At the start of the new year, new offers land again in the game subscription from Microsoft. We collect all the new additions to the PC Game Pass.
A new year full of exciting game releases is coming up! And in 2022, many of them will also land directly in the PC Game Pass. As every month, we collect all the new additions that you can play in the subscription and present the titles to you individually.
Only two games have been confirmed for January 2022 so far, but don’t worry: Microsoft will reliably unveil more offers throughout the month. So be sure to check back here regularly to keep up to date with the latest news.
New in Game Pass in January 2022
Gorogoa
(Genre: Puzzle game – Developer: Jason Roberts – Release: 14 December 2017 – New in Game Pass from: 4 January 2022)
At first glance, the indie puzzle game Gorogoa may seem very simple. Behind the pretty facade, however, is a clever game principle, as you can only solve the puzzles that appear in front of you via clever changes of perspective.
Sounds confusing? Let’s just say that behind the inconspicuous façade lies real food for your grey cells.
Olija
(Genre: Action-Adventure – Developer: Skeleton Crew Studio – Release: 28 January 2021 – In Game Pass from: 4 January 2022)
In the course of your life as a gamer, you have already taken on a wide variety of roles: From knights to spacemen to Vikings. But a shipwrecked pirate? That sounds wonderfully fresh! The developers of the action adventure Olija probably thought so too and chose this setting as the basis for their game. Real seafaring legends are said to have provided inspiration.
What is it about? In the guise of the pirate Faraday, you and your crew must try to escape from a legendary island. To do so, you’ll not only have to hop skillfully, but also solve puzzles and fight battles.
The Pedestrian
(Genre: Adventure – Developer: Skookum Arts – Release: 29 January 2020 – In Game Pass from: 4 January 2022)
Have you ever looked at the numerous stick figures on German road signs and wondered whether these brave fellows have a life of their own? No? Um, neither have we, of course. But it is somehow obvious to reveal the adventures of these contemporaries in the form of a video game.
In The Pedestrian you control one of these stick figures. But you can’t just move through the levels, after all you belong on a shield or similar surface. Therefore, you have to find your way through the areas and jump from shield to shield, move platforms and interact with objects in the right order.
Embr
(Genre: Co-op Action – Developer: Muse Games – Release: 23 September 2021 – In Game Pass from: 6 January 2022)
In Embr you slip into the skin of a first responder and dedicate yourself entirely to fighting fires and rescuing house residents in distress. But anyone expecting a serious simulation of our everyday heroes from the fire brigade is mistaken.
Because Embr is designed entirely for action-heavy co-op fun. So you storm the burning house, put out fires and have to be careful not to make things worse than they already are. The cartoon look underscores the humorous approach of the game.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
(Genre: SciFi Role-Playing Game – Developer: Bioware – Release: May 14, 2021 – In Game Pass from: January 6, 2022)
We don’t really need to say another word about the sci-fi trilogy around Commander Shepard, the loyal crew of the Normandy and the threat of the creepy Reapers. Anyone who has slept through this title so far must live in the furthest corner of the Artemis Tau cluster.
But those who still haven’t given this RPG epic the chance to get under their own skin can now do so thanks to Game Pass. The visually and playfully improved Legendary Edition is now also available there.
Outer Wilds
(Genre: Exploration Adventure – Developer: Mobius Digital Games – Release: 30 May 2019 – In Game Pass from: 6 January 2022)
In the role of an astronaut from the organisation Outer Wilds Ventures, it is your task to discover the mysteries of the solar system. You have plenty of time to do so, because unfortunately you are stuck in a time loop that transports you back to the beginning at regular intervals.
So you have to proceed cleverly and move piece by piece across the unknown planets, solve puzzles and put the whole thing together like a puzzle. In the process, you’ll explore submerged cities, come across alien traces and translate ancient characters, for example.
The Anacrusis
(Genre: Co-op Shooter – Developer: Stray Bombay – Release: 13 January 2022 – In Game Pass from: 13 January 2022)
At first glance, The Anacrusis looks like a Left4Dead on a space station, with aliens instead of zombie hordes: You play as a team of four, have lots of weapons to choose from and shoot your way through hungry xenomorphs. Instead of fixed classes, a freer perk system awaits you. And in the background, an AI analyses your strategies and adapts the behaviour of the space monsters accordingly. Could be exciting
The Anacrusis will first start in Early Access in January 2022, in which three acts are included. The final launch will then be towards the end of the year once player feedback has been implemented
Spelunky 2
(Genre: Jump&Run – Developer: Mossmouth – Release: 29 September 2020 – In Game Pass from: 13 January 2022)
Behind Spelunky 2 is a kind of jump&run roguelike. You explore deep, expansive cave systems in randomly generated levels, have to overcome traps and monsters and, of course, recover precious treasures. In the second part of the series, you take on the role of the young protagonist Ana Spelunky.
Technically, the visually very simple game offers you destructible terrain and even a fluid simulation that depicts water and lava realistically and, above all, dynamically.
Windjammers 2
(Genre: Sports game – Developer: Dotemu – Release: 20 January 2022 – In Game Pass from: 20 January 2022)
If Frisbee throwing was set to an epic 90s soundtrack and the athletes were in neon suits, it would come very close to Windjammers 2. In it, you master a fictional sport, throw discs across the playing field, confuse your opponent with spectacular power moves and bob your feet to the sound of electric guitars. You can choose to compete against AI or other players in online PvP.
These games will be leaving Game Pass in January 2022
As with every month, it’s time to say goodbye to a few games in January – they’re leaving the Game Pass (for now) to make room for the many new additions.
These titles will leave the PC Game Pass on 15 January 2022:
- Desperados III
- Ghost of a Tale
- Mount & Blade: Warband
- Pandemic
- Yiik: A Postmodern RPG
