The best games on Game Pass for PC
If you have a PC and love games, Game Pass for PC is a must-have. Available on its own for a reasonable cost, or as part of Game Pass Ultimate which also includes Game Pass for Console, EA Play and other perks, it grants you access to a considerable library of games that you can download and play as you please. But what are the best games available on Game Pass for PC?
There are currently over 400 games available via Game Pass for PC, which makes separating the wheat from the chaff a considerable task. Still, there’s pretty much something for everyone, with all genres covered to some degree.
For your convenience, we’ve rounded up thirteen of the very best games available via Game Pass for PC right here, and they include horror games, racing games, RPGs and more. So, if you’ve subscribed to Game Pass for PC and are wondering what to play, be sure to give one of these a try.
1. Diablo 4
Thanks to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the latest entry in the Diablo series is now available via Game Pass for PC, and it’s one of the best action RPGs around. Jump into Diablo 4, and after choosing a class and creating a character you can play through the best campaign in a Diablo game yet.
Once you’re set up, you’re ready for seasonal play, with new items, features quests and more being added every few months to keep you coming back for more. It’s fun to play alone, but get some friends to play it with you and Diablo 4 really comes into its own.
2. Forza Horizon 5
Do you feel the need for speed? Download Forza Horizon 5 and never look back. This open-world racer has been available for a while now, but developer Playground Games has been supporting it exhaustively.
You can speed around its stunning recreation of Mexico alone, completing events, performing stunts and simply admiring the sights, or you can play it with others, competing in races and other fun games or just cruising. Whatever you do, Forza Horizon 5 is brilliant, and easily one of the best games available via Game Pass for PC.
Read our review of Forza Horizon 5
3. Microsoft Flight Simulator Standard 40th Anniversary Edition
If you’ve ever wanted to take to the skies, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the game for you. This is a true flight sim, allowing you to get really into the nitty-gritty of things if you wish. But, in an effort to make it more accessible, a large number of assists as well as guidance is available to make this latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator suitable for all.
So, whether you genuinely do want to learn how to fly a variety of craft, or just want to admire the wonderful views it’s very much worth giving this a download.
Read our review of Microsoft Flight Simulator
4. Gears Tactics
The Gears of War series is known for its tense and somewhat strategic third-person shooter gameplay. Gears Tactics, however, being a turn-based strategy game, offers something a little bit different.
All the usual features of a turn-based strategy game are here, such as taking cover to avoid enemy fire, and being able to set up overwatch so you can take shots at enemies as they approach. But, as it’s set in the world of Gears of War, it features a wide variety of familiar but ghastly enemies and is rather gory. Oh, and thanks to a standalone story, you don’t need to have played previous Gears games to enjoy it.
Read our review of Gears Tactics
5. Resident Evil 2
It might be more than half a decade old now, but as far as Resident Evil games go, Resident Evil 2 is still the best of them in our opinion. This remake of the PlayStation classic hits all the right notes, being mostly faithful to the original while changing the odd thing here and there to keep players on their toes.
What really makes it the best Resident Evil game for us, and one of the best games available via Game Pass for PC, however, is how it perfectly balances action and horror. Resident Evil 2 makes zombies scary again, but there are plenty of opportunities to make use of the shotgun if you have an itchy trigger finger.
Read our review of Resident Evil 2
6. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
You know what we love about Capcom? It’s a company that releases games like Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. This action strategy game is quite unlike anything else out there, and most publishers would have put their noses up at it. But thanks to Capcom we get to play it, and it’s brilliant.
As a fearless guardian, your goal here is to protect a shrine maiden throughout a variety of stages, fending off hordes of demons that attack at night. You can’t rest during the day, though: that’s when you need to rescue villages and prepare the arena of combat to gain an advantage. If you love quirky, unusual games with lots of charm, consider this a must-play.
Read our review of Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
One of the best side-scrolling beat ’em ups currently available, whether you’re a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or not you should still give Shredder’s Revenge a try. This game is simply huge amounts of fun, especially when played in local co-op, thanks to easy to pick up and play gameplay.
