Ninja Gaiden is a popular action franchise that’s almost 40 years old, and if you are a fan of the series, you should make sure you’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in October. Microsoft is adding Ninja Gaiden 4, the next game in the series, on Day 1 on Oct. 21.
Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, like Doom: The Dark Ages, added monthly.
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Here are all the games you can play on Game Pass soon. You can also check out the games the company added to the service in September, including Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Editions (PC)
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 9.
Gather your party and get ready to go on some epic quests in the enhanced editions of these classic role-playing games. These games are set in the Forgotten Realms setting of the popular tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons, and each game contains its own story and adventure.
In Baldur’s Gate, you’ll investigate an iron crisis that is plunging the land into war. Baldur’s Gate II takes place shortly after the initial game and revolves around a mysterious power within your character. Can you resist this power, or will you become the new Lord of Murder?
The Casting of Frank Stone
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 14.
In this horror drama game, the police killed a killer in the 1960s after he committed sadistic crimes. Years later, four young filmmakers are trying to create a movie where the killer is stopped, but they discover supernatural horrors that hunt them one by one. Every choice you make in this game influences who makes it out alive, so choose carefully.
Ball x Pit
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 15.
This game combines classic brick-breaking gameplay with the base-building, survival and roguelite genres to create something wholly unique. You’ll explore a bottomless pit of monsters on the hunt for treasure, armed with nothing but ricocheting balls. You’ll recruit fellow treasure hunters, tackle huge monsters and upgrade your arsenal as you plunge deeper underground.
The Grinch: Christmas Adventures
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 15.
Get in the holiday spirit early with this game based on the classic holiday film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. You play as the titular green Grinch as he tries to steal all the presents in Whoville. Use gadgets, stealth disguises and more to sneak around the town, and maybe you’ll uncover the real meaning of Christmas along the way. Or maybe you’ll eat a whole ham by yourself.
Eternal Strands
Game Pass Premium subscribers can start playing on Oct. 15.
Game Pass Ultimate subscribers could play this game in October 2024, and Microsoft is now bringing it to Game Pass Premium.
This action-RPG comes from a team of developers who’ve worked on popular series like Dragon Age and Assassin’s Creed. This game has a unique magic system that allows you to combine spells or localize their area of damage — like freezing the wings of a dragon so it can’t fly. It’s also filled with climbable bosses reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus, and a crafting system to help you fine-tune your play style.
He Is Coming (preview)
Game Pass Premium subscribers can start playing on Oct. 15.
In the deep, forgotten parts of the world, the Demon King has risen again. Without someone strong enough to bring him down, the king will bring corruption to the world. You set forth to find powerful weapons, slay beasts and demons and build your strength to take down this ancient foe once and for all in this roguelite RPG.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black
Game Pass Premium subscribers can start playing on Oct. 15.
Game Pass Ultimate subscribers could play this game starting in January, and Game Pass Premium subscribers can get in on the high-speed ninja action, too. This remastered version of Ninja Gaiden 2 features improved visuals, new characters and Hero Play Style mode that can provide you with additional support during difficult encounters.
Pax Dei (PC)
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 16.
Medieval legends are real in this sandbox MMO game. Ghosts, monsters and magic exist in this world, and you’ll have to defend your growing home from their threats. You can join thousands of others to explore areas, harvest food, build your home and forge your own path.
Keeper
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 17.
This atmospheric puzzle game has you play as a sentient lighthouse — don’t worry, it gets weirder. You head off on a journey with your loyal seabird companion into realms filled with giant snail shells, a flying whale and other absurd sights. I haven’t played the game, but it reminds me of Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation and the Southern Reach series.
Evil West
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 21.
Microsoft removed this game from Game Pass in March, but it’s back.
The American frontier could be a hard place to survive — braving harsh and unforgiving weather, lawless towns and in this game, vampires. You’re one of the last members of a vampire-hunting organization, so it’s up to you to take on the vampiric hordes that threaten the area. If you need some backup, you can play with a friend in co-op mode.
Ninja Gaiden 4
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 21.
The seventh mainline entry in the Ninja Gaiden series is landing on Game Pass Ultimate on Day 1. This game is set in a near-future Tokyo that is in chaos because of the Dark Dragon. You’ll play as a new protagonist in the series named Yakumo, but Ryu from the previous entries is still present and playable, too. The mix of high-octane style and brutal combat will be familiar to anyone who has played previous games in this series, and it should offer new players a challenge.
Games leaving Game Pass on Oct. 15
While Microsoft is adding those games to Game Pass, it’s also removing three others from the service on Oct. 15. So you still have some time to finish your campaign and any side quests before you have to buy these games separately.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed
For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to the Game Pass service.
