Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Nintendo Switch Online Updates

[Nostradamus]

This handy little thread will be used to house the monthly (unless otherwise announced) updates and discussions for the video game subscription services provided by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.


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FEBRUARY 2022 UPDATES

Spoiler: Xbox Game Pass

Coming to Xbox Game Pass in the month of February are the following titles:

Contrast (Feb. 3rd)

Explore a dreamlike, vaudevillian world of the 1920s, in which you can shift freely in and out of shadow. Tasked with helping a young girl named Didi, you will unravel the mysteries behind her troubled family and the dark secrets that must be exposed to re-shape her future.

Dreamscaper (Feb. 3rd)

An endlessly replayable action roguelike with a waking/dreaming gameplay cycle. By night, delve deep into your subconscious, facing nightmares in an ever-changing world filled with unique items, abilities, and challenges. By day, explore the city of Redhaven, build relationships and unlock permanent upgrades to take on the next dream stronger than ever.

Telling Lies (Feb. 3rd)

An investigative thriller game with non-linear storytelling, Telling Lies revolves around a cache of secretly recorded video conversations. Starring Logan Marshall-Green, Alexandra Shipp, Kerry Bishé, Angela Sarafyan, and directed by Sam Barlow, creator of Her Story and writer/designer of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

Besiege [Game Preview] (Feb. 10th)

Besiege is a physics building game where you construct war machines to obliterate fortresses, annihilate legions of soldiers, navigate hazards, and solve physics puzzles. In the single-player campaign, you’ll conquer your way through four distinct islands, each with its own theme, packed with fully destructible levels and see you bring your enemies to their knees.

CrossfireX [Day one release] (Feb. 10th)

Play the first CrossfireX single-player campaign, Operation: Catalyst, developed in partnership with Remedy Entertainment. Take control of a Global Risk unit, as they traverse through enemy territory to save their captured teammate and uncover the dark secrets of the Black List Mercenary group.

Edge of Eternity [Day one release] (Feb. 10th)

Wage epic turn-based battles as you follow Daryon and Selene on their quest to find a cure to the all-consuming Corrosion in this grand tale of hope and sacrifice, created by a small team of passionate JRPG lovers.

Skul: The Hero Slayer (Feb. 10th)

Skul is a fast-paced action rogue-lite where losing your head is encouraged. Featuring 100 playable characters each with their own unique abilities and a ton of items that can create wild synergies, the battles are as electrifying as they are challenging.

The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom (Feb. 10th)

Battle hordes of zombies and monsters in The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom, a semi-open world action RPG that tells a new story in the post-apocalyptic town of Wakefield. Playing as teen survivors Jack, Quint, June, or Dirk, you’ll explore zombie-infested streets on your quest to stop Malondre, a powerful adversary from obtaining the Staff of Doom.

Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition (Feb. 14th)

Experience everything that the Ark franchise has to offer with Game Pass in this definitive collection! Tame and ride primeval creatures as you explore savage lands, team up with other players to compete in epic tribal battles, and travel together on the greatest dinosaur-filled adventure of all time.

Infernax [Day one release] (Feb. 14th)

Infernax is the adventures of a great knight who returns to his homeland only to find it plagued with unholy magic. While on your quest to find and destroy the source of this corruption by any means necessary, you will face ruthless creatures, dangerous beasts, and precarious terrains.

LEAVING GAME PASS FEBRUARY 15th
Control
Code Vein
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
The Medium
Project Winter
The Falconeer

Spoiler: PlayStation Plus

The following titles will be available on PlayStation Plus during the month of February from the 1st to the 28th:

EA Sports UFC 4

In EA SPORTS UFC 4 the fighter you become is shaped by your fight style, your achievements, and your personality. Develop and customize your character through a unified progression system across all modes. Go from unknown amateur to UFC superstar in the new Career Mode, experience the origins of combat sports in two all-new environments, The Kumite and The Backyard, or challenge the world in new Blitz Battles or Online World Championships to become the undisputed champ. In gameplay, fluid clinch-to-strike combinations offer more responsive and authentic stand-up gameplay, while overhauled takedown and ground mechanics deliver more control in those key phases of the fight. No matter how, or where, you play EA SPORTS UFC 4 puts ‘you’ at the center of every fight.

Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure

Play Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, then pre-order its full-size follow-up Tiny Tina's Wonderlands! Smash skeletons, defeat dragons, and battle giant golems in Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure. Experience the acclaimed 2013 quest that started it all in this standalone campaign jam-packed with fantasy, fun, and mountains of magical loot! The Queen's been captured and her kingdom is in peril; only you and your friends have any chance of restoring peace to this eccentric, enchanted land. Blast your way through treacherous forests, spooky crypts, and fearsome fortresses, but beware—your journey can change in an instant on account of Tina's gleefully chaotic whims. Dive into this epic tabletop romp and get ready for the fantasy fight of your life!

Planet Coaster: Console Edition

Surprise and delight crowds as you build the coaster park of your dreams and manage a truly living world with unparalleled attention to detail. Whatever your skill level, bring your ideas to life. Take advantage of Blueprints to quickly place over 700 pre-made objects, including coasters, facilities and scenery; build from the ground up with detailed piece-by-piece construction; or transform the ground itself with terrain-altering tools. Running your park is just as easy. Guests react in realtime as you set prices, place scenery, and install exciting new attractions. Keep them entertained so attendance figures – and profits – skyrocket.

Spoiler: Nintendo Switch Online

Coming to Nintendo Switch Online on February 17th is the following classic:

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64 *only available to NSO Expansion Pack members*)

The land of Hyrule is once again in a state of unrest. Skull Kid has stolen the all-powerful Majora's Mask, Link's faithful steed Epona, and the musically enchanted Ocarina of Time. Adding insult to injury, the miscreant transformed our hero into a lowly Deku Scrub upon entering a portal to another dimension. Trapped in a parallel universe, Link must overcome his condition to find and stop Skull Kid before the world is thrown into complete chaos. While he only has 72 hours to do it. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed games released on the Nintendo 64. Using an enhanced version of the 3D engine found in 1998's Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask offers an identical control system with a completely new storyline. The player, Link, must complete the game within three days to triumph over evil. During this period, which roughly translates into 72 minutes of real time, you must journey through dungeons, solve puzzles, rescue people, and collect items all to aid you on your quest. Interestingly enough, the hero cannot and will not succeed on his first attempt. Majora's Mask allows the player to experience the same three days over and over again in order to learn more about the strange parallel world in which Link is trapped.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Good thread idea, Jonny.

At the moment I only have Playstation Plus, but I can recommend Tiny Tina's Dragon Keep & UFC 4 from this month's line-up. Tina Tiny despite being a Borderlands 2 expansion is stacked full of content, and is a very fun experience even as a standalone adventure. UFC 4 has been pretty damn awesome so far. Crisp graphics, but getting to grips with the fighting definitely does take a while to get used to. Planet Coaster I can't try but I've heard it's great, so for sure pick that up if you have a PS5. Overall a very solid month, plenty to enjoy here.

 

[Nostradamus]

Added via EA Play with Game Pass Ultimate are the following two titles:

Peggle Nights

Play the next episode of the peg-busting phenomenon from PopCap! Shoot and clear the orange pegs from 60 wild, dreamscape levels and bask in Extreme Fever glory. Meet the Peggle Masters’ alter egos and wield 11 Magic Powers, then try the ultimate Peggle test — 60 Grand Master challenges! The fun doesn’t end there. Take a brain break in Quick Play mode, compete against friends or the computer in Duel, and add to the action with downloadable Bonus Levels. Plus, you can celebrate your Peggle prowess with Instant Replay and a Trophy Room!

