Party Like It’s 2001

If you’ve been a fan of the Xbox since the original, this latest batch of Game pass titles has a few treats for you. Microsoft announced today that twelve new games will be hitting the service over the next couple weeks. Among them are two classic Xbox titles. Let’s start with the full list.

Battlefield V (Cloud) (EA Play) – Available Today

Cris Tales (Cloud, Console, PC) – Available Today (Preview)

Atomicrops (Cloud, Console, PC) – July 22nd

Raji: An Ancient Epic (Cloud, Console, PC) – July 22nd (Our Review)

Last Stop (Cloud, Console, PC) – July 22nd

Blinx: The Time Sweeper (Cloud, Console) – July 26th

Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Cloud, Console) – July 26th

Microsoft Flight Simulator (Xbox Series X|S) – July 27th

Lethal League Blaze (Cloud, Console, PC) – July 29th

Omno (Cloud, Console, PC) – July 29th

Project Wingman (PC) – July 29th

The Ascent (Cloud, Console, PC) – July 29th

Enjoy Classics Or Brand New Titles

That’s a big list of games with some real highlights. This week’s releases can largely be broken down into a few specific categories though. Perhaps the most surprising are the inclusion of a pair of classic Xbox titles. Blinx: The Time Sweeper was Microsoft’s first attempt at a mascot character way back in 2002. A cat with a vacuum, he would eventually see a sequel but after both titles underperformed hasn’t been heard from since 2004. Meanwhile, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge is a fantastic dog fighting game which was hugely popular. Despite releasing in 2003, it drew cheers at E3 in 2017 when Microsoft announced it would join their backwards compatibility list. Now you’ll be able to play it on a phone. I’m guessing the developers didn’t consider that option in 2003.

A variety of exciting games are also launching on Game Pass over the next couple of weeks. Microsoft Flight Simulator finally comes to console after releasing on PC last year. The Ascent brings a cyberpunk shooter to consoles and PC. Cris Tales is available today and looks to be a charming ode to RPGs past. Last Stop is a supernatural adventure from the team who brought us Virginia. (The game, not the state) You’ll also get to adventure through a lost civilization in Omno.

Touch Your Games

While those titles and more should keep you busy, that’s not all that’s coming to Game Pass. Fourteen new games are gaining touch controls to provide even more ways to play. These include Cities: Skylines, Darkest Dungeon, Fable Anniversary, Fable II, Fable III, Fuzion Frenzy, Gonner2, Joy Ride Turbo, Outlast 2 (Our Review), Steep, The Bard’s Tale ARPG, The Bard’s Tale IV, The Bard’s Tale Trilogy, and The Wild At Heart (Our Review). Even more classic Xbox titles here such as Fuzion Frenzy and Fable Anniversary. The nostalgia is strong this week.

Saying Goodbye

A few titles will sadly be leaving the service July 31st. You can still save 20% on these games though if you want to keep them around after they leave the service. They are:

It Lurks Below (Console, PC)

The Touryst (Cloud, Console, PC)

UnderMine (Cloud, Console, PC) (Our Review)

Are there enough games for you over the next couple of weeks? I definitely see a few interesting options ahead. Pulling up classic Xbox titles like Crimson Skies, Fuzion Frenzy, and Blinx should at least be a trip down memory lane. Let us know what you’re looking forward to playing in the comments below.

Andrew Thornton

Andrew has been writing about video games for nearly twenty years, contributing to publications such as DarkStation, Games Are Fun, and the E-mpire Ltd. network. He enjoys most genres but is always pulled back to classic RPG's, with his favorite games ever including Suikoden II, Panzer Dragoon Saga, and Phantasy Star IV. Don't worry though, he thinks new games are cool too, with more recent favorites like Hades, Rocket League, and Splatoon 2 stealing hundreds of hours of his life. When he isn't playing games he's often watching classic movies, catching a basketball game, or reading the first twenty pages of a book before getting busy and forgetting about it.