With no prior announcement, Microsoft surprise-launched the beat 'em up Streets of Rage 4 on Xbox Game Pass. While some may have been concerned that Streets of Rage 4 wouldn't live up to the legacy of its predecessors, the game has proven any doubters wrong. Streets of Rage 4 reviews have been mostly positive, with fans praising the game's retro-style local co-op action. Streets of Rage 4 's main story may be a little on the short side, but the game otherwise has a lot of content for fans of the genre to sink their teeth i

Project Gotham Racing was a launch title for the original Xbox and earned a great deal of acclaim at the time of its release, spawning three sequels that all earned strong reviews as well. Project Gotham Racing 4 , the most recent entry in the series, also earned strong reviews from critics and fans alike, but for one reason or another, Microsoft has abandoned the IP. Perhaps Microsoft made this decision so it could focus exclusively on Forza , but it would still be nice to see Project Gotham Racing make a comeback on the Xbox Series X. If nothing else, it would help give racing fans on Xbox some variety so that they have more than just new Forza games to look forward to every y

Metroidvania games rarely offer co-op options, which is part of the reason why Guacamelee 2 stands out from the pack so much. Letting players experience the exploration and platforming elements associated with Metroidvanias in a co-op space is a lot of fun, though it helps that Guacamelee 2 is a fantastic game at its core, too. Guacamelee 2 's unique brand of humor, appealing art style, and non-stop action will keep players glued to the screen for the long haul, making it one of the best local co-op options on Game P

Bug Fables is weaponized nostalgia. Moonsprout Games set out to make a game that would bring you back to the mid-90s and early-2000s, and if you played RPGs back on the SNES or N64, Star Wars Outlaws then this is going to unleash all the tingly feelings of your childhood stored at the back of your br

When I say this game aspires to be Paper Mario , I'm not talking about a few little touches here and there. From the second you load up Bug Fables, you will know that this is a Paper Mario game in practically every way except the name. Each character is a flat 2D model with big fat black outlines walking around a 3D world. The art style looks simplistic, as if it was drawn by a crayon-wielding kindergarten class, yet it's bursting with life and personality. Even the music evokes the soundtracks of Nintendo's games, with songs that reminded me of Final Fantasy games, Donkey Kong Country , Earthbound , and of course, the Paper Mario ser

As for the party management portion of the game, Bug Fables is pretty light when it comes to managing equipment and skills. Instead of individual levels, your entire team levels up as one unit. When you gain enough XP, you can then choose to upgrade your health, your Team Points (which is your MP), or give yourself more Medal Points so you can equip more medals. Medals are your main pieces of equipment as there's no armor or weapons to worry about. These can give you buffs, status ailment resistances, or in some cases, even allow you to use new moves. The RPG mechanics aren't very complex, but it leads to a streamlined experience that still forces you to strategize, as you can only equip a limited number of medals and carry a limited number of healing it

The city the player runs through is mostly white, matching with the dizzying heights the player runs through. Red ramps and pipes guide the player on what is interactive. The actual fighting in this game is rather dull, but it is so infrequent it never harms the experience of running through skyscrapers like a pro. Its sequel, Mirror's Edge Catalyst didn't improve in the areas the original struggled with, resulting in mixed critical reviews.

While the story itself isn't breaking any new ground, the world that Bug Fables takes place in is incredibly charming. The three characters grow on you as the game progresses, and while the dialogue isn't exactly hilarious, it's amusing, well-written, full of bug-related puns, and walks the fine line between straight-laced fantasy and fourth-wall-breaking humor. It takes a little while for the plot to get rolling, but once it picks up, it becomes an excellent throwback to RPG narratives of the 16 and 32-bit

When Microsoft purchased Rare in 2002, expectations were high for the studio to continue its award-winning work on Xbox. Unfortunately, Rare has largely failed to live up to fan expectations since the Microsoft acquisition, failing to truly capitalize on the popularity of its beloved IP like Banjo-Kazooie . There hasn't been a new Banjo-Kazooie game since 2008's Nuts & Bolts , so platforming fans are hungry for a proper new entry in the series, especially after the titular duo were added to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster as DLC fighte

Microsoft plans on launching its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X , at some point later this year. So far, the only first-party game confirmed for the Xbox Series X is the upcoming Halo Infinite , leaving much of the console's launch lineup a myst