October is turning out to be a big month for Xbox Game Pass. The highly reviewed Dead Space remake is joining the service’s catalogue.
Seven games are heading to Xbox Game Pass before the end of the month — not a bad haul given we are already more than halfway into October.
Dead Space will arrive on October 26. In case you missed the hype around its release in January 2023, this is a glossy remake of a third-person horror game that originally came out back in 2008.
The Standard’s Vicky Jessop reviewed the remake, and gave it a solid 4/5 score.
“This retooled version of the original classic takes all the best elements of the original and upgrades them, making (if possible) for a better playing experience than before,” she wrote in early February.
We wouldn’t advise letting young kids play this one, though. Dead Space gets pretty grim and gory.
Most of the rest of the games coming to Xbox Game Pass this month are far more family friendly. Here’s what’s coming.
Xbox Game Pass games for October
Released already — Like A Dragon: Ishin!
This first one is not so family-friendly, however. The spin-off of the popular Yakuza games is an action adventure set in 1860’s Kyoto. It’s a story and combat-heavy title in which you play as samurai Sakamoto Ryoma, who was a real-life figure.
You are out to avenge your father’s death and in turn get framed for murder. This game is set 100 years before the Yakuza games, although most devotees suggest you should play it after the mainline games. You’ll have to set hundreds of hours aside to do that.
October 19 — F1 Manager 2023
The latest instalment in one of those series that sounds like it gets an update every year, but actually only began with F1 Manager 2022. Still, just as the title suggests, F1 Manager 2023 sees you sit in the pits rather than the cockpit, working on strategy rather than controlling an F1 car.
October 24 — Cities: Skylines II
Here’s another big-hitter, but it’s for PC only for now on Xbox Game Pass. Just like the original, Cities: Skylines II sees you design and construct a city.
It’s expected to offer more granular simulation than the original, and to bring in features there were only available through paid DLC in the first game.
October 26 — Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery
Here’s one to check out if you want something a bit more easy-going. Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery includes three episodes in the Frog Detective Saga, a first-person mystery in which you interrogate a cast of characters to crack cases.
You can finish this game in just a few hours. It’s split into three cases, each of which takes around an hour to play through.
October 26 — Mineko’s Night Market
Ready to get cosy? Mineko’s Night Market is one of these trendy cosy games, in which you potter around a town, collecting stuff and doing chores while gradually unravelling a story with a heavy cat-related theme.
It sounds like a winning formula. Especially the cat bit. Some reviews suggest this won’t be remembered as a classic of the genre, but it’s worth a go.
October 31 — Jusant
You will have seen Jusant if you watched any of the recent Xbox showcase events. It’s a climbing game in which you scale mountains as part of a beautiful platforming challenge.
Just like real climbing, the ascent becomes a puzzle as you work out how best to scale each section. We’ll have to wait until October 31 to see if it’s any good.
October 31 — Headbangers: Rhythm Royale
A chaotic party game coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one. Headbangers: Rhythm Royale pits you against 29 other players in a series of rhythm-based mini games.
This could be a great one for pass-the-pad multiplayer for families.
