It’s Only January, and Game Pass Is Already Off to a Strong Start

With every new year comes the excitement for a year’s worth of games both new and old, especially with Xbox’s Game Pass service providing players access to an ever-changing library of titles. While it’s easy for a company to make resolutions, everybody knows that it’s easier to make them than it is to keep them.

Those who take the act of making New Year’s resolutions seriously have referred to the 10th of January as being “Quitter’s Day,” meaning that it’s the day that most people give up on their resolutions. While companies often make promises to consumers regarding the bright and shiny things they’re planning for the future, it’s not always the case that it’s followed through with grace.

Image Source: Xbox Game Studios

Xbox has managed to do a lot with Game Pass since its launch and the resulting removal of the Games with Gold service. Not only do they manage to keep an ever changing library of games available for anyone with a subscription to play, Xbox does a great job of providing games that are actually worth people’s money.

Take Assassin’s Creed, for instance. While Games with Gold were still available and being updated, the only games from the franchise that were ever made available were the much older entries or the smaller Chronicles games. Now, paying for a Game Pass subscription gets you Odyssey, Origins and Valhalla, all of which are massive games with plenty to do on top of the 30+ hour long main stories.

The inclusion of Far Cry 6 to the service was one that I certainly wasn’t expecting, at least not after what feels like so soon after such a large game’s release. Game Pass makes sure to give its subscribers some real bang for their bucks, which is important at a time when every dollar counts as much as it does.

Image Source: Graffiti Games

To sweeten the deal a bit more, the Day 1 releases for certain games like Back 4 Blood make it so that players who are already paying for the service don’t have to feel like they’re missing out on new launches every time. Game Pass subscribers will be getting Turnip Boy Robs a Bank on January 18th, and for the Persona fans, Persona 3 Reload will be coming right at the beginning of February to start the year off on the right foot.

The first days of the year have already been fruitful on Game Pass, with the additions of AC Valhalla, Figment: Journey into the Mind, We Happy Few and Hell Let Loose, to name a few. Xbox has clearly put in the work to make sure that there’s plenty of quantity, even bringing along sports titles like Super Mega Baseball 4, but the point of focus for this year’s collection is certainly looking to be quality.

Last year’s acquisition of Activision by Microsoft should also be looking to bring some great games to the Game Pass library, but which ones and when are still anyone’s guess. At least up until the Xbox Wire comes out with the dates and lets players know what to expect for the month.

The merger means that FPS fans and nostalgia junkies alike can relive the good ol’ days in some of the older Call of Duty titles, while the more puzzle focused players can get some achievements in Bejeweled all on the same service. The versatility of being able to use Game Pass on console or PC, as well as being able to game on the go with the Cloud Gaming service gives Game Pass an extra leg up on its competition.

Image Source: Xbox Game Studios

Speaking of the good ol’ days, whether you’re thinking of 1998 or 2019, fans of Resident Evil 2 will also be getting their fill early this year when the remake drops on Game Pass on the 16th. Given that Xbox has only announced what’s going to be added through the middle of the month, it’s only a matter of time until some more great games are handed to Game Pass subscribers this year.

Not only are great games being added en masse, but Game Pass also does a great job at curating the games in it’s collection to make it easy to find something to play. Sometimes you’re just in the mood to play something quick and easy, and there’s a section for that. Maybe you’re looking for a certain genre or a simulator, there’s a way to quickly find what you’re looking for almost every time you open the app.

If the start of this year is going to serve as any indication, it’s looking like 2024 is going to be a great year to be subscribed to Game Pass for people who like to play a lot of games whenever and wherever they want to. The games being added are getting bigger and better, and there’s always going to be something for anyone to enjoy. At least until 2025 when we can play GTA 6 and forget about the rest of our libraries.