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Get ready for an intense and action-packed single-player campaign featuring the rag-tag squad known as Bad Company. They're on the trail of a powerful EMP weapon that threatens the security of the United States. From Russia to the insect-infested jungles of South America, the squad will face hostile forces every step of the way in their attempt to recover the weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. Operate tanks, attack helicopters, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles across fully interactive landscapes that you can destroy or use for cover. The action doesn’t end with the campaign. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 features addictive multiplayer matches with four modes of play. Your skill is rewarded with up to 50 distinctive ranks, as well as team rewards and individual achievements. Four different player kits, each with its own selection of weapons, equipment and specializations, allow you to create thousands of kit combinations.​

 

[Nostradamus]

The following classics are now available on Nintendo Switch Online:

EarthBound Beginnings (Mother) (SNES)

EarthBound Beginnings, also known by its Japanese name Mother (Japanese: マザー, stylized as ＭＯＴＨＥＲ), is a 1989 roleplaying video game originally released on the Famicom. It was developed by Ape Inc. and was published by Nintendo, and is the first game in the EarthBound trilogy. Originally created by Japanese copywriter Shigesato Itoi, EarthBound Beginnings follows the travels of four children — Ninten, Lloyd, Ana, and Teddy — and their attempts to stop an intergalatic alien's invasion of Earth. Gameplay takes place within an overworld consisting of Americana themes and tropes, where random encounters trigger turn-based battles with menu interfaces.

Earthbound (Mother2) (SNES)

EarthBound takes place in the year 199X, several years after the events of Mother, in the fictional country of Eagleland, a parody of the United States. The player starts as a young boy named Ness as he investigates a nearby meteorite crash with his neighbor, Pokey, to find his neighbor's brother Picky. They find that an alien force, Giygas, has enveloped and consumed the world in hatred and consequently turned animals, humans, and objects into malicious creatures. A small, bee-like creature from the future named Buzz-Buzz instructs Ness to collect melodies in a Sound Stone from eight Sanctuaries to preemptively stop the force, but is killed shortly thereafter when Pokey and Picky's mother mistakes him for a pest.​

 

[Butters]

Great thread but I would say if you are gonna do the free games with the basic maybe just include the xbox live gold games seperately from the game pass

 

[Nostradamus]

I'm going according to how they announce it or where it is listed. So far, everything I have been posted has been grouped together in a Game Pass announcement or on the Game Pass app

 

[Nostradamus]

The following games were added to Xbox Game Pass:

Total War: Warhammer III

The last roar of a dying god ruptures the boundary between worlds, opening a portal to the Realm of Chaos. From this maelstrom, the four Ruinous Powers – Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch and Slaanesh – emerge, spreading darkness and despair. The stern warriors of Kislev and the vast empire of Grand Cathay stand at the threshold, as a vengeful Daemon Prince vows to destroy those who corrupted him. The coming conflict will engulf all. Will you conquer your daemons? Or command them?

Madden NFL 22
via

All-new features in Franchise include staff management, an enhanced scenario engine, and weekly strategy. Share avatar progress and player class between Face of The Franchise and The Yard with unified progression. And for the first time ever in Ultimate Team, adjust Superstar X-Factors at halftime.​

 

[Nostradamus]

The following game was added to Xbox Game Pass:

Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition

Descend into the world of Hollow Knight! The award winning action adventure of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, ancient cities and deadly wastes. Battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs. Uncover ancient history and solve the mysteries buried at the kingdom's heart. Hollow Knight Voidheart Edition includes:
The original, award winning, action adventure.
4 giant Content Packs, built in at launch, expanding the game with all new quests, terrifying boss fights and striking new abilities.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

I can recommend Hollow Knight, especially if you're a Souls' player. Very challenging 2D game, with a good atmosphere. It gave me a lot of Dark Souls vibes. Really enjoyed my time with it. Graphic style is amazing too.

