Xbox Game Passhas had a few really strong months recently. September brought Game Awards-nominated strategy titles likeAge of Mythology: RetoldandFrostpunk 2to Xbox Game Pass, while October brought the juggernaut that isCall of Duty: Black Ops 6, andNovember’s Game Pass line-uphas just addedSTALKER 2andFlight Simulator 2024. Though the latter two examples have had their fair share of launch issues, Xbox Game Pass has managed to keep building its momentum regardless.
Xbox Game Pass Wish List for December: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
Release Date: December 10
Generally speaking, there aren’t too many big releases set for release this December, butLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remasteredhas the potential to be a noteworthy launch. A franchise that fans have been asking to return for two decades now,Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remasteredwill release on December 10for consoles and PC, where it’ll give the cult classic PS1 and PS2 games a modern-day visual overhaul.
Along with much-improved textures, lighting, character models, and particle effects,Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remasteredwill also contain some gameplay quality-of-life improvements, such as a refined control scheme, a new map system, and a photo mode. As a celebration ofSoul Reaver 1’s 25th anniversary, this remastered bundle also comes with bonus content such as concept art and a look at some lost levels. It’d be great to seeSoul Reaver 1 & 2 Remasteredon Xbox Game Pass in December.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the epic conflict of Kain and Raziel in original form or with remastered graphics.Experience the Legendary NarrativeCenturies after your former master, Kain, betrays and executes you, you rise again and embark on a relentless quest for revenge.Wield the Powers of a WraithSlay your former vampire brethren with your claws, bolts of telekinetic energy, and the elemental Wraith Blade. Grow stronger by devouring the souls of your enemies.Shift Between RealmsThe Elder God has granted you the ability to shift between the Spectral and Material Realms. Traverse the realms to solve puzzles, reveal new paths, and defeat your foes.
Xbox Game Pass Wish List for December: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
A throwback to1990s arcade games likeTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesandX-Men,Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewindis set to launch on December 10, and it’d be a welcome addition to Xbox Game Pass. Along with its pixel art style and its 2D beat-em-up gameplay,Rita’s Rewindwill tap even deeper into fans' collective nostalgia by letting players battle iconic foes from across the show’s seasons as well as pilot all of the original show’s Dinozords and Megazord.
A few years ago,TMNT: Shredder’s Revengecame to Xbox Game Pass on day-one, where it became one of the service’s strongest co-op titles. WithPower Rangers: Rita’s Rewindlooking to evoke very similar vibes, it’d be a natural fit for Game Pass.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind
InMighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind, the team faces off against a robotic reincarnation of the Power Rangers' long-time nemesis. Robo Rita has conjured a portal to send herself back in time so she can finally vanquish the Power Rangers by forming an alliance with her younger self. Working together, Robo Rita and Rita Repulsa rewind, rewrite, and remix the past in an attempt to stop the very formation of the Power Rangers, altering the course of history.Will the two Ritas and their army of monstrous enemies from across the MMPR timeline finally succeed in destroying the Power Rangers? Or will these teenagers with attitude learn to work together and counter this catastrophic chronological collaboration?Players will be able to experience the origins of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers again – for the first time! The past will never be the same…
Xbox Game Pass Wish List for December: Balatro
Release Date: Available Now
The talk of the town right now,Balatrohas been nominated for five categories atthis year’s Game Awards, including the all-important Game of the Year category. There’s a lot of discourse on whether it deserves to go toe-to-toe with giants of the industry, likeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth,Astro Bot, andMetaphor: ReFantazio. But as anyone who’s actually played it will know, it deserves its spot alongside those other nominees.
ThoughBalatromight seem like “just” a card game on the surface, its addictiveroguelike gameplay loopand progression systems have enraptured tens of thousands of players over the last year. A release on Xbox Game Pass this December could let more players seeBalatro’s brilliance first-hand, and hopefully dismiss the notion that it doesn’t deserve its well-earned Game Awards nominations.
