Every month, Xbox Game Pass gives and takes away a selection of new games, both big and small. More and more come in throughout the month, of course, making it a small Christmas for many fans of the service every time. The same applies to the new games added or removed from Xbox Game Pass in July 2021.
The month has barely begun, but Xbox Game Pass has five new games for fans to check out already. Each of these games were added on July 1, and while many are likely to join later in the month too, here's what gamers need to know about each game.
RELATED: The 67 Best Games on Xbox Game Pass (July 2021)
Many consider Rare's Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts to be the Black Sheep of the family when it released back in 2008. However, there are some who enjoy it deeply if not more than other franchise games. It takes place 8 years after Banjo-Tooie, with Gruntilda making her comeback to take over Spiral Mountain. The big change is that her defeat is related to various vehicle challenges, as players must make, design, and complete challenges with specific vehicles that run the gamut: cars, bikes, boats, and more. Despite branching away from the franchise formula and its strange place in the franchise, the game did received generally positive reviews at launch (though many were and still are split over the vehicle gameplay).
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is available on Game Pass (Cloud)
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling may not immediately draw a lot of eyes, but it should. It launch on PC in 2019, with several other platforms following in 2020. Its reviews are generally positive, but it also received quite a few 10/10 scores too. Notably, the game was inspired by the first two Paper Mario games, but it also takes inspiration from games like Persona 5 and Xenoblade. In it, players see the journey of Vi the Bee, Kabbu the Beetle, and Leif the Moth as they explore Bugaria in search of The Everlasting Sapling (eternal life). Not to mention, there's plenty to do after players beat Bug Fables too.
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is available on Game Pass (Cloud, Console, PC)
Gang Beasts hardly needs any introduction, but the full multiplayer beat 'em up game has made its debut on Game Pass. Players take control of one of the above figures, which can be customized in a variety of ways, as they fight throughout multiple stages to toss players out of the ring. Hazards, devolving maps, and more all combine to make a fun splitscreen or online game, especially with Gang Beasts' cross-play implementation (minus PlayStation platforms). For achievement hunters, it's also worth mentioning that this game is super quick and super easy to get all achievements for. All players need other than the know-how for each achievement is a second controller for one or two of them.
RELATED: Xbox Cloud Gaming Now Available to All Game Pass Ultimate Subscribers
Gang Beasts is available on Game Pass (Cloud, Console, PC).
Described as a strategy game similar to Civilization, Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars sees players build armies with empire management, turn-based combat, and card-game elements of gameplay. Players will take on 12 hand-designed missions through the eyes of four vampire lords, command unique vampire clans with unique units (like Civilization), develop and utilize vampiric battles, and comes with several game modes like Sandbox, Skirmish, and the aforementioned campaign of missions.
Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars is available on Game Pass (Cloud, Console, PC)
Limbo is a 2010 puzzle-platform game from Playdead that has proven immune to aging. It has remained popular ever since its Xbox Live Arcade days, and sees players trying to navigate physics, dangerous environments, traps, and more in a 2D side-scroller. The entire game is played in the black-and-white style seen above, as it draws on several types of film and art effects to really push what it means when someone describes video games as art.
Limbo is available on Game Pass (Cloud, Console, PC)
With these 5 games, there's plenty to keep players busy. However, if they don't scratch a particular itch, fans should know that more are likely on the way. There's sometimes new games that join randomly throughout the month, so fans should keep an eye on any events that may take place, even if it's not Xbox related. At the same time, there's usually a mid month addition of games too, and that announcement will be in the coming weeks as well.
Xbox Game Pass adds and removes a handful of games every month.