 

[Nostradamus]

The following game was added to Xbox Game Pass:

Roboquest (Game Preview)

Roboquest is a fast-paced FPS Roguelite, playable in solo or 2-player co-op. Jump into the steel shoes of a high-powered, hyper-mobile robot and fight like you’ve never fought before. Run through randomly generated environments on an unrecognizable Earth. Scorched canyons and vivid cities packed with secrets, upgrades, and enemies. Destroy every laser-shooting evil bot and boss that stands in your way, choosing from an arsenal of handcrafted weapons to do so. Gather powerful technology to help you push forward. Upgrades, abilities and customization for your character and basecamp. They’ll stick with you after each defeat, to make the next run a little easier.​

 

[Nostradamus]

MARCH 2022 UPDATES

Coming to Xbox Game Pass in the month of March are the following titles:

Alice: Madness Returns (Feb. 28th)
via

Eleven years ago a horrific fire took Alice’s family from her and left her mind horrifically scarred. Afterwards she was confined to Rutledge Asylum, where she struggled to confront her demons by slipping further into her fantasy world of Wonderland. Now, after ten years, she has finally secured her release—yet she still bears the heavy psychological burden of that tragic event. With her mind in tatters, she is unable to resolve the fear prompted by her strange memories, dreams, and visions. Perhaps she’ll do better in Wonderland. She always has. She travels there, seeking what the “real” world can’t provide: security, knowledge, and the truth about the past. But in her absence, Wonderland too has suffered. Something has gone horribly wrong, and now a great evil is descending upon what once was her beautiful refuge. Can Alice save Wonderland—and herself—from the madness that consumes them both?

FAR: Changing Tides (March 1st)

An atmospheric vehicle adventure that follows the emotional journey of a boy and his ship as he embarks on a voyage to find a new home. Sail stormy waters, dive unknown depths, and explore forgotten ruins in a beautifully realized, flooded world.

A Memoir Blue (March 24th)

A song from years ago triggers a flood of memories for champion swimmer Miriam. Embark on an evocative journey through her turbulent childhood and the complicated relationship she shared with her devoted mother.

Crusader Kings 3 (March 29th)

Your legacy awaits. Choose your noble house and lead your dynasty to greatness in a Middle Ages epic that spans generations. War is but one of many tools to establish your reign, as real strategy requires expert diplomatic skill, mastery of your realm, and true cunning. Crusader Kings III continues the popular series made by Paradox Development Studio, featuring the widely acclaimed marriage of immersive grand strategy and deep, dramatic medieval roleplaying.

Weird West (March 31st)

Survive and unveil the mysteries of the Weird West through the intertwined destinies of its unusual heroes in an immersive sim from the co-creators of Dishonored and Prey. Discover a dark fantasy reimagining of the Wild West where lawmen and gunslingers share the frontier with fantastical creatures. Journey through the story of a group of atypical heroes, written into legend by the decisions you make in an unforgiving land. Each journey is unique and tailored to the actions taken - a series of high stakes adventures where everything counts and the world reacts to the choices you make. Form a posse or venture forth alone into an otherworldly confines of the Weird West and make each legend your own.

Shredders (Maybe March)

Break into the snowboarding event of the year to pull off one of the most insane tricks imaginable, all for the hope of scoring a wildcard entry to an exclusive invitational. To prove you’re up to the challenge, master the art of park riding, buttering, rails and massive kickers and earn your place in the world of snowboarding.


Currently on Game Pass:
DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ
Galactic Civilizations III

LEAVING GAME PASS:
HypnoSpace Outlaw
Killer Queen Black
Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones
Touhou Luna Nights
Titanfall

The following titles will be available on PlayStation Plus starting Tuesday March 1st until Monday April 4th:

ARK: Survival Evolved

In this MMO survival game, you awaken on the shores of a mysterious island and must quickly adapt to everything its hostile environment throws at you. Harvest resources to craft items and build shelters, and use your newly crafted equipment to kill, tame or breed leviathan dinosaurs and other creatures that roam the land. And you’re not the only one stranded: team up with – or prey on – hundreds of other players.

