Microsoft’s subscription service Xbox Game Pass has gone from strength to strength as the company has expanded onto PC, begun streaming to mobile devices, and continues to add publishers to its collection of first-party titles. The service is undoubtedly brilliant value for the price, but much like Netflix, our favorites come and go at their leisure.
Every month, new games are added to Xbox Game Pass, which is great, but at the same time, there are a number of titles that get retired. There are plenty of titles that left Game Pass in 2020 that we hope to come back in the future, check out our top ten just below.
10 Felix the Reaper
Felix The Reaper is a quirky puzzle game that combines a whimsical death character with comedy to offer up a unique gaming experience. It released in October 2019 but unfortunately danced its way back off the roster a year later in October of 2020.
Many fans were annoyed when Felix the Reaper left Xbox Game Pass, as there are notably a couple of glitched achievements that were not patched by the time it left. Understandably, many achievement hunters utilize Game Pass to maximize their haul, so many were unable to 100% the game before it left.
9 Afterparty
Afterparty is a brilliant adventure game that follows Milo and Lola, two college students who inexplicably find themselves in hell. They discover that the only way to leave hell is to out-party the devil himself, which leads to a hilarious comedy game that still manages to deliver on substance with its relationship between the two lead characters.
It landed on Game Pass the same day it launched in October 2019 and lingered on the roster for a year before it left to look for better parties in October 2020.
8 Metro Redux
Metro Redux is a compilation of both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, offering twice as much Metro fun. It was first added to Xbox Game Pass in November 2019 and lasted for just under a year on the roster, with it eventually leaving in October 2020.
Metro 2033 is based on the novel of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky, while Last Light is a direct sequel. These games offer a first-person shooter survival horror experience set in a post-apocalyptic Russia, both of which were praised highly by fans and critics alike.
7 The Banner Saga 3
The Banner Saga 3 joined Xbox Game Pass in June 2019, meaning that the full series was available to play through the subscription service. However, the games started to trickle away from the roster, with The Banner Saga leaving in May 2020, The Banner Saga 2 leaving in April 2020, and finally, The Banner Saga 3 left in July 2020.
These games deserve more love as they combine the fantasy tactical role-playing genre with absolutely stunning graphics and a heavy dose of Norse mythology. Additionally, the plot can be affected by the decisions made by the player, giving them plenty of replay value.
6 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an action RPG set in the medieval era and features historically accurate content. As well as historical accuracy, the game also leans more towards realism than most RPGs, as players need to eat and sleep, food spoils over time, clothes and armor get wear and tear, etc.
Due to the realistic nature of this game, it proves a challenge to most gamers, but one that is definitely enjoyable. Kingdom Come: Deliverance joined Xbox Game Pass in August 2019, and left a year later in August 2020.
5 Untitled Goose Game
Untitled Goose Game was loved by gamers everywhere for its sheer simplistic brilliance and anarchist goose that players get to control. Sadly, Untitled Goose Game has recently left Game Pass, honking its way off the roster in December.
Fans were lucky enough to have this game for a whole year, as it was available on Xbox Game Pass from the start of its release for Xbox One, on December 17th, 2019. However, it’s a shame that Game Pass users have only had a few months of co-op play, as the co-op update only went live in September.
4 Thimbleweed Park
Though point and click games remind most fans of the 90s, as this was the genre’s hey-day, they are certainly not dead. Thimbleweed Park is a testament that awesome point and click games can still be made and appreciated by gamers just as much now as they were before.
Created by Ron Gilbert, the man behind the Monkey Island series among other notable titles, Thimbleweed Park follows two FBI agents, Ray and Reyes, as they investigate a murder in the town of Thimbleweed Park. Regrettably, Thimbleweed Park left Game Pass back in March.
3 Devil May Cry 5
Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 joined Xbox Game Pass in August 2019, but it headed off to fight demons elsewhere by the end of September 2020. However, there are currently rumors that Devil May Cry 5 will rejoin the roster in the near future.
There are many fans who hope this game will make a return as many believe it to be the greatest in the series so far, with players loving that they switch between three different protagonists throughout the game. Additionally, the Special Edition that recently released also includes the Vergil DLC, adding yet another playable character, maybe this is the version that will re-join Game Pass?
2 Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar’s big gun Grand Theft Auto V joined Xbox Game Pass in January of 2020, just after it had left the rival subscription service PlayStation Now. This fan-favorite title stayed on the roster for a few months before making its exit in May.
Grand Theft Auto V has remained one of the most popular games ever since its initial release in 2013, with fans loving that the plot followed three different characters, all of which had their own unique personality. Even when you’ve completed the main game, there’s still plenty to do and Online is still massively popular.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
Another big hitter that surprised fans by making its way onto Game Pass was Red Dead Redemption. It joined the roster in May, softening the blow of the recent departure of Grand Theft Auto V. However, Read Dead Redemption 2 decided to ride out into the sunset only a few months later at the start of September.
Red Dead Redemption 2 released in 2018 and although it is the third entry in the series, it serves as a prequel to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption. Players step into the shoes of Arthur Morgan, an outlaw, and member of the notorious Van der Linde gang.
