Sometimes, it can be hard to choose your next game to play on Xbox Game Pass. With almost 500 first-party Xbox games and third-party guest titles to choose from, the options seem both limitless and finite. Even more so, we know the pain of picking a title and it not proving to be worthy of your time. So, we’ve decided to help on that front and found 10 games that you’ll love since they’ve already got the awards to show for it.
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It’s important to note that these games are what is currently available at this time, so some may leave or some better ones may be added. Furthermore, there are more available that were overlooked or overshadowed in the award circuit, like Yakuza 0, Tales of Arise, and Dead Space Remake, and are worth getting into. Still, if you need a game to play and want it to be universally loved and acclaimed, these are the ones to go for.
Control (2019)
When it comes to crafting unforgettable experiences, Remedy Entertainment is at the top. One such title that got them to their status today was 2019’s Control. This surreal third-person shooter lets you play as Jesse Faden, the newest Director of the FBC, as she explores the Oldest House, a place full of all things dangerous and otherworldly. However, with her growing newfound powers like levitation and telekinesis, she’ll be able to overcome those in search of her brother.
With surreal graphics and challenging yet fun gunplay, Control makes you feel like a literal superhero in the best possible way. Plus, with Game Pass, you get to play the Ultimate Edition, which adds all the DLCs, including one relating to one of 2023’s best games, Alan Wake 2. Despite the intense competition that year with Resident Evil 2, Death Stranding, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the game ended up receiving many big year-end awards from The Verge, IGN, Kotaku, Insider, Den of Geek, and Ars Technica.
Deathloop (2021)
Arkane Studios is no stranger to the limelight for their titles. Before it, their iconic Dishonored series were lauded for their innovative stealth gameplay and beautiful visuals. However, when it comes to the game they got the most attention for, that honor goes to 2021’s Deathloop. Set in the remote island of Blackreef, this stealth/action FPS puts a futuristic and deadly spin on Dishonored’s gameplay, as that if you die or get to midnight, you restart the game. With each pass, you’ll learn new details and make plans to commit the ‘Golden Loop’ and take out every Visionary (and avoid the player-controlled Julianna) before the time loop resets.
It’s fun, addicting, and exudes a ton of charm and style. The title was heavily lauded for it’s creative gameplay, innovative storytelling, and unique art direction. With many games on this list, many of them are from Bethesda, now an Xbox studio, so it may be on the service for a good while (especially since it launched on PlayStation 5 a year before hitting Xbox). In terms of Deathloop‘s awards, it was the Game of the Year for Bloomberg, GamesRadar+, Insider, and Edge, alongside receiving nine nominations at The Game Awards 2021, winning Best Art Direction and Game Direction.
DOOM (2016)
The original DOOM pioneered the FPS, bringing it to the depths of Hell to deliver a challenging yet fun time. The remake of the title, DOOM (2016), nearly perfects that of it’s predecessor for the modern age. In the bloodied boots of Doom Guy, you’ll shoot, slash, and sever your way through hordes of deadly demons in Mars and in, well, Hell. Your task: to stop the demons from entering Mars and taking over the planet.
It’s balls to the walls crazy and some of the goriest yet satisfying gameplay id Software has made (though the upcoming DOOM: The Dark Ages could best it). As Bethesda is a part of Xbox Game Studios, its inclusion on the service (alongside its 2020 sequel DOOM: Eternal) is one that will stay for quite a while. Still, DOOM was the recipient of multiple Game of the Year from Game Developer, Kotaku, Washington Post, and Polygon.
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)
The age of RPGs has been a long one, but one series brought the fantasy to life: Dragon Age. With nine titles in the series, none have been close to reaching the praise given to it’s third mainline entry, Dragon Age: Inquisition. Following the events of Dragon Age II, you play as the Inquisitor, who, amidst unrest within the land of Thedas, has to close the Breach in the sky causing deadly monsters to enter through. In true Bioware fashion, you’ll experience an epic and personal adventure with well-crafted companions and intense third-person team action gameplay.
EA has had a great relationship with Xbox Game Pass, so it’s spot in it’s roster is one that will likely be there for some time. If there’s one Dragon Age title you have to play, it should be Inquisition, regardless of the newly released Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The Game of the Year moniker for the title were plentiful, bestowed the name by DICE, The Game Awards, GameSpot, Hardcore Gamer, IGN, and Polygon, to name a few.
Fallout 3 (2008)
When a series takes a drastic shift in gameplay, it can be quite rough. Yet, despite changing from 2D turn-based to 3D real-time gunplay, Bethesda’s Fallout 3 defied expectations and brought the post-apocalyptic fun to modern ages. Taking place in the Capitol Wasteland, you play as a survivor from Vault 101 as you trek through the radiated lands to find your father. With multiple endings, fun gun-focused gameplay, and intuitive RPG elements, Fallout 3 is very much a staple in the series and of Bethesda’s overall library.
