Best new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (April 17-19)

April is a jam-packed month full of new games to check out, like People of Note and Pragmata, but they’re not all on Xbox Game Pass. What is on Microsoft’s service, however, are around 900 titles to check out, including a few major additions that joined the library this month. Just like how you could spend an hour browsing Netflix without actually watching something, you could do the same with Game Pass.

That’s where we come in: we’re playing three great games this weekend that we think you should check out too. This week’s recommendations include two must-play roguelikes and Bethesda’s newly-updated sci-fi RPG.

1

Hades 2

After previously only being on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Windows PC, Hades 2 arrived on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X this week, meaning now everyone has the opportunity to explore all that Supergiant’s top-tier roguelike has to offer. Instead of playing as Hades‘ Zagreus, you take control of his sister, Melinoë, as she ventures time and again (and again and again and…) into the depths of the Underworld. She’s out to save papa Hades and the rest of her family, and is going to kill a ton of enemies along the way. She has a variety of witchy weapons to use, and, of course, the Greek Gods from Hades return — with even more in tow — to lend their strengths in the form of boons. It’s the best roguelike around, and playing it just for a bit creates that never-ending desire for one more run. —​​​​​​Austin Manchester

2

Absolum

If you think there aren’t many new ways to make a beat-’em-up, you owe it to yourself to try Absolum. The fantasy brawler looks like your typical arcade sidescroller at a glance, and it plays like one too. Move right, pummel enemies, survive a fierce boss at the end of the level. The twist, though, is that it’s also a roguelike where you reshape your fighter with perks each run. While it isn’t the cleanest genre mash-up, it works surprisingly well because Absolum‘s levels are filled with alternate pathways that you want to die and try again. Uncovering every little hidden secret is just as fun as knocking bad guys senseless. By the time you see it all, you’ll have developed some real mastery of the combat that will let you deliver the beating of a lifetime on the adventure’s big bad, the Sun King. —Giovanni Colantonio

3

Starfield

April is a big month for space games, like the recently released Pragmata and the upcoming Aphelion. Though it was originally released back in 2023, Starfield got into the space fun this month with a big update meant to address some of the criticisms it had received. Namely: you can now fly between planets seamlessly. Check it out if you want a space-faring adventure with Bethesda DNA (and Bethesda jank, admittedly). Starfield‘s main story may not be anything to write home about — you’ll be chasing after mysterious MacGuffins — but the freedom to explore all that space has to offer is the biggest appeal here. Sometimes the best way to spend an afternoon is just kicking back to fly around the galaxy and chill at your asteroid base. —​​​​​​Austin Manchester