July continues to be an all-killer, no-filler month for Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft’s subscription service is receiving comparatively fewer games throughout July than it got in previous months of the year and is facing backlash over an expensive price hike. That said, every new game coming to service this month is worthwhile, with many of them also being added to the service on the day of their release. This week, Microsoft hit another big Xbox Game Pass milestone because a Call of Duty game came to the service for the first time ever. If you’re wondering what games you should play this weekend, these new additions to Xbox Game Pass are worth your attention.
The long-awaited arrival of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on Xbox Game Pass is finally here. This is the most recent Call of Duty game at the time I’m writing this, and it delivers a story-driven campaign, zombie mode, and multiplayer that players can sink a ton of time into. It’s inferior to some other recent Call of Duty games, but it’s still a big deal that it’s on Xbox Game Pass and worth some playtime, as subscribers don’t have to be concerned with spending $70. Hopefully, more Call of Duty games come to the subscription service soon. The PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III as well as its Cross-Gen Bundle for Xbox One and Xbox Series X are now on Xbox Game Pass. It’s not playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming yet because Ubisoft technically owns those rights, and it’s still available for purchase on PS4 and PS5.
On the Soulslike front, A44 and Kepler Interactive’s Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn became part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog the day it launched this month. It provides a unique take on the well-trodden action RPG formula with faster-paced gameplay that emphasizes movement and platforming more than usual. Players also have a flintlock gun and magical creature named Enki with them at all times, and both of them are very useful in fights as well. A self-prescribed “Soulslite,” you may still have a good time with Flintlock even if you don’t typically enjoy the genre. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is available across PC, console, and cloud with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It’s also on PS5.
If you’re wondering what indie game you should play this weekend, Magical Delicacy is a recent Xbox Game Pass addition that’s worth checking out. In this game, players manage a shop where they cook food and concoct a potion for patrons and explore a quaint yet mysterious town called Grat. It provides wholesome vibes, tells a relatable story about self-discovery, and ties its Metroidvania and cooking elements together in a creative way. Magical Delicacy is available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and cloud. It will come to Nintendo Switch on August 15.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.