Perhaps it’s just me, but Game Pass has felt fairly quiet for a little while. It’s certainly not a bad thing; there’s an incredible volume of games that I’ve yet to even touch, so it’s good to get a bit of a breather and try to catch up with some titles every now and then.

Yesterday’s announcement of what’s coming in August felt pretty big, however. Not only was action-RPG Darksiders Genesis announced, but also the branching narrative horror of Man of Medan (which I found a little underwhelming, but it’s proven to be very popular in any case). Additionally, the superb twin stick shooter Xeno Crisis is also being added (and that’s one I reviewed too, albeit for Nintendo Life) and even the HD upgrade of Final Fantasy VII is coming too. Given how divisive the Final Fantasy VII Remake (so far PS4 exclusive) has been in some quarters, perhaps it’s a good opportunity for players to try out the original game beforehand.

As well as these games, there’s 2D survival RPG It Lurks Below, creative physics-based sandbox Trailmakers and roguelike mining adventure UnderMine. All in all, a fantastic selection for August – and further proof that Game Pass represents incredible value for gamers.

It’s quite a relief to also see indie developers talking about how beneficial the Xbox subscription service has been for them too, from assisting with ensuring that games are funded and profitable or leading to a five fold increase in sales.