Xbox Game Pass: 10 Best Bethesda Games

You play Prey and you play Prey NOW.

By Adam Nicholson /

Following the acquisition of Bethesda by Microsoft, 20 Bethesda titles have now made their way to Game Pass. These offerings hail from a number of the studios Microsoft recently got their hands on.

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During their March 11 stream, which was a sort of introduction to the concept of "Bethesda + Xbox", Game Pass was a prominent talking point.

Aside from noting, if vaguely, how important this new partnership would be for the service going forward, a far more concrete proposal came to the fore: a selection of games from the many years (and many studios) of Bethesda would be dropping on Game Pass from March 12 (region dependent).

Now, if I was nitpicking, it should be noted that a few of the 'new' titles 'coming' to Game Pass, such as Doom: Eternal and Skyrim Special Edition, were in fact already there.

However, of the truly new additions, there are some staggering selections. Of course, there are only so many hours in a day, so the question of which games to prioritise looms large.

Where should you start? Well...

10. Rage 2

From developers involved in the underrated Mad Max (2015), Rage 2 transplants some of that DNA to a new and unique sci-fi setting. Though, it must be said, that is 'new' in the sense that they revamped and reenergised the somewhat squandered potential in the original Rage.

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You play Walker (not the Texas Ranger, though rather the last Ranger of Vineland), who fights for survival in the rough and tumble, and admittedly eccentric, world emerging from an apocalyptic event; namely, an asteroid colliding with the planet.

Though predominantly a first person shooter, there are progression elements akin to RPGs at play here, as well as vehicular combat (al la the aforementioned Mad Max). That said, shooting takes the focus and rightfully so: the combat is fluid, fast-paced, and satisfying though and through.

Indeed, the mechanics are where Rage 2 shines, sustaining your engagement despite a few narrative shortcomings (literally in the case of its length). Rage 2 is an excellent title for Game Pass, letting you enjoy what it does well, indeed very well, without feeling disappointed.

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