Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription – available on both console and PC – continues to provide incredible value, with all Microsoft-published/exclusive games available at launch, paired with a rotating selection of third-party games, ranging from “indie” to “AAA”, covering a myriad of genres. Its rapid and continued growth within the Xbox ecosystem all but guarantees subscription-based gaming services are likely to become a competitive aspect for all console manufacturers going forward. This feature exists to keep you up to date with new arrivals, games leaving the service, and highlight a few titles we’d recommend each month.

EA Play comes to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Perhaps the biggest news – coinciding with the launch of the Xbox Series X|S – is the inclusion of a basic EA Play subscription as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate package. Unlike the premium PC option, this doesn’t mean you get EA-published games at launch, but it does provide trials for new games at launch and access to their older games. Some titles you might consider picking up include:

• A Way Out
• Burnout Paradise Remastered
• Crysis Trilogy
• Dead Space Trilogy
• Mirror’s Edge
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
• Titanfall 2
• Many, many sports games that people apparently enjoy.

Note: If you go to Settings > System > Language & location > change location to the United States > restart the console, you can access several games in the EA Play library not on our local marketplace, download them, swap back to South Africa, and keep on playing.

New arrivals on Xbox Game Pass*

• Gears Tactics (Console) – Available now
• Destiny 2: Beyond Light (Console) – Available now
• Planet Coaster: Console Edition (Console) – Available now
• Tetris Effect: Connected (Console, PC) – Available now
• Final Fantasy VIII Remastered (Console, PC) – 12 November
• Streets of Rogue (PC) – 12 November
• Ark: Survival Evolved: Explorer’s Edition (Console, PC) – 17 November
• Halo MCC: Halo 4 (PC) – 17 November
• River City Girls (Console, PC) – 19 November

* Games currently part of the subscription can be bought-to-own with a 10% discount but, take note, this only applies to the base price and does not stack with other discounts.


Gears Tactics

Leaving Xbox Game Pass on November 16**

• Darksiders III (Console, PC)
• Munchkin (Console, PC)
• The Talos Principle (Console, PC)
• Tracks: The Train Set Game (Console, PC)

** Games leaving the subscription service are available at a 20% discount but, take note, this only applies to the base price and does not stack with other discounts.


Final Fantasy VIII Remastered

Our recommendations

Titanfall 2

I’ll never forgive EA for launching this between Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and their own Battlefield I. It should have competed proudly with DOOM (2016) for the best shooter of that year. Slick movement and shooting at 60 fps, a charming AI Titan for company, creative level design that encourages you to combine platforming and shooting, and a primary antagonist sporting an Afrikaans accent. It’s got a short but relentlessly fun campaign - which I binged over two sessions before immediately replaying – and stood ready to kick off a new series of quality FPS games. Then Apex Legends demonstrated you could make tons of money selling low-effort digital clothing and weapon skins.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered

A half-arsed remastering of what is, obviously, the best of the PlayStation one-era Final Fantasy games. You take on the role of an angsty group of teenage orphans (trained for war by their surrogate dad), exploring the world, and uncovering a political conspiracy manipulated by an evil sorceress (who has possessed their surrogate mom). Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is surprisingly well-paced as far as FF games go and includes some unique features like “junctioning” your summons to learn skills, drawing magic from enemies rather than using mana, and – most importantly – introducing the "Triple Triad" card game with its incredible soundtrack. It deserved better but this "remaster" is still worth your time.

Darksiders 3

As a big fan of Darksiders 1 and Darksiders 2, I was not enamoured with Darksiders 3 at launch. However, after a post-launch patch reintroduced “classic” hack-and-slash combat (as opposed to the slower, measured Dark Souls-inspired system that only worked in boss fights), it’s now much easier to traverse, puzzle, or battle your way through the demon-infested ruins of Earth. With the combat improved, the distinctive art style, over-the-top characters, grandiose dialogue, level design, and heavily-repurposed “biblical” setting all have a chance to shine. It’s not a particularly long game, so if you’ve got some time before November 16, give it a bash.

You can currently start a fresh Xbox Game Pass subscription on PC and console for R15.90, before it goes up to R99/month. If you’re on console, you can subscribe to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundle, which includes both a Gold subscription for online multiplayer (and Game Pass for PC access) for a total of R149/month.