Game Pass is having another one of those weeks where there’s a little bit of everything on the table. Five games are getting attention across the service, although there’s an important distinction to make before you start downloading: only one is actually new to Game Pass, while four others are now becoming available to Premium subscribers.
That new arrival is Vapor World: Over The Mind, which drops into Game Pass on August 19th. Alongside it, Egging On, Starsand Island, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X and Relooted are all expanding their Game Pass availability.
At A Glance
- Egging On – Premium – August 18th
- Vapor World: Over The Mind – Day One – August 19th
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect X – Premium – August 19th
- Relooted – Premium – August 19th
- Starsand Island – Premium – August 20th
An Egg, An Island And A Whole Lot Of Falling
First up is Egging On, which is available today across Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld and PC. It’s about as straightforward as the name suggests: you’re an egg, you’re trying to climb, and the physics are determined to make sure you don’t get there.
The challenge comes from learning how the egg moves, timing jumps and rolls and attempting to reach increasingly lofty heights without ending up back at the bottom. There are plenty of hazards waiting along the way too, including chainsaws and angry roosters.
We’ve already put Egging On through its paces, awarding it 3.5/5. It’s certainly not going to be everyone’s idea of a good time, but if you enjoy the sort of game that makes you immediately want to have “just one more go”, it could be worth a look.
Then there’s Starsand Island, which takes things in a considerably more relaxing direction. Available today on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S and PC, this is the sort of game where you can spend your time farming, fishing, looking after animals, decorating your home or simply wandering around the island.
And there’s good timing here, as Starsand Island has also just left early access. So while this isn’t a new Game Pass game, Premium subscribers are getting access just after the full version arrives.
The Proper New Arrival – Vapor World: Over The Mind
August 19th brings the week’s genuine Game Pass newcomer in the shape of Vapor World: Over The Mind. But even then, it’s not a full release.
Available day one through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, this atmospheric adventure drops a young boy into a twisted dreamscape where memories, trauma and nightmares have become one very unpleasant place to explore.
Combat takes a souls-like approach, with deflection playing a major role, while the hand-painted world provides plenty of room to explore. You’ll take on powerful bosses known as Traumas, uncover new abilities and gradually piece together the memories hidden within the dream.
There’s a small caveat, though. Vapor World: Over The Mind is launching as a Game Preview title, so this is very much a work in progress rather than the finished game. Still, might well be worth checking out from the Xbox Store.
Two More Premium Additions – BlazBlue And Relooted
Also arriving in Premium on August 19th are BlazBlue Entropy Effect X and Relooted, both of which are already available through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
BlazBlue Entropy Effect X is the obvious choice for anyone after something fast and furious. This roguelite takes the BlazBlue universe and turns it into a slick 2D action game, with different characters, repeat runs and plenty of room to experiment with builds.
We rather liked it when we reviewed it, giving it 4.5/5 and praising the sheer amount of content on offer. It’s a particularly easy recommendation if you’re already a fan of either roguelites or BlazBlue.
Relooted, meanwhile, is doing something rather different. It’s a heist game with an Africanfuturist setting, asking you to assemble a crew, plan your operation and steal 70 real-world African artefacts from museums.
It isn’t simply a case of grabbing the goods and running, either. You’ll need to work out your escape route, recruit the right members of your crew and make sure everything is in place before setting the plan in motion.
So, What’s Actually New?
That’s probably the biggest thing to keep in mind with this week’s update. If you’re a Game Pass Premium subscriber, you’ve got four more games to check out. But if you’re already on Ultimate or PC Game Pass, the only genuinely new game you’ll be getting is Vapor World: Over The Mind.
Still, it’s a pretty varied selection. One minute you’re attempting to stop an egg from tumbling back down a mountain, the next you’re farming on an island, battling through a nightmare, taking part in BlazBlue’s latest roguelite adventure or planning an elaborate museum heist.
Not a bad few days for Game Pass, then. And after that? Well, there’s a small matter of Aerial_Knight’s DropShot, Blood Dungeon, the highly anticipated Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Young Suns and Shelldiver dropping in the next few weeks. We’ll be sure to remind you once they all hit the service.Â
