Why You Can Trust CNET Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Play Palworld, Persona 3 Reload and Others Now
You can go in guns blazing with Palworld or play the long-awaited Persona 3 remake now with a Game Pass subscription.
- Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors' Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games that you can play on your Xbox Series X or Series S, Xbox One and PC for $17 a month. With a subscription, you get new games every month -- like the gaming world's latest obsession, Palworld -- and other benefits, like online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.
Here are the titles Game Pass Ultimate added recently.
Palworld
If you've ever played any of the Pokemon games and thought, "Yeah, these creatures are adorable and cute, but I wish they had guns," Palworld is for you. In this open-world adventure, you can use weapons to collect over 100 creatures, called Pals. Then you can use your Pals to fight bosses or accomplish tasks for you.
According to Xbox.com, Palworld is the largest third-party game release in Game Pass history. More than 7 million people have played the title.
"The response from fans has been tremendous and it's incredible to see the millions of players around the world enjoying Palworld," Takuro Mizobe, CEO of Palworld developer PocketPair, told Xbox.com. "This is just the beginning for us and Palworld..."
Persona 3 Reload
This game is a much-anticipated remake of the award-winning 2006 roleplaying game Persona 3, but its director, Takuya Yamaguchi, hopes players feel the remake is something new.
"I wanted users to think that when they played this game, 'I'm playing not a remake of something old, but I'm playing something that is the newest entry to the Persona series,'" Yamaguchi told Xbox.com. "I wanted to leave all of the parts that made Persona 3 what it was ... but then try to address the things that have changed in the interim."
New to the Persona franchise? Here's some info. Your character can summon a physical manifestation of their inner spirit, called a Persona. As you explore areas, you and your Persona will fight different enemies, like Demons, Shadows and other Personas. And there's also a social aspect to the Persona games, where you can perform activities like cooking, gardening and chatting with other characters. Besides being pleasant and relaxing, these activities also have in-game benefits, like improving relationships and raising some stats. So if you're having trouble with a certain fight, try reading a book. You might learn a thing or two.
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
This quirky adventure game is filled with roguelite elements, heists and your daily recommended amount of vegetables. You play as the titular Turnip Boy as he teams up with the Pickled Gang as they shake down hostages, steal valuables and plan what is likely the strangest heist you've ever seen.
F1 23
The official video game of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship is coming to Game Pass Ultimate. You can create your own dream team of some of the best Formula 1 drivers in the world, and test out your own skills in this exhilarating racing game. And maybe stop Red Bull winning it this time.
Go Mecha Ball
This game puts a new spin on roguelike gameplay. In it, you blast through arcade-style levels using a combination of pinball-style physics and an arsenal of weapons. You'll also have to upgrade your mech along the way to take on waves of enemies and huge boss battles.
Brotato
In this top-down roguelite arena shooter, you fight off hordes of aliens until help arrives. And if that wasn't enough to pique your interest, you play as a rootin', tootin', gun-totin' potato. What else needs to be said, bro?
Anuchard
A kingdom has fallen, and you've been selected to bring it back to its former glory. In this action RPG, you explore dungeons, solve puzzles and battle monsters. Then, it's up to you to decide whether bringing back the kingdom is worth it.
Titles leaving Game Pass
While you'll be able to play the above games on Game Pass Ultimate in the coming weeks, there are two titles that left the service. So if you had any side-quests left to finish, you'll have to buy these games separately.
For more on Xbox, here are other titles available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now and what to know about the gaming service.
