, where you can't see anything that's even remotely age-sensitive.

Rainbow Six actually looks like a solid coop shooter, and much-desired too, as Halo Infinite doesn't have it, and Alien Fireteams, Back 4 Blood, and The Anacrusis don't seam appealing enough to convince friends into the genre.

That said, Nobody Saves the World and Spelunky 2 definitely seem like the most fun coop games in the list. Looking forward to play those.

I want to like this...

... but I don't. It seems so stiff. Total unbalance in enemies and their behaviour, and actually, it just looks plain boring.

Had some hours of multiplayer fun in Forza Horizon 5, really want to try out Alien Fireteam but can't motivate friends to play this game with me - and will probably continue puzzlers The Pedestrian and or Gorogoa.

Played both puzzle games up to 300 gamer points - they both give 100 points per achievement.

The Pedestrian becomes increasingly difficult and I had some chuckles because of its puzzle ideas; Gorogoa is a clever work of art.

Outer Wilds didn't work for me the first time, maybe I need to give it more time. Spelunky 2 seems to be great in coop, and as some friends just bought an Xbox with Game Pass themselves, I'm looking forward to it.

I don't think Anacrusis will be ready or polished this month, but we'll see. I like the setting of this coop shooter.

Will try all three, expect to like Gorogoa most, The Pedestrian maybe, and Olija least of all three.

It's always fun to try something new. Why ditch it on forehand?

Oh that's pretty sweet, I forgot about Too Human entirely. The MaTriX demo is stunning as well.

@Banjo- @Magabro @Richnj Haha okay... interesting. For me, going back to Golden Eye would likely be a very short memory trip and not much more - but we'll see.

The games I really looked forward to have already been released! My most anticipated game that remains now is easily Hogwarts Legacy.

Has anyone played the original Perfect Dark in the Rare Games collection here?

Five minutes and you're done. Doesn't stand the test of time or the new controls...

19/20

I didn't know of Rust: Console Edition.

Was terrible at the PushSquare year quiz and responded it was a Xbox year for me - and yes, it was.

Very interesting concept. Looks quite hard.

Even though I can barely motivate people on my friends list to play some coop shooters with me, Anacrusis looks like another nice game to spend some time in - although the gunplay seems far too stiff right now.

Stalker 2 gives me the creeps just looking at it, but I surely want to play it.

Edit: Ooh, forgot about Atomic Hearts. Looks awesome.

Nice list, PureXbox! I do want to reward the genuinely original, creative and mindblowing ideas and gameplay mechanics in my number #1, however.

10. Last Stop (interesting storylines intertwined)
9. Art of Rally (somehow very addictive)
8. The Artful Escape (almost gameplay-less fun)
7. Psychonauts 2 (just started playing!)
6. The Procession to Cavalry (point & click with great art style and bizarre situations)
5. Omno (laidback platformer with a heart)
4. The Gunk (lovely little adventure, plays greatly)
3. Forza Horizon 5
2. Halo Infinite
1. It Takes Two (mindblowing creative - plays some parts in pure awe)

Halo Infinite, probably. Maybe a bit of ArchVale as well, I'm enjoying the little indie addition to Game Pass.

The anticipation is part of the deal! Don't do it!

Or... is this advise out of fear of a log4j vulnerability if your brand new Xbox isn't updated yet?

Yooka-Laylee's second outing is much, much better than the first one. Great game for kids!

Ooh, this is quite nice.

This is why I always start a party and chat with friends only before entering an online game.

@SteveButler2210 No way, 12 Minutes doesn't play very fluently, but it's so creative it doesn't deserve to be on the list with worst ratings.

I played SkateBird for a minute, and a 60 score is way too forgiving.

Furthermore, I agree with @NEStalgia. Some of the games I loved most this year are The Gunk, Omno and The Procession to Cavalry, which I wouldn't have picked up from the Metacritic rating.

That's the thing though, isn't it?

Trying yourself on Game Pass > Metacritic.

• Halo Infinite
• Forza Horizon 5
• It Takes Two

The last one is bloody, bloody brilliant and everyone who hasn't played it yet should find an (online) parter to do so.

Joindots, the studio behind Winter Sport Games, should seek another market. What a blatant cashgrab-piece-of-cra...

I love the enemy chatter in this game, also from Jackals for example.

But... I also like the newfound interaction between the 'new' AI and Master Chief, with Johns stupidity and simplicity totally over the top.

AI: 'What's that?'
MC: 'Dangerous.'

AI: 'And what's that?'
MC: 'MAY be dangerous.'

AI: 'See! You CAN be optimistic!'

LOL

I was sucked in (hehehe) The Gunk. It starts off as a sweet adventure with some discovery, but does eventually throw a bit of challenge in. Finished it and enjoyed my time with it. Love the musical score as well.

Tried ArchVale and while this is a game I will end up stuck in because a boss will be too challenging for me, it plays like a charm. Great little game.

And ended the weekend with another online coop session of It Takes Two. Original, wonderful, joyful.

FH5 is something I truly wanted to experience with friends, and I anticipated it so long... to find out it was riddled with online connection issues. It kind of lost the momentum, and FH5 isn't the online games with friends it should have been.

Still had three full days of fun with it though.

Yes, Hades plays like a charm, but unlike so many of those review state, it doesn't make me love roguelikes or roguelites. I loathe the lazy game design, I loathe repeating everything again and again - and Hades doesn't change that.

From the PureXbox GOTY poll a few days ago, I see I'm not the only one with this opinion. It's a runner-up at best on this site.

I loved the playthrough of the frist two chapters last night. It has this beautiful, compact world with just enough sense of exploration - filled with nice interaction between the two main characters and lovely laidback action that controls great.

I WANT IT SO BAD!

It needs to come with the option to select and replay chapters, and I expect it will to make playthroughs doable. It could also mean collecting all the audio logs and extras will be more convenient in coop.

@Kienda 'Finish him' gave me a chuckle.

I'll be trying The Gunk, maybe even Race with Ryan, and Lake. If the latter is any good will depend heavily on the writing... it can either be a total drag or super emotional.

Traffic and multiplayer convoy issues fixes? Alright, let's give it a new try. Again.

It's hard to fully 100% support one game to be the best, as I think all of them have some meh-things about them. Forza has too many online connectivity problems, and as satisfying as Halo Infinite plays, it misses a bit of creativity. So my top 5 would be:

1. It Takes Two
2. Halo Infinite
3. Forza Horizon 5
4. Psychonauts 2
5. Twelve Minutes