The latest Xbox Game Pass update expands its catalog to two new horror games, one of which boasts ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ Steam reviews.
Highlights
Xbox Game Pass added the Resident Evil 2 remake and Those Who Remain on January 16.
This horror-focused update brings the total number of January 2024 Xbox Game Pass additions to eight.
At least two more games will be joining Microsoft's subscription catalog before the end of the month.
Xbox Game Pass added two acclaimed horror games in the form of Resident Evil 2 and Those Who Remain to its sizable content library. This catalog expansion arrives mere days after the last Xbox Game Pass update introduced Super Mega Baseball 4 and We Happy Few.
Microsoft's subscription library has been enjoying steady growth since the turn of the year. Aside from the two aforementioned titles, Xbox Game Pass also added Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Figment, Close to the Sun, and Hell Let Loose in the first half of January.
The latest Xbox Game Pass update that rolled out on January 16 is more horror-focused than most, comprising two deeply unsettling titles: Resident Evil 2 and Those Who Remain. The former requires no introduction for genre aficionados, not least because the Resident Evil 2 remake has been widely touted as one of the best horror games of 2019. Almost five years later, the game still boasts 'Overwhelmingly Positive' Steam reviews, based on nearly 100,000 user ratings.
New Xbox Game Pass Games for January 2024 List
Close to the Sun – January 3
Hell Let Loose – January 4
Assassin's Creed Valhalla – January 9
Figment – January 9
Super Mega Baseball 4 – January 11 (Xbox Game Pass Ultimate/EA Play only)
We Happy Few – January 11
Resident Evil 2 – January 16
Those Who Remain – January 16
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank – January 18
Go Mecha Ball – January 25
Although Those Who Remain is a more niche offering of the two, that doesn't make it a less compelling proposition for horror fans. If anything, this is the potentially scarier half of the January 16 Xbox Game Pass additions due to its complete focus on exploration and ominous atmosphere. Developed by Oakland, California-based Camel 101, Those Who Remain was released for PC and consoles in mid-2020 to a mixed critical response, but a decent audience reception. The game nowadays boasts 'Mostly Positive' reviews on Steam and is a frequent recommendation for anyone seeking to delve into psychological horror with a penchant for the supernatural.
The Resident Evil 2 remake is the ninth game in the long-running franchise to make its way to Xbox Game Pass since Microsoft launched its subscription offering in mid-2017. However, it's also currently the only series installment available via the service, arriving almost two years after Resident Evil 7: Biohazard left Xbox Game Pass in May 2022. Based on Microsoft's existing track record of Capcom collaborations, fans can expect Resident Evil 2 to remain on Xbox Game Pass for at least a year.
Those Who Remain and Resident Evil 2 won't be the last January 2024 additions to Xbox Game Pass; Microsoft has already announced that Turnip Boy Robs a Bank and Go Mecha Ball will also be joining its subscription catalog on the 18th and 25th of January, respectively. More surprise releases before the end of the month aren't out of the question, either, given the company's extensive track record with such additions.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.