Xbox Game Pass Announces Some Promising Games Coming Later this Month

As usual, Xbox has announced its bimonthly Game Pass refresh, which promises a new slew of games coming in the next couple of weeks. This month’s offering includes a side-scrolling action-adventure title, a Pokémon-inspired RPG, and even a puzzle game set in a color book. After the disappointment of Redfall earlier this month, the upcoming line-up is likely a big push to bring back those disillusioned with the subscription service. Take a look below at the five most promising games coming by the end of May:

Eastern Exorcist

The first of the games coming is Eastern Exorcist- arriving on the service May 18th. Set in a fictitious Eastern world clearly inspired by feudal Japan and China, you’ll get the chance to traverse a beautiful 2D world while you fight against demonic forces in a well-crafted combat system. With an 85% very positive rating on Steam, if you’re a fan of the hack ‘n’ slash combat on offer here, or if the art style appeals to you, this is worth a try.

Ghostlore

Another Eastern-Asia-inspired game launching on the same day, Ghostlore differentiates itself by being an ARPG, which is becoming a much rarer genre in recent years. It also adds its own spin by introducing cyberpunk-Asian elements, which are not often seen in media. On top of this, beautiful isometric graphics reminiscent of the recently released Triangle Strategy makes this a must-buy for fans or newcomers to the ARPG genre. An 88% very positive Steam rating also doesn’t hurt its case.

Planet of Lana

A game debuting for game pass on May 23rd, Planet of Lana looks to be a 2D adventure title heavily inspired by games such as Limbo and Inside. Unlike those titles, however, Planet of Lana pushes players into a much more vibrant world with lush fields and gorgeous scenery. However, this isn’t to say the game lacks darker elements. From what we’ve seen, you’ll still be tasked with escaping dark creatures and exploring some more desolate environments just like those classic puzzle-based adventures. Let’s hope this one lives up to their esteemed legacy.

Cassette Beasts

This monster-capturing RPG was actually released just under a month ago for Game Pass on PC, but console players will finally be able to join in on the fun when this retro-inspired gem launches on May 25th. This game has a unique spin on the genre by allowing you to combine two ‘cassette monsters’ to create some powerful combinations. With such a wide variety of strategies open to players, this is certainly one for fans of old-school JRPGs- and especially if you’ve found the recent Pokemon entries to be a bit lacking.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

This puzzle adventure gem was released back in 2021 for all platforms except Xbox. Well, finally, the wait is over for Xbox fans as Chicory: A Colorful Tale is coming to the platform, and Game pass on May 30th. This charming tale takes place inside a coloring book and tasks players with solving puzzles by using drawing almost anything. If you were a fan of the original Scribblenaughts games, there is no reason to give this gorgeous update to the formula a miss.

That rounds off the most prominent games coming to game pass in the next couple of weeks. Given the rough state of Xbox in the first half of May, the second half is a lot more positive. If the rest of the year continues to put out intriguing games like the above, this may be the best year of Game pass yet (discounting Redfall, of course).