The Microsoft and Bethesda Softworks acquisition deal has been the talk of the gaming community since it was announced. Recently, the deal was made official and soon it'll give fans concrete ideas as to what will happen next for the merging companies. One of the most exciting parts of this acquisition is how many games can come to Xbox Game Pass now that Bethesda is owned by Microsoft, with some new games reportedly coming this week. Bethesda already has a long list of games that are on (or have been on) the Game Pass, but there are still a few missing that would be exciting additions.
Bethesda is known for franchises like Fallout, Wolfenstein, and The Elder Scrolls, along with other breakout hits like Doom or Dishonored. Many of the games in these series have been added to Game Pass in the past, but not all of them have been available. Despite how many well-known Bethesda games have been on Game Pass, there are still some that should be added this coming March. Some of the titles may be older, but players could boot them up for nostalgia’s sake or just to try something new.
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Though The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind was released in 2002 for PC and Xbox, it could still find a well-deserved home on the Game Pass. Backwards compatibility would ensure the game runs smoothly, though its graphics may not be as impressive as when it first debuted. Morrowind was well-received when it first launched and is still revered as one of the best Elder Scrolls titles today. Adding this game to Game Pass would reawaken the love for Elder Scrolls fans or help new fans get into the series.
Dishonored released in 2012 and was a commercial success. It was well-received by critics and fans because of its individual mission stories and RPG elements, though some felt the overall story was lacking. Dishonored led to two different sequels; Dishonored 2 and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, the former of which is already featured in the Game Pass. Adding the original game would get new players into the franchise, or give additional context for those who only played the sequel.
The Evil Within released in 2014 for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, but was later re-released for PS4 and Xbox One. The game was generally well-received, though many players thought the narrative and its characters fell short of expectation. However, the standout parts of The Evil Within included its horror elements and atmosphere building. While it may not have been as highly regarded as other survival horror games, it was still good enough to warrant a sequel — The Evil Within 2.
Though the Wolfenstein series first debuted in 1981, it wasn’t until 2009 and the release of Wolfenstein that the franchise saw the birth of a new era. Other Wolfenstein games have found a home on the Game Pass, but The Old Blood has yet to be included. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood got generally favorable reviews when it released in 2015, making it a quality contender for a new Game Pass addition. It’s also a standalone title within the franchise, so new players could play it without having any prior Wolfenstein knowledge.
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Dishonored: Death of the Outsider was originally meant to be an add-on DLC to Dishonored 2, but instead became its own standalone expansion. The game was received well by critics and fans, with many saying it was a good ending for the Dishonored series. While Death of the Outsider probably won’t be the last Dishonored game, Arkane Studios did announce that the series would be in “hiatus” following the game’s 2017 release. Dishonored 2 already made it to Game Pass, so adding its predecessor and follow-up game would be a great way for players to experience the whole series.
The Evil Within 2 released in 2017 as a sequel to The Evil Within. It seems the sequel got slightly better review scores, though it still had narrative problems like its predecessor. Despite the narrative issues, the game was still lauded for its atmosphere, visuals, and gameplay mechanics. Including both The Evil Within and The Evil Within 2 would be great for players who are survival horror fans and want to experience the full story of both games.
There are a couple other games that haven’t been included on Xbox Game Pass:
- Fallout Shelter
- Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot
- IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005
These titles probably won’t be added for a variety of reasons. Fallout Shelter has pretty good reviews, but it’s also free-to-play. It wouldn’t make sense for it to come to Game Pass unless Xbox gave bonus in-game currency to players. If players want to check out Fallout Shelter, it’s free-to-play on a variety of platforms, not just Xbox One.
Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot probably won’t make a Game Pass debut for two key reasons. Though the Game Pass for PC allows for VR accommodations of games, Cyberpilot is VR exclusive, meaning a lot of players wouldn’t be able to actually play the title. Also, the reviews for Cyberpilot were incredibly mixed, with many players criticizing how short the game is and its less-than-refined controls.
Finally, IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005 is probably the only game pretty much guaranteed to not make it to Game Pass. The game was generally ill-received by players and critics, with critiques about the visuals and game controls. Considering its age and how poorly it was received upon release, there’s a slim to none chance of IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005 ever making an appearance on Game Pass.
Nothing is set in stone about what Bethesda games will return for Game Pass this week, but there are a ton of top-tier options. Each game would have something unique for players to experience, even if they weren’t previously fans of the series mentioned. For those already familiar with some of the titles, it would be a pleasant trip down memory lane.
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