Gears of War (All available on Game Pass)
A co-op staple, if you’ve never played a single Gears of War title, then you’re in for a treat. Every game in the series is available on Xbox Game Pass for you to play with friends. Gears of War and Gears of War 2 are two player co-op, with Gears of War 3, Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 being 4 player co-op. There’s even Gears of War: Judgement, a spin-off for you to try.
Go chainsaw some Locust in half and have a good time!
Palworld (Available on Game Pass in Game Preview)
What we said: Palworld is a solid survival game, with Pokémon-lite mechanics, tied to a beautiful world that happily rips off sound effects, looks, and UI’s from other titles. It’s a weird mix of good and great parts that is an excellent Early-Access whole. It’s available on Game Pass on console and PC and I think it is definitely worth a download!
Whether Palworld will survive through 2025 is another matter as the developers are currently being sued by Nintendo and the Pokemon Company for “patent infringement”.
The Quarry (Available on Game Pass)
What we said in our review: This game is such a tribute to a beloved genre that it even contains rules that will help you to survive (if you bother to learn them.) It may not be the cheapest but it sure is an experience to enjoy. Having Jason’s ‘kill, kill, kill’ motif echoing around your head as you play it is not a prerequisite but it sure is fun.
“Place your faith in up to 7 friends in online play, where invited players watch along and vote on key decisions, creating a story shaped by the whole group! Or, play together in a party horror couch co-op experience where each player picks a counselor and controls their actions.” Try not to get killed!
