This week’s big Xbox showcase included plenty of notable announcements and updates. While many of the games featured won’t be released for some time, like The Expanse: Osiris Reborn (slated for Spring 2027, though you’ll have a chance to play it next month), what you can play this weekend are games that Xbox Game Pass has on offer.
For this week’s recommendations, we’re spotlighting some of our favorite games we can’t wait to get back to, like a must-play rhythm action game, an enchanting RPG, and a collection of nostalgic favorites.
1
Hi-Fi Rush
I’m someone with no rhythm — you definitely do not want to see me try to bust a move on the dance floor — and that lack of rhythm often translates to rhythm-based games. Hi-Fi Rush is the exception. Everything in its world bounces to a beat, and its combat is so well-designed that it makes it easy to rhythmically chain together combos without a thought. You play as a guy named Chai as he assembles a group of rebels fighting against a heartless capitalistic corporation and the bosses it employs, each with their own standout bops. After Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks was closed by Microsoft, it was saved by Krafton a short time later. At the time of the acquisition, Krafton said it wanted the studio to “continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush IP,” so hopefully that means a sequel is on the table, because the game slaps. If you’ve yet to check out what makes Hi-Fi Rush so irresistible, there’s no time like the present.
2
Child of Light
Child of Light was released 12 (12?!) years ago, yet never received a follow-up despite a strong critical reception, publisher Ubisoft being happy with its success, and a sequel even being teased back in 2018. Following the adventures of a child who wakes up in a fantastical land that she must now save, Child of Light is a middle grade novel in video game form. Child of Light‘s water-color-inspired art style is a delight, its cast is full of lovable characters, and its combat is invigorating with just the right amount of challenge.
3
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection
I was very excited for Netflix’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed show when I thought it was going to adapt Ezio Auditore da Firenze’s story for the small screen. Slightly less so when it was revealed to be an original story set in Ancient Rome. Not that an original direction is a bad thing, it’s just that — like so many others who enjoyed the Ezio games in high school — I wanted to see my boy get his made-for-streaming glow-up. The Ezio Collection includes Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed Revelations, with AC2 being the real highlight. It’s a favorite among Creedheads (let’s make that a thing, why not) who love the stealth-focused entries. Over the course of these games, you watch Ezio grow from a brash young man to a bearded master assassin, stabbing countless dudes in the neck along the way.
