It may be hard to believe, but it is already the end of June. This was quite an exciting month, what with Summer Game Fest and the Xbox Games Showcase giving us a great look at some upcoming Xbox Series X games. Tons of those reveals are also going to be coming to Game Pass, but we’re still a ways away from most of them. Never fear, though, because Xbox isn’t slowing down the cadence of adding fresh new titles to the service for us to enjoy. This month, I think you’ll be pleasently surprised by the variety of titles on offer. Whether you’re an old-school gamer, indie lover, or want an addictive game to play with friends, I have the best new Game Pass games you should play this weekend right here.
Rematch
Coming from the team that brought us Sifu, Rematch might seem like a big departure for the studio. However, I find it perfectly lines up with its mentality of making simple but mechanically satisfying controls — only now you’re playing soccer instead of fighting. There aren’t a ton of moves or any crazy twists here, but that’s what makes it so great. The handful of maneuvers you do get have hide a deceptivly high skill ceiling for players who want to master them. If you don’t, that’s no problem. It is a perfectly enjoyable soccer game to play casually with friends as well. This was a day one addition on Game Pass last week technically but I’m still hooked on it and had to give it a shoutout this weekend.
Rematch is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Warcraft I, II, and III Remastered
I feel incredibly old saying this, but it is very likely that a lot of you out there never knew Warcraft before it was an MMORPG. But, over 20 years ago, this series was the king of the RTS genre and that classic trilogy has been fully remastered and are all now available to play on Game Pass. The first game is a bit archaic and clunky, even with the new coat of paint, but still a charming and fun bit of history to experience. The second and third games, though, are still masterpieces to this day. The campaigns are epic and filled with lore WoW fans may have only read about. Warcraft III: Reforged did launch in a rough shape for fans, but thankfully has been fully updated with improved graphics, UI, functionality, and more.
Warcraft I: Remastered, Warcraft II: Remastered, and Warcraft III: Reforged are available now on PC.
Volcano Princess
If you’re looking for a more chill vibe this weekend, I have just the game for you. Volcano Princess comes from a Chinese studio and tasks you with preparing the your child to one day rule the kingdom. You will build up her stats by getting her new hobbies, helping her study, train in combat, and interact with the townspeople. It has a disarmingly cute art style and characters and wholesome tone that will instantly grip any simulation fan. This game has already been out on PC for over 2 years now but this will be its console debute so any issues it may have had have already been ironed out. Nothing can prepare you for being a parent in real life, but this is a fun facimily.
Volcano Princess is available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