Campaign mode here will have you selecting stages from a city map, completing side-quests along the way and developing your turtles. And arcade mode is available as well, however, for those who just want to jump into the action without any extra fluff.
Read our review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
8. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
There are plenty of metroidvania games available on PC, but one of the best of them is Ori and the Will of the Wisps by Moon Studios. Even better, it’s available via Game Pass for PC. Ori and the Will of the Wisps simply looks gorgeous from beginning to end, but it’s the gameplay that really shines here, combining exploration, rewarding puzzles and thrilling combat.
Its story is brilliant, too, though it’s an emotional one. Honestly, if you manage to make it to the credits without crying, you might want to check if you have a pulse.
Read our review of Ori and the Will of the Wisps
9. Botany Manor
One of our favourite puzzle games of recent years, Botany Manor is a brilliantly-designed low-key adventure all about growing plants. Playing as seasoned botanist Arabella Greene, you’ll spend your time mooching around her gorgeous manor house and, split over five distinct chapters, you’ll figure out how to bloom 12 rare plants.
That doesn’t sound that interesting, we admit. But thanks to Botany Manor’s gorgeous presentation, solving the puzzles of growing the plants feels utterly rewarding. There’s a very good reason we scored this one 10/10 at review, and if you’re a puzzle-fan, it’s undoubtedly one of the best games on PC Game Pass.
Read our review of Botany Manor
10. Yakuza: Like a Dragon
There are many, many Yakuza games, and a large number of them are available to play via Game Pass for PC. The one which we feel is easiest to recommend, however, is Yakuza: Like a Dragon. One of the newest entries in the series, Yakuza: Like a Dragon puts players in control of a new protagonist; the videogame-loving Ichiban Kasuga, who dreams of being a hero.
There’s a major change to the tried and tested gameplay, too, with battles being turn-based rather than playing out in real time. But despite those changes it remains a Yakuza game through and though, with a story full of twists of turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Read our review of Yakuza: Like a Dragon
11. Control Ultimate Edition
No one makes a third-person action game quite like Remedy Entertainment. Give Control a try via Game Pass for PC and you’ll discover a game that intrigues you from the outset, and then engages you with its fast-paced third-person combat that combines gun play with a variety of supernatural abilities.
There are metroidvania elements, too, rewarding those who spend the time to explore the game’s world, and a story that will keep you gripped from beginning to end. If you haven’t yet played it, then, you really are missing out. And being the Ultimate Edition that’s available via Game Pass for PC, you get to enjoy the game’s expansions as well.
Read our review of Control Ultimate Edition
12. Dead Cells
The roguelike genre is particularly popular these days, and if you enjoy getting stuck into a challenging game in which you’re expected to die time and time again, you should definitely check out Dead Cells.
Put in control of a failed alchemical experiment, Dead Cells finds you trying to figure out what’s happening on the ever-changing and seemingly cursed island you’ve found yourself awakening on. On each run you’ll traverse through numerous zones depending on how successful you are, and along the way you’ll unlock some valuable upgrades, of which some are permanent. You’ll need patience and persistence to ultimately reach the end, but it’s worth it. There are plenty of expansions available too, though you’ll have to pay for most of them.
13. Still Wakes the Deep
Last but not least on our list of best games on PC Game Pass is Still Wakes the Deep, a story-driven thriller that, even months after playing it for the first time, we can’t stop thinking about. Set in the 1970s, the entirety of the game takes place on Beira D, an oil rig off the coast of Scotland. What starts as an ordinary workday, however, soon takes a terrible turn when workers drill into something they really shouldn’t have.
You’ll play as Cam and, after feeling an unholy rumble aboard Beira D, you instantly know something is wrong. The five-or-so hours with Still Wakes the Deep will be spent trying to escape, coming face-to-face with unimaginable horrors and making your way through truly atmospheric environments.
