April 2019 Xbox Game Pass additions include Monster Hunter: World and Prey

By Charles Singletary Jr. April 12, 2019

Xbox Game Pass Deal April May 2019 Monster Hunter World Prey — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft is hoping to entice gamers with a hot new deal on the company’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service and there are some upcoming new additions to the library that sweeten the deal further. April’s Xbox Game Pass lineup includes the additions of Prey, Monster Hunter: World, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, Life is Strange: Episode 2, Resident Evil 5, and The Golf Club 2.

Available now, gamers can purchase a three-month Xbox Game Pass subscription for $1. The deal works for new and inactive members, so no one’s left out, and it will be available until May 13, 2018. Since it runs for such a long time, you’ll be able to dig into all of the new additions coming to the service this month before deciding if you want to continue at regular price.

Monster Hunter: World earned four stars in our review and is one of the more dense offerings to hit the extensive library. Fully invested players shouldn’t be surprised if they surpass 100 hours as they collect items, craft, and battle it out with a large cast of creatures. Prey also received a four-star rating and is a more linear experience, though it is ripe with content Arkane Studios added post-launch. In addition to the main story set on the space station Talos I, the Mooncrash expansion adds a rogue-like escape mission while Typhon Hunter adds an asymmetrical multiplayer mode where five Mimics chase one human player.

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier and Life is Strange: Episode 2 slow things down a bit with some story-driven adventures and you can turn things right back up with a buddy in Resident Evil 5’s full campaign before finally winding down with The Gold Club 2.

In addition to the new titles coming throughout April, PC players can look forward to experiencing the major Halo titles for the first time as part of the Xbox Game Pass. The titles are due to be released one by one so that the developers can avoid any technical issues, and test flights for Reach are going live later this month. If you’re interested in participating, you have to be a Halo Insider member.

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Charles Singletary Jr.

I'm a Birmingham, AL raised author, journalist, and gaming enthusiast currently residing in San Antonio, TX. My work has…

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Xbox Game Pass’ latest addition is a must-try multiplayer shooter

Barrage Exosuit in Exoprimal.

Capcom is known for making excellent single-player adventures, while its history with multiplayer shooters is much more spotty. Exoprimal changes that.
Since the mid-2010s, games like Resident Evil 7, Devil May Cry V, Monster Hunter World, and Street Fighter 6 cemented Capcom as one of the best game publishers out there. Though one area where the company has always struggled is in the lucrative multiplayer shooter market. Titles like Resident Evil Re:Verse, Resident Evil Resistance, and Umbrella Corps just weren't that fun to play and failed to leave much of an impact. That's why I was hesitant following the announcement of Exoprimal, a multiplayer-only PvPvE game about fighting hordes of dinosaurs with Exosuits. Thankfully, after playing it a lot during its betas and some more after its official July 14 launch, I'm happy to say that Exoprimal is Capcom's best modern multiplayer shooter.
It's a game that's full of personality in both gameplay and the entertaining narrative moments spread out between matches. Its tone feels like a cheesy 1980s cartoon in the best way, while its gameplay blends elements of Anthem, Overwatch, and Left 4 Dead to craft an experience that's as satisfying as one would expect from a game where players fight dinosaurs with mechs. It's on Xbox Game Pass, so give it as shot if you've enjoyed Cacpom's recent games and want to see those skills applied to a multiplayer game.
Multiplayer mayhem
The narrative of Exoprimal actually feels somewhat relevant right now due to the rising prevalence of AI. The premise is that Leviathan, the AI behind a giant megacorporation that hires Exosuit fighters to defeat dinosaurs invading from another dimension, goes rogue and forces the player to participate in an endless series of wargames against those dinos and other Exosuit fighters. Fold in some time-travel and dimension-hopping shenanigans, as well as a quirky crew of characters helping players between matches, and you have a game that pokes fun at corporate greed, AI, and questionable workplaces with Capcom's trademark wit. These narrative elements weren't in the prelaunch betas of Exoprimal that I played, so they served as a pleasant surprise now that I'm playing the final version of the game.

Playing Exoprimal at launch affirmed how enjoyable its combat is. Players have 10 Exosuits (and their variants) to choose from, which are separated into Support, Tank, and Assault classes and have distinct abilities, like the heroes in Overwatch. Players can swap between them freely during matches, which have two teams competing to complete a series of objectives at the same time before a final showdown. While I could toggle whether or not I wanted that final objective to feature PvP combat, another team's progress always looming over me added an exciting sense of urgency to each match that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Shooting down hordes of zombies with the Deadeye Exosuit or slicing through them with the Murasame Exosuit's sword was a ton of fun, as were the rare moments where I was able to turn into a dinosaur attacking the enemy team and stall their progress. In a preview of the game last July, I called Exoprimal "a much more robust and inspired multiplayer shooter than I expected." Now that Exoprimal is out, that statement still holds up.
Even just the one Dino Survival mode that's in the game now is doing plenty to keep me entertained as I play to progress the story. Then, once that's done, I'm sure that the progression systems tied to each Exosuit and post-launch editions, like the upcoming cooperative Savage Gauntlet, will keep me coming back to Exoprimal. I haven't even had the chance to play the game with friends yet, which will probably enhance the experience further.

Gaming

Try these 2 indie greats before they leave Xbox Game Pass next week

An orb sits in an alien desert in Exo One.

I’m always excited for those two days every month when Xbox drops a blog post detailing the new additions coming to Game Pass. Even in slow months, there’s usually a hidden gem on there that I’m curious about digging into. Though as curious as I am about checking out what’s new, I often forget to scroll to the bottom and see what’s leaving the service. And just as there are a few standouts added to the service each month, Game Pass also tends to quietly lose just as many with each new batch.

That’s exactly the case this July. While the service gains Grand Theft Auto V and Exoprimal this month, it’s also losing two standout indies: Spelunky 2 and Exo One. If you’re looking for some games to play during a slow month for big releases, here’s why you should check out both before they leave the service on July 15.
Spelunky 2

Gaming

You can get a month of Xbox Game Pass for $1 right now

A tv shows the new Xbox Game Pass that comes to Samsung Gaming Hub soon.

If you aren't currently signed up for Xbox Game Pass, you can currently get your first month for $1. The deal only applies to Game Pass Ultimate and its PC version, though, as the console-only version is still at its full price.

Early in the Xbox Game Pass era, Microsoft would offer $1 onboarding deals for the service. The trick helped the company build a massive user base early on, but it has moved away from that cheap deal in recent years as the service has become a household name with gamers. It's finally available again for anyone who's been waiting for a reason to subscribe, though it's not as eye-popping a deal as it once was.