Xbox Game Pass: New Games in August 2021

August 11, 2021

536

Curse of the Dead Gods

(Genre: Action – Release: Feb 23, 2021 – In Game Pass from: Aug 5, 2021).

Even before indie hit Hades joins the Xbox Game Pass this month, you can try your hand at Curse of the Dead Gods. This is also a roguelite, which scores points with an isometric perspective, dark atmosphere and an action-heavy combat system. In the test, the work of the developer Pass Tech Games was definitely convincing:

Dodgeball Academia

(Genre: Role Playing Game – Release: August 5, 2021 – In Game Pass from: August 5, 2021).

If Knockout City was too much multiplayer game for you this year, but you are basically interested in Dodgeball sports, you should take a look at Dodgeball Academia. In the single-player role-playing game, you slip into the role of Otto, who wants to prove himself at the new Dodgeball Academy, make new friends and defeat rivals in tournaments.

Katamari Damacy Reroll

(Genre: Action – Release: December 07, 2018 – In Game Pass from: August 5, 2021).

In Katamari Damacy Reroll, you control a magical ball and collect increasingly larger objects within a level until you yourself are large enough to become a star. The quirky gameplay was penned by Keita Takahashi (Wattam) and was once released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004. The new edition offers, among other things, revised graphics.

Lumines Remastered

(Genre: Puzzle – Release: June 26, 2018 – In Game Pass from: August 5, 2021).

The puzzle game Lumines was also released in 2004, back then for the PlayStation Portable. The new edition, on the other hand, is also available for the PC, and its principle is reminiscent of Tetris. As in the classic game, you have to place various blocks in a playing field and line up blocks of the same colour. However, these only disappear when they are captured by a line that is synchronised with the music.

Starmancer

(Genre: Strategy – Release: August 5, 2021 (Early Access) – In Game Pass from: August 5, 2021).

According to the developers, Starmancer is a “Dwarf Fortress-inspired space simulation” in which you have to build and manage a space station as a super-powered AI. Similar to Rimworld, you’ll have to look after crew members, keep an eye on life support systems, trade with other factions in space, grow crops and much more.

Starmancer will not be released as a finished full version on 5 August, but in Early Access or as a game preview version. The full release is planned for 2022.

Art of Rally

(Genre: Racing Game – Release: 23 September 2020 – In Game Pass from: 12 August 2021)

Although you wouldn’t immediately think it, Art of Rally is a nod to rally racing from the 1960s to the 1980s. The racing game features over 50 iconic cars that you push to the limits on numerous tracks – even with authentic driving physics.

Hades

(Genre: Action – Release: September 17, 2020 – In Game Pass from: August 13, 2021)

Hades is one of the best games of last year. The action role-playing game with roguelite elements convinces with a fast combat system, a rather unusual sympathetic story for the genre, exciting characters and a classic motivational spiral.

Humankind

(Genre: Strategy – Release: August 17, 2021 – In Game Pass from: August 17, 2021)

The Civilization competitor Humankind lets you create your own races instead of being presented with ready-made ones: You combine six of a total of 60 cultures and lead your population through different eras of world history. You conquer a hex world, manage resources, build cities – you know the turn-based strategy song.

Humankind is one of the great strategy hopes of 2021, even if it still showed some serious problems during our last play-on session. How much the developers could still improve until the release will be shown on 17 August.

Microsoft Solitaire Collection: Premium Edition

(Genre: Puzzle – Release: 28 July 2012 – In Game Pass from: 17 August 2021).

Formerly a pre-installed classic, today an app of its own: The Microsoft Solitaire Collection contains five different game variants including daily challenges and achievements. The Premium Edition of the Collection ensures freedom from advertising and an exclusive Xbox Game Pass card back.

Twelve Minutes

(Genre: Adventure – Release: 19 August 2021 – In Game Pass from: 19 August 2021)

In Twelve Minutes you experience a kind of interactive thriller as an adventure from the top-down perspective, in which the name already outlines the game principle. A young man experiences the same twelve minutes over and over again during a dinner with his wife, during which a policeman breaks into the flat and accuses her of murder. Your goal is to escape the time loop and unravel the mystery surrounding the alleged crime.

Psychonauts 2

(Genre: Action-Adventure – Release: 25 August 2021 – In Game Pass from: 25 August 2021)

Over 15 years after protagonist Raz’s first outing, developer Double Fine returns to Psychonauts. In the sequel, Raz is now a trained psychonaut and sets out to find answers surrounding the curse that haunts his family. In the process, he also uncovers the quite questionable past of the Psychonauts organisation. In terms of gameplay, Psychonauts 2 remains true to itself as a 3D platform game with puzzles.

These games are leaving Game Pass

While new games are being added, others are leaving the service. On 8 August, only one game will be affected for the time being:

– GTA 5 (cloud and console)

On 15 August 2021, the following games will then disappear from the subscription:

– Ape Out (PC)
– Crossing Souls (PC)
– Darksiders Genesis (PC, Cloud and Console)
– Don’t Starve (PC, Cloud and Console)
– Final Fantasy 7 (PC and console)
– Train Sim World 2020 (PC, Cloud and Console)

The new games in Xbox Game Pass for PC aren’t enough for you? Then you can also stock up on new games this month on Amazon Prime, including Battlefield 5.