You couldn’t find two games as different as Bugsnax and Unsouled, so at least Game Pass is covering all bases today.
First up is Bugsnax (Console, Cloud and PC) from Octodad developer Young Horses, and second up is Unsouled (Cloud, Console and PC).
Having played Bugsnax from start to finish, we think it’s worth playing, but we have complicated feelings. It should be brilliant: it initially feels like a sequel to Viva Pinata, which is a statement that should make it an insta-play. But it has some odd physics, and large portions of the game feel like they should be more interactive than they are. But it’s definitely a curio, so if you have time it may well be worth forming your own opinion.
What is it? Well, imagine being let loose on an island that is filled with creepy crawlies that have been crossed with various foodstuffs. Spiders get spliced with french fries, and burgers with stag beetles. Your job is to find them, scan them and then collect them, before stuffing them into the mouths of villagers who – ready for it? – see their limbs transform according to what you feed them. Yeah, we know: bonkers.
More run-of-the-mill, we suppose, is Unsouled. It’s got ‘soul’ in the title, so we’re predicting a very specific level of challenge. This is a 2D, top-down action-adventure with a lovely pixel aesthetic, and it aims to make you feel like a god of the battlefield. There are balletic combos to pull off, as you chain enemies together and chop off heads with a fountain of gore.
There’s a depth to Unsouled, as you collect souls which trigger as soon as they have been obtained, enhancing abilities, unlocking new skills, or upgrading existing ones. You can even nab the souls of bosses, garnering you abilities that are significantly better than the average. Looking at the game menus from screenshots, it looks like there is a lot to tinker with here.
All that’s left of Game Pass in April is a number of leavers. On the 30th of April, you can kiss goodbye to Cricket 19 (Cloud, Console, and PC), Outlast 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC), Secret Neighbor (Cloud, Console, and PC) and Streets of Rage 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC). Remember that these can all be picked up now from the Store with 20% off marked price.
A review for Bugsnax is incoming (as will be one for Unsouled), but we’d love your thoughts on both games in the comments or on our social channels.
