We’re right on the precipice of June, which will be chock-full of new game announcements from every publisher. In fact, that wave already started with Sony’s May 30 State of Play. Still, just because this time of year is mainly focused on video game announcements doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be playing anything new. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber in particular, there are three titles you can have a great time with this weekend.
For those excited about Until Dawn‘s PC and PS5 remake, I recommend you check out developer Supermassive Games’ previous narrative title, which is actually available through Game Pass. The other two games are new to the service. One is a Soulslike that was nearly a decade in the making, but paid off that wait by being an impressive title that stands toe-to-toe with FromSoftware’s work. The other is one of 2023’s best games, a puzzler that will make you think more deeply about how people interact with each other.
The Quarry
Supermassive Games made a name for itself with narrative adventure horror games where players influence the outcome of the story. Until Dawn was its first big hit, and although that game — and the remake that Supermassive isn’t involved with — are PlayStation console exclusives, the studio’s latest title is actually available on Xbox Game Pass. It’s called The Quarry, and it features a stacked cast of actors like David Arquette, Brenda Song, Skyler Gisondo, Justice Smith, and more.
Influenced by horror classics like Friday the 13th, it’s a summer camp horror game about counselors attacked by werewolves during their last night on the job. The Quarry gives players the ability to make decisions that influence those stories, ultimately making them the ones in control of whether or not everyone dies or survives this supernatural story. If you liked Until Dawn, but never played this game, definitely check this one out.
The Quarry is available through Xbox Game Pass on console and PC. It’s also available for PS4 and PS5.
Lords of the Fallen
Lords of the Fallen is less of a sequel and more of a soft reboot of a 2014 Soulslike with the same name. It switched developers several times and seemed like vaporware for a while, but finally emerged last October as a very competent alternative to Dark Souls or Elden Ring. The main standout features of Lords of the Fallen are that the entire game can be played in co-op and that the “Umbral Realm” is layered underneath the normal “Axiom Realm.” When players die or solve a puzzle, they can travel between the realms.
On top of that, the Soulslike combat of this game, while nothing too original, flows well and is fun to play even in its most difficult moments. As one of the best-looking current-gen games, Lords of the Fallen is definitely worth you’re attention if you enjoy Soulslikes and want to play one with more ambitious ideas. It wasn’t quite as polished as FromSoftware’s titles, especially at launch, but it’s now one of the best alternatives out there.
Lords of the Fallen is available through Xbox Game Pass on PC and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also on PS5.
Humanity
While The Quarry and Lords of the Fallen will probably stress you out, Humanity is a puzzle game with a calmer vibe. Humanity’s puzzles are about directing large groups of people. It starts with simple navigation to goals, but gets more complex as the game goes on. Humanity was developed by Enhance, the developers of Tetris Effect, so expect immaculately refined sound and visual design. It also has deeper things to say about how people interact with each other if you look closely.
Humanity is so good that it earned the No. 10 spot on our best games of the year list in 2023. It originally released as a PlayStation console exclusive and on its PS Plus Extra service last year. It has since left Sony’s subscription and is available through Xbox Game Pass now that it has launched on Xbox consoles.
Humanity is available through Xbox Game Pass on console and PC. You can also play it on PS4 and PS5, and it has PlayStation VR2 compatibility.
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