The internet just about exploded two weeks ago during Gamescom when Team Cherry finally gave the internet what it had been waiting years for: the Silksong release date. Xbox had already revealed that the sequel to one of the most beloved indie games of all time would be a day one addition to Game Pass, and the day has finally come where that promise has come to fruition. While it might look like it online, not everyone is head over heels in love with Hollow Knight and has no interest in its sequel. If that’s you, no worries, because I found two more excellent games you can fire up on your Xbox this weekend and not feel like you’re missing out in the slightest.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Do I need to even say anything about Silksong at this point? This game has been anticipated for so long that it has become almost legendary among the gaming community. Whether it has earned that status is up to you, but the last thing you need me to do is tell you what this game is. But if I don’t, I won’t get paid, so here it goes. This is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Metroidvania featuring a new protagonist named Hornet. We don’t know much about the plot, and probably still won’t even after finishing the game until someone online makes some lore videos, but we do know that our goal is to travel all the way up to the top of a new kingdom. Expect some epic bosses, clever exploration, and lavishly animated environments on your quest.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2, and PC.
Nine Sols
No, you’re not seeing double. Nine Sols does look a lot like Silksong, and they’re both Metroidvanias, but this game leans more on the combat side of the formula rather than exploration. There’s still a big world with tons to find, but this is a game for people who enjoy mastering a combat system and overcoming hard bosses. The art style is hand-drawn, like Silksong, but with a distinctly Eastern inspiration the team calls “taopunk.” A quick way to describe it would be Sekiro, but in 2D. That’s obviously very reductive to Nine Sols, but if you’re intrigued by that combination of genres, this game was criminally overlooked when it came out in 2024.
Nine Sols is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.
I Am Your Beast
Speaking of games that didn’t get enough love when they came out, play I Am Your Beast! This is a fast-paced, insane, and brutal FPS about killing your way through various sandbox levels filled with enemies using anything and everything you can to get the job done. Levels are bite-sized and meant to be replayed over and over until you master them. There’s no friction between identifying what it is you want to do and pulling it off, except for your own ability to do it. The comic book visuals give it a cool visual identity that lends itself to the plot of dismantling the military-industrial complex. This is the definition of a perfect weekend game.
I Am Your Beast is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Mobile, and PC.
