UPDATE: These games left Xbox Game Pass on the 15th of October, not the end of the month as originally thought.
ORIGINAL STORY:
It's the beginning of the month, which means we need to start preparing a farewell to a few Xbox Game Pass games — >observer_, Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition, Resident Evil 5 and Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption. Here's our guide to what's worth playing and whether you can squeeze in a completion. All four games are leaving at the end of October, and as always there's a 20% discount for a full purchase of any of the listed games if you do so before they leave the service.
>observer_
Bloober Team are currently most well known for Blair Witch, as well as their well-received Layers of Fear games. But they've dipped into the realm of sci-fi too with this creepy thriller set in 2084 and featuring the late great Rutger Hauer in a retro-futuristic world appropriately influenced by Blade Runner.
Is >observer_ worth playing?Unless you're not a fan of slow-burning horror games, absolutely. >Observer_ received very warm reviews from the press, and while our own community is a little cooler (with a 3.5/5 rating at the time of writing), it's certainly worth a go for no additional cost if you are an Xbox Game Pass subscriber.
Can I complete >observer_ before it leaves Xbox Game Pass? You certainly can. There's no online achievements, and if you follow along with Sabot Fox's walkthrough you won't miss any collectibles. It's estimated to set you back 20 hours in total.
Size: 9.8GB
>observer_
What would you do if your fears were hacked?
The year is 2084. You are Daniel Lazarski, an elite neural detective known as an Observer, whose purpose is to hack and invade suspects’ minds. To gather evidence, you must relive their darkest fears, and, finally, face your own.
From Bloober Team, the creators of Layers of Fear, observer_ is a cyberpunk horror game designed to disturb you.
Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition
The definitive edition of this stand-alone expansion includes all of its DLC and follows on directly from the events of the first game. A full sequel has been in development purgatory since 2016, so this is the closest thing to a sequel Dead Island fans have been able to get their hands on. It features gory violence, co-operative play and a tropical open-world; in other words, it's very much like the first game.
Is Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition worth playing? If you really enjoyed the first game, you might enjoy the fact that it's mostly more of the same. Like many co-op games, most report that the experience is definitely heightened by having friends in tow. Reviews have been generally middling across official criticism, Metacritic user reviews and our own community's opinion — so you probably shouldn't be too upset if you forget to play it before it shuffles off Xbox Game Pass.
Can I complete Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition before it leaves Xbox Game Pass? You can, but it's a bit of a challenge. Not only is it going to be a 20-30 hour completion, you need to have a co-op partner throughout all of the main campaign missions as well as grind 100 actions with them. The rest of the list is single player and not especially tough, especially if you follow along with the community walkthrough.
Size: 6.8GB
Dead Island: Riptide Definitive Edition
Continue the story of the Outbreak and see another Paradise gone to Hell - fully remastered.
Paradise meets Hell!
Welcome to the Zombie Apocalypse experience of a lifetime – and now more beautiful than ever.
Caught in the midst of an epic zombie outbreak on the tropical island of Banoi, your only thought is: Survival!
Including all previously released DLC.
Resident Evil 5
While it'd be an odd jumping in point, Resident Evil 5 is typically considered to be a decent entry in the long running series, taking Chris Redfield to Africa to gun down very angry zombies alongside new co-op partner Sheva. The fifth entry was notable, too, for taking the action into the light where the series was typically lurking in the shadows.
Is Resident Evil 5 worth playing? Whether you're a fan or have a passing interest in the series, Resident Evil 5 is certainly worth a look — though if you're looking to jump in via Game Pass, Resident Evil 4 is also in there and is perhaps more beloved than its successor. If you manage to smash through 4 quickly enough, you might as well give 5 a go as well before it disappears from the subscription.
Can I complete Resident Evil 5 before it leaves Xbox Game Pass? (Corrections, with thanks to the community): It's going to be a tough one to fit into a month, unless you have had already made a start. Resident Evil 5 isn't particularly short even for a single run, and the achievement list requires all sorts of specific choices, collectible collection and top-ranked level completions — and that's just the single player. There's multiplayer achievements too, with the toughest pretty much requiring four dedicated hunters to boost the requirements together. If you are going to play Resident Evil 5 before it leaves Game Pass, you'll either need to set aside the 40-50 hours required to get everything done — including multiplayer, and some difficulty related achievements — or accept something less than a total completion.
Size: 16GB
Resident Evil 5
One of the most popular Resident Evil titles comes to Xbox One in full 1080p HD. This fully-loaded release includes all previously released DLC, the previously PC-exclusive No Mercy mode, as well “The Mercenaries United”, an even more intense take on the fan-favorite Mercenaries modes.
SINNER: Sacrifice for Redemption
The lesser known of the games leaving Xbox Game Pass is a boss battler action-RPG. The unique factor is that you actually level down between fights, sacrificing a stat and generally making things more difficult for yourself as you move forward.
Is SINNER: Sacrifice for Redemption worth playing? Of the games announced, SINNER is probably the least important to worry about with only a 2.9 rating from our community, and a 66 on Metacritic. Critics have found the gameplay largely derivative though mechanically sound, though aesthetically not much to write home about.
Can I complete SINNER: Sacrifice for Redemption before it leaves Xbox Game Pass? Probably not, given that achievement tracking and unlocks has been reportedly buggy since launch. Even without the achievement hiccups, there are requirements to beat already challenging bosses with restrictive conditions that only a scant hundred of the game's 12,000 TA players have managed to unlock.
Size: 7.1GB
SINNER: Sacrifice for Redemption
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption is a boss battler action-RPG. Face eight abhorrent bosses, the first seven each based on one of the deadly sins. Before each epic clash, you must sacrifice a stat and level down to enter combat. Each fight will be tougher than the last as you wage war against sin itself.
Will you be piling into any of these games before they leave Xbox Game Pass at the end of the month?