Those of us in America have a nice, long weekend to kick off July thanks to the 4th of July holiday. While some of us may have plans for barbeques and fireworks watching in the evening, there’s still loads of time to spare playing some awesome Xbox games. As luck would have it, Game Pass just added a ton of new additions to the service this week that are perfect for the extended weekend. We do have to wait until next week for the first major day one release, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, but there are still some great options to check out before that. I’ve included a fun party game for anyone hosting an event, a game with a short but powerful runtime, and a classic RPG to get lost in. Let’s check them all out.
Ultimate Chicken Horse
With a name as wacky as Ultimate Chicken Horse, you can expect the gameplay to be just as chaotic. This is a competitive platformer with a simple but devious twist; players all place different platforms, obstacles, and hazards on the map between rounds to try and stop everyone else from reaching the end while still making it possible for you to get there. It is simple enough that anyone can hop in and play without feeling overwhelmed or at a disadvantage. Rounds go by fast and are full of laughs as people inevitably fall into their own traps or mess up a jump at the last moment. This is a great option for parties where you can play for a few minutes or a few hours.
Ultimate Chicken Horse is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
Little Nightmares 2
We’re looking forward to the third entry in this unique horror franchise later this year, but you can get a taste of what’s to come if you haven’t tried Little Nightmares 2 yet. There is technically a connection between the first two games, but only if you dig deep into the lore. There’s absolutely no issue if you start off with the second one. This game shrinks you down and presents you with a dark world filled with distorted giants and surreal landscapes that feel ripped right out of a child’s nightmare. Mechanically, this is a 2.5D puzzle platformer with very light combat and stealth elements, which is a rare genre to blend with horror that is incredibly effective. If you get hooked, as I think you will, then you can count on completing the adventure before the weekend is done.
Little Nightmares 2 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.
Legend of Mana
The Mana games often live in the shadow of bigger JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, but are just as high quality. Legend of Mana is a remaster of one of the classic entries from 1999 that updates the visuals and adds some nice quality-of-life features. If you’ve never played a Mana game, they feature a neat real-time combat system where you build up a meter over time to unleash special moves. Beyond a traditional story and RPG systems, what Legend does that remains unique to this day is the Land Make system. This allows you to build out the world map yourself as you go to dictate how your adventure plays out.
Legend of Mana is available now onPS4, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.