The title was responsible for bringing the series into the mainstream, which led to more entries like Fallout 4 and 76, as well as the Emmy-award nominated TV show from Prime Video. All of the Fallout titles are available on Xbox Game Pass thanks to the Bethesda/Xbox merger, so you can easily get into the series at any time. Game of the Years bestowed upon Fallout 3 comes from Game Developer Choice Awards, IGN, Paste, CNET, and GamesRadar+.
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Inside (2012)
From the minds of the acclaimed Limbo, Playdead’s Inside is a short but memorable dark experience, unlike any game of its kind. The monochromatic 2.5D platformer takes place in a dystopian world that you’ll explore as a young boy disassociated with the zombie-like crowds. From various dreary landscapes like a pigsty farm to a semi-submerged laboratory, you have to ensure the boy’s safety to reach the goal, whatever that may be.
The creepy tone and environmental storytelling took players for a deep plunge into the unknown, which fans loved. With Xbox Game Pass being a great indie springboard, it’s place alongside games like Hollow Knight and Celeste is well-justified. Merit-wise, Inside was picked as the best game of 2012 by several outlets including The Washington Post, The Verge, Kotaku, CNET, and Esquire, alongside winning multiple Best Independent Game at The Game Awards, DICE, and Game Critics Awards.
Mass Effect 2 (2010)
Who would’ve thought the sequel would outdo it’s predecessor this much? The second title in the main Mass Effect trilogy, Bioware’s Mass Effect 2, again, follows Commander Shepherd as he assembles a team of the galaxy’s best to take down the alien parasites known as the Collectors. Continuing the narrative-driven gameplay of the original, letting players pick and choose how events will go, the third-person shooter combat was given a much-needed upgrade alongside new characters, locations, and plot points.
It’s the perfect amalgamation of action, RPG, shooter, narrative-driven, and romance that works so well, even to this day. Xbox Game Pass holds the remastered version of it, along with Mass Effect and Mass Effect 3, so those who want to dive into the series can do so without delay (and before the next installment). Despite coming out alongside Red Dead Redemption, Limbo, and Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mass Effect 2 was labeled Game of the Year by major outlets and shows like the BAFTAs, Kotaku, DICE, CBS, Giant Bomb, and IGN. Decade-wise, Eurogamer, GQ, Thrillist, IGN, and Hollywood Reporter ranked the game as one of, if not, the best of the 2010s.
Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
Horror, when done right, can be some of the best experiences ever. To do it once is incredible, but to do it twice is like lightning in a bottle. Capcom, fortunately, was able to do such things with the remake of Resident Evil 2. With two protagonists (rookie cop Leon Kennedy and bold student Claire Redfield), the two will chart their own way through the zombie-infested Raccoon City to survive. However, many fearsome obstacles, including the stalking Mr. X, will try to stop you from seeing the light of day.
Resident Evil 2 was a highlight from 2019 and its intense, scary, and innovative gameplay made for an unforgettable time, even if you played the original. The success of the remake did spawn ones of 3 (which is on Xbox Game Pass) and, my favorite, 4, which also did quite well, so it has bloomed flowers, in that regard. For the awards, the game got all the acclaim from outlets like The New Yorker, Hardcore Gamer, CNET, Den of Geek, and Entertainment Weekly.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season One (2012)
While choices in games have been in narrative adventure games for years, one title made it a staple of the genre that’s effects can still be felt today: Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Based in the world of the comic books of the same name, this version follows the recently-convicted Lee who has to navigate a Walker-infested world with a lost little girl named Clementine. As they travel from sanctuary to sanctuary, they’ll meet many faces and, unfortunately, witness the worst humanity and the world has to offer when in an apocalypse. As Lee, you’ll navigate a broken world and steer the story in your own way, choosing your dialogue and making some extremely tough decisions.
It’s a roller coaster of emotions that, while other subsequent seasons have gotten close, is done expertly with the first one. Still, if you do enjoy the first season, Xbox Game Pass has the entire series of Telltale’s The Walking Dead and all episodes, including the finale. The breakout title was one of the most acclaimed titles of 2012, winning the Game of the Year moniker at Spike Video Game Awards, Polygon, New York Game Awards, GDC, and Kotaku.
You can’t talk about Game of the Year without bringing in what some would call one of the best games ever made: Skyrim. The fifth title in the Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim takes place in the land of the same name and after the events of Oblivion. As the legendary Dragonborn, a warrior with the soul of a dragon within them, who embarks on a quest to slay the prophesied destroyer of the world, the dragon Alduin the World-Eater. Through first-person gameplay with multiple playstyles and a vast open-world, players can explore Skyrim and complete various tasks and become the strongest in all the land.
While simple on paper, the intricacies Bethesda has within the title are done perfectly, letting fans have the ultimate fantasy-like experience, which is a standout on Xbox Game Pass. Skyrim holds the distinct pleasure of being not only one of the best of 2011 by select outlets like the New York Game Awards, Spike Video Game Awards, Giant Bomb, and DICE Awards, but of the decade itself. Time Magazine, CQ, Hollywood Reporter, Eurogamer, and IGN bestowed it as the premiere title of the 2010s, beating out games such as The Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto V, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
