Summary
The January 25Xbox Game Passupdate is adding a new day-one title in the form ofGo Mecha Ball. This hectic indie release promises to add to the already sizable collection ofhigh-quality roguelike games on Xbox Game Pass.
Developed by Whale Peak Games, the twin-stick shooter still hasn’t been added to Xbox Game Pass as of this writing, circa 7am ET / 4am PT. That’s hardly out of the ordinary for day-one games, whose debuts on Microsoft’s subscription service often coincide with their launch times on other platforms. In this particular instance,Go Mecha Ballis scheduled to hit Steam circa 11am ET / 8am PT, so that’s plausibly the time whenXbox Game Passmembers will be able to start playing it as well.
Go Mecha Ball is yet to be added to Xbox Game Pass as of this writing, circa 7am ET.
What Is Go Mecha Ball?
The game itself promises an adrenaline-fueled experience starring a mech suit user who can curl up into a ball, hence the name. And whileGo Mecha Ballis a twin-stick shooter at its core, its level design and progression come straight from roguelikes, allowing it to offer high replayability. The game also takes a page from the book of the recentDoomtitles in that it features an interactive, dynamically generated soundtrack that matches whatever is happening on the screen.
Another Xbox Game Pass Roguelike Leaves Early Access Today
Aside fromGo Mecha Ball,Xbox Game Pass is today also receiving the full version ofPhantom Abyss, another roguelike that combines first-person action with an Aztec setting and asynchronous multiplayer features. This particular title has already been part of Microsoft’s subscription catalog since June 2021, when it entered early access. Compared to that version, the 1.0 build ofPhantom Abyssadds a new Abyss Mode and overhauls the game’s Adventure Mode, on top of introducing some gameplay tweaks geared toward making the overall experience more accessible.
Go Mecha Ballwon’t be the last replayable shoot-em-up to reach Xbox Game Pass this month, as Blobfish’s acclaimed roguelite—not to be confused with roguelike—shooterBrotatois also scheduled to do so on January 30. Beyond that,Xbox Game Pass has already confirmed multiple games for February, with the biggest name on that list being Atlus’s highly anticipated remake ofPersona 3.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft’s flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
