There’s not much more I can say about EA’s annual option. Then there is the behemoth that you will either love or hate as FIFA 21 sprints into the service. And further to that Square Enix extends their support of Game Pass with Just Cause 4: Reloaded, compiling all the DLC for this chaotic open-world game in one place. If an action-dodgeball game sounds like your thing then give it a try. Knockout City is a brand-new EA Original multiplayer game, debuting onto XGP. There are other titles that are also worthy of a mention. It creates a quality of perpetual anxiety with a light source that’s quickly disappearing while being drenched in the dark. It’s impossible to understand the environments without using the night vision on your handy camera, and the battery needs to be managed appropriately.
The Outlast series is undeniably dark, literally. Hiding, running and sneaking through Outlast 2’s haunting environments is what much of the game consists of, with a healthy dose of resource management. Outlast 2 plays much like the first game you have no form of defence and the game is structured around evasion. Flashbacks to some repressed religious trauma also reoccur throughout the game creating a frenzy of existential, theological horror. Christian and satanic cults clash while you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere. It leaves the Asylum of the first game and fully drenches itself in biblical terror. If Resident Evil Village has you on a horror high, then do not miss Outlast 2. Throw in some of the series’ best musical moments, a heart-fluttering romance and a charismatic cast and you have yourself a certified classic. Every area of the game contributes to the melancholy world building in a different way that propels X’s momentum non-stop.
It’s a world that’s beautiful and interesting with deep lore and tragic events. Spira’s lush beaches, green hills and alien forests haven’t been replicated in other Final Fantasy games. Outside of the combat, the world of Final Fantasy X/X-2 is a joy to explore. It became a game about setting priorities, reacting to enemy behaviours and experimenting with different party configurations. Which is a shame because FFX also marks the point where the series perfected its turn-based combat.Ī variety of interesting characters could be swapped in and out of your party mid-combat and this added a level of spontaneity and reactivity to every battle. Final Fantasy X marks the last time the series used turn-based combat, before setting off for more action.