Team Sonic Racing

Team Sonic Racing combines the best elements of electrifying arcade and fast-paced competitive style racing. Face-off with friends in intense multiplayer racing, race together across brilliant worlds and work together as a team by sharing power-ups and speed boosts. Take control of your racing style - Choose from 3 distinct character types and unlock game changing vehicle customization options to suit your racing style. Gear Up. Speed Up. – Team Racing at Sonic Speed!

Ghostrunner

Wield a blade and perform amazing parkour feats to battle your way up a megastructure tower city in this intense, fast-paced first-person adventure. Slice your enemies with a monomolecular katana, dodge bullets with your superhuman reflexes, and employ a variety of specialized techniques to prevail. One-hit one-kill mechanics make combat fast and intense. Use your superior mobility (and frequent checkpoints!) to engage in a fearless, never-ending dance with death.

Ghosts of Tsushima: Legends (Bonus)

Ghost of Tsushima’s standalone, cooperative multiplayer experience*** is inspired by Japanese folk tales and mythology. Choose from four unique classes – Samurai, Hunter, Ronin or Assassin – and invite friends or use online matchmaking to fight side-by-side as legends in four exciting game modes. Pair up to progress through the Story missions, gather three other players to take on Survival or go two versus two in the competitive Rivals.

No known updates/releases outside of patches across the board for N64, NES, and SNES.

​

 

[Marty McFourth]

I found Ghostrunner incredibly difficult, but it's awesome. The movement is super satisfying, and so is the combat. Just takes a bit to get to used to how quick you die in the game, and being set back so many times. Once you get the hang of it, it's worth sticking with.

Have not tried Sonic Racing or Ark, so I'll be checking those out myself. More excited for Sonic than Ark, I have watched a lot of streamers play it. Probably a game I'd rather watch than play but I'll give it a shot.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Game Pass is looking pretty loaded.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Very happy with the offerings for July, I don't own Crash 4 but been meaning to get it for a while, heard Man of Medan is pretty solid

Been pretty underwhelmed with the games for a while, but it's nice to finally see a great month

PlayStation Plus offers Crash Bandicoot 4, Man of Medan in July

Plus PvEvP game Arcadegeddon

www.polygon.com

PlayStation Plus subscribers will get access to three free games this July: Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan, and Arcadegeddon. Both the PlayStation 4 and 5 versions of Crash Bandicoot 4 and Arcadegeddon will be available for subscribers — Man of Medan doesn’t have a native PS5 version, but is playable via backward compatibility.

Those three games will be available to PS Plus subscribers on Tuesday, July 5.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time from developer Toys For Bob brings back the beloved marsupial. Like the three games that proceeded it, it’s a challenging platformer where Crash or his sister Coco must thwart the evil Dr. Neo Cortex. Polygon’s review said the game wasa throwback to classic ’90s platformer action, but not in a good way, with Crash 4 feeling “stubbornly stuck in the past.”

The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan is the first of the Dark Pictures games — an anthology series made by Supermassive Games, the creators behind Until Dawn and, most recently, The Quarry. Starring Shawn Ashmore, the game originally launched in 2019. It tells the tale of an abandoned military ship from World War II and what happens when a group of unsuspecting young friends stumble upon it in the middle of the ocean.

Arcadegeddon is a cooperative multiplayer game from 2021, with characters that look like they’ve been pulled from the 2001 classic Osmosis Jones. In Arcadegeddon, players can jump in solo or with some friends to take on waves of enemies or even other players in ever-changing arenas and mini-games.

Essential subscribers and above can still grab June’s PlayStation Plus games before they go away on July 4: God of War, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

 

[Marty McFourth]

@Canadian Dragon

Got to be one of the best months ever? Just wow. Out of all the Yakuza games, I wouldn't have expected that one to go on PS Plus.

We were literally just talking about me buying Like a Dragon the other week. Beyond pleased with this line-up. Tony Hawk's is also something I'm very much in to. Little Nightmares was fantastic, that's the only one I already own.

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for August: Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, Little Nightmares

All available August 2.

blog.playstation.com