First-party games are finally getting the big, consistent presence on Xbox Game Pass that we’ve been hoping for. In September alone, Age of Mythology: Retold and Ara: History Untold have made their way into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, while Overwatch 2 started to give a ton of benefits to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. This is bound to only continue ramping up in the coming months as games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 release and more back catalog Activision games come to the service. Simply put, there’s going to be a lot to enjoy on Xbox Game Pass. That’s why I recommend you check out two of these first-party games, as well as an underrated indie strategy game sequel. this weekend
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers should connect their account to Battle.net because a lot of perks for subscribers came to the free-to-play hero shooter Overwatch 2 earlier this month. Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtleship D.Va, Cyberdragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver skins, as well as 30 Mythic Prisms, can be permanently redeemed before November 11. A rotating collection of other cosmetics and a 10% XP boost are available indefinitely to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. You can access these perks across any platforms that Overwatch 2 is on, including PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
If the wait for Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is killing you, then you should check out the new Xbox-published game Ara: History Untold. It’s a new grand strategy game from former Civilization devs that’s inspired a lot by that series. Players choose a historical figure and then have to guide their nation throughout history, slowly exploring and expanding their territory before having to diplomatically or aggressively face off with the other nations around them. Ara stands out by adding more nuance and customization to individual tiles within one’s territory and is a worthy alternative as we wait for Firaxis’ series to make its return. Ara: History Untold is only available on PC, and you can play it with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass.
If Ara: History Untold’s 4X strategy game mechanics are too overwhelming for you, or you don’t have a PC that can run it, consider checking out Wargroove 2 instead. Wargroove is Chucklefish’s Advance Wars-inspired strategy game series that gives that Nintendo franchise’s aesthetic and mechanics a medieval skin. It has multiple single-player campaigns to play through, as well as an engaging roguelike mode that gives Wargroove 2 a lot of replay value as you’re not just playing the same campaign levels over and over. Wargroove 2 will be available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate across PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. It’s also on Nintendo Switch.
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.