Summary
Xbox Game Passhas really gone out of its way to prove its worth this year. Kicking the year off with a real bang, Xbox Game Pass brought a slew ofPersonagames,Hi-Fi Rush, andGoldenEye 007to the service in January, and from then on Game Pass has had a pretty consistent stream of good monthly additions, from huge AAA day-one titles to the smallest of Indie gems. And whileRedfallbroke Xbox Game Pass' momentuma little in May, it quickly turned things back around in September, delivering one of the service’s strongest months ever, and it’s been pretty non-stop since then.
Rather than let that momentum slow down, Xbox Game Pass has made the smart decision to just continue to ramp things up. What was an empty month for Game Pass a few days ago has quickly become one of its busiest of the entire year, with a total of 12 games heading to Xbox Game Pass this December, including heavy-hitters likeRemnant 2,Far Cry 6,Goat Simulator 3, andWorld War Z: Aftermath. But whileXbox Game Pass' December 2023 line-upis looking very strong already, it could still use some festive favorites this holiday season.
Xbox Game Pass New Game for December 2023: Steep
Originally released all the way back in 2016, Ubisoft’sSteepis a thrilling sports game that’s perfect for the winter season. Whether it’s snowboarding, skiing, paragliding, or wingsuit flying,Steeplets players explore the Alps, the most expansive mountain range in Europe, gorgeously realized with some pretty top-notch graphics that hold up surprisingly well seven years later. Though it received fairly mixed reviews upon its initial launch,Steephas gained a bit of a cult following over the years, offering aTony Hawk Pro Skater-like experiencefor fans of winter sports, which is quite rare nowadays.Steephad a pretty firm place on Xbox Game Pass a few years ago, and there’s never been a better time for its return.
Another title that used to be anXbox Game Passstaple, but hasn’t been seen since its removal years ago,Dead Rising 4is one of the most popular holiday-themed games out there. Set just after Christmas,Dead Rising 4sees players hack, slash, shoot, and mow down hordes of undead with whatever tools and weapons they can find, a lot of which are holiday-themed. From a candy cane crossbow to an ornament gun and an electric wreath whip,Dead Rising 4has plenty of ways to deliver murderous Christmas cheer, and it still offers one of the best video game seasonal slay rides all these years later.
Xbox Game Pass New Game for December 2023: Batman: Arkham Origins
A game that’s become pretty synonymous with the holiday season,Batman: Arkham Originswould be the perfect Xbox Game Pass addition this December, especially with it being left out of theBatman: Return to Arkhamremastered collection, and the recently releasedBatman: Arkham Trilogyon Nintendo Switch. Set primarily on Christmas Eve,Batman: Arkham Originssees players step into the armored boots of the Caped Crusader very early on in his crime-fighting career, on a night when he’s forced to fend off a horde of assassins, a wary police force, and The Joker himself.
Batman: Arkham Originsmay bethe black sheep of theArkhamfranchisedue to it not being developed by Rocksteady, but WB Games Montreal still did a solid job, not pushing the series in any new directions, but giving players more of what they loved fromArkham CityandArkham Asylum.Arkham Originsis still worth playing in 2023, especially during the holiday season, and especially if it was free on Xbox Game Pass.
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.
