Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Trash
  4. News

Xbox Game Pass adds Ark, but loses some heavy hitters

Add as a preferred source on Google

Microsoft has revealed the titles coming to its Game Pass service this February. The biggest title is Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition, which includes the base title Ark: Survival Evolved as well as the game’s many expansion packs.

This month’s lineup also includes Telling Lies, another non-linear thriller directed by the creator of Her Story, and a variety of other indie titles. These additions to Game Pass come in the wake of Microsoft’s explosive announcement of its intent to purchase Activision Blizzard last month.

Ark: Ultimate Survival Edition will be available on PC, console, and mobile devices via the cloud. Considered the “definitive collection” of Ark content, the game allows players to get up close and personal with dinosaurs as they explore a primeval world and stage battles.

Other available titles include the lauded Contrast, a puzzle-platformer that plays with light and shadow in a world based on 1920s vaudeville, and Skul: The Hero Slayer, a roguelite with over 100 playable characters and a variety of challenging battles. Game Pass subscribers will also have access to a Grounded update called Into the Wood and an Australia update for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Here’s the full list of titles joining the service this month.

  • Contrast
  • Dreamscaper
  • Telling Lies
  • Besiege
  • CrossfireX
  • Edge of Eternity
  • Skul: The Hero Slayer
  • The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom
  • Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition
  • Infernax

Several high-profile titles are also leaving Game Pass. On February 15, subscribers will no longer be able to play Control, one of 2019’s best action games. Also leaving is Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age, the definitive remaster of the PlayStation 2 original. Here’s what’s leaving the service in February.

  • Control
  • Code Vein
  • Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
  • The Medium
  • Project Winter
  • The Falconeer
Emily Morrow
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily Morrow is a games journalist and narrative designer who has written for a variety of online publications. If she’s…
GTA 6 is apparently going all-in on blood, drugs and mayhem
An accidentally published PEGI rating gives us a surprisingly detailed look at Rockstar’s most adult GTA yet.
Grand Theft Auto GTA VI 6 gameplay screenshot drinks Cal Hampton

Grand Theft Auto 6 was never exactly going to be mistaken for a children's game, but a briefly published PEGI rating has apparently revealed just how far Rockstar is pushing the adult content this time around. The PEGI 18 rating appeared on the European ratings board's website before being removed, but not before its unusually detailed description was captured and reported by multiple outlets.

Apparently, GTA 6 has no plans to behave itself

Read more
These 5 Amazon gaming deals put the upgrade money into the controls
A $30 wireless mouse, a compact optical keyboard, and a customizable controller lead the picks ahead of October Prime Day.
Electronics, Joystick

A cramped keyboard-and-mouse arrangement or a controller short on buttons can be reason enough to change a setup. These five Amazon discounts cover those everyday upgrades, starting with a $30 wireless mouse. For streamers with more controls to juggle, there’s a discounted Stream Deck XL, too.

Logitech G305 Lightspeed - $29.99 (40% off)

Read more
Control Resonant Review: It trusts you, challenges you, and rarely wastes your time
Remedy takes Control into the open world without losing its identity.
Control Resonant Manhattan streets

Remedy Entertainment’s announcement of a sequel to its critically acclaimed 2019 hit Control was not a big surprise. The first game, which was initially dismissed by many, including me, as a showcase for Nvidia’s ray tracing tech, turned out to be a wonderful and complex mess that attracted a niche but dedicated audience. However, the gameplay reveal of their new title felt like a risky pivot away from what garnered its fandom.

I was not about to make the same mistake twice. I kept my presumed notions about modern open-world games being grindy task simulators aside and gave it a fair shot. After finishing the story and unlocking every achievement, I can say Control Resonant is the most complete game Remedy has made. It knows exactly what it wants to be, skips the filler, and lets the player figure things out on their own. It is not flawless, but whether you are a longtime fan or new to the Federal Bureau of Control, there is plenty here for you.

Read more