Balatro
Balatro is a poker-inspired roguelike deck builder all about creating powerful synergies and winning big.The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.Combine valid poker hands with unique Joker cards in order to create varied synergies and builds. Earn enough chips to beat devious blinds, all while uncovering hidden bonus hands and decks as you progress. You’re going to need every edge you’re able to get in order to reach the boss blind, beat the final ante and secure victory
Xbox Game Pass Wish List for December: Monster Hunter: World
2025 is already shaping up to be a big year for video games, with a plethora of long-awaited titles finally set to launch next year.Monster Hunter Wildsis one such title. Set for release on June 02, 2025,Monster Hunter Wildshas been in development for at least five years, and is the next mainline entry in the beloved Capcom franchise. While2021’sMonster Hunter Riseis considered a mainline entry by many fans,Monster Hunter Wildsseems like it’ll be more of a direct follow-up to 2018’sMonster Hunter: World.
Monster Hunter Riseis available now on Xbox Game Pass.
As such, it’d be great to seeMonster Hunter: Worldcome to Xbox Game Pass in December. It’s highly likely that there will be some kind oftrailer forMonster Hunter Wildsshown during the Game Awards, and to capitalize on the probable hype that will surely come from that,Monster Hunter: Worldshould be on Game Pass, letting players get a taste for the series' monster-slaying gameplay while also showing teeing upMonster Hunter Wilds' upcoming improvements.
Monster Hunter: World Game
Welcome to a new world! Take on the role of a hunter and slay ferocious monsters in a living, breathing ecosystem where you can use the landscape and its diverse inhabitants to get the upper hand. Hunt alone or in co-op with up to three other players, and use materials collected from fallen foes to craft new gear and take on even bigger, badder beasts!Battle gigantic monsters in epic locales.As a hunter, you’ll take on quests to hunt monsters in a variety of habitats.Take down these monsters and receive materials that you can use to create stronger weapons and armor to hunt even more dangerous monsters.In Monster Hunter: World, the latest installment in the series, you can enjoy the ultimate hunting experience, using everything at your disposal to hunt monsters in a new world teeming with surprises and excitement.SettingOnce every decade, elder dragons trek across the sea to travel to the land known as the New World in a migration referred to as the Elder Crossing.To get to the bottom of this mysterious phenomenon, the Guild has formed the Research Commission, dispatching them in large fleets to the New World.As the Commission sends its Fifth Fleet in pursuit of the colossal elder dragon, Zorah Magdaros, one hunter is about to embark on a journey grander than anything they could have ever imagined.ECOSYSTEMA World That Breathes LifeThere are various locations teeming with wildlife. Expeditions into these locales are bound to turn up interesting discoveries.HUNTINGA Diverse Arsenal, and an Indispensable PartnerYour equipment will give you the power to need to carve out a place for yourself in the New World.The Hunter’s ArsenalThere are fourteen different weapons at the hunter’s disposal, each with its own unique characteristics and attacks. Many hunters acquire proficiency in multiple types, while others prefer to attain mastery of one.ScoutfliesMonster tracks, such as footprints and gashes, dot each locale. Your Scoutflies will remember the scent of a monster and guide you to other nearby tracks. And as you gather more tracks, the Scoutflies will give you even more information.SlingerThe Slinger is an indispensable tool for a hunter, allowing you to arm yourself with stones and nuts that can be gathered from each locale.From diversion tactics to creating shortcuts, the Slinger has a variety of uses, and allows you to hunt in new and interesting ways.Specialized ToolsSpecialized tools activate powerful effects for a limited amount of time, and up to two can be equipped at a time. Simple to use, they can be selected and activated just like any other item you take out on a hunt.PalicoesPalicoes are hunters' reliable comrades out in the field, specialized in a variety of offensive, defensive, and restorative support abilities.The hunter’s Palico joins the Fifth Fleet with pride, as much a bona fide member of the Commission as any other hunter.
