Microsoft has announced its January 2022 lineup of Xbox Game Pass titles. While there are many noteworthy games on the list, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and Spelunky 2 are likely to turn the most heads for different reasons.
In Mass Effect: Legendary Edition’s case, it’s a remastered trilogy with tons of effort poured into various aspects beyond the visuals. Bioware also saw fit to tweak various gameplay elements. The improved handling to the original game’s Mako tank points to this commitment to offering a notably enhanced player experience. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition joins the service on January 6 through EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate eight months after its release.
Spelunky 2 is another major inclusion because its January 13 drop signals the game’s first official Xbox release. The sequel to the popular roguelike initially launched on PlayStation 4 and PC in September 2020, followed by a Switch port in August last year. Spelunky 2 is a continuation of the original, adding more features rather than overhauling a concept that worked for so many players.
The other titles joining Xbox Game Pass in January include Embr, The Pedestrian, Outer Wilds, The Anacrusis, Olija, and Gorogoa. With every announcement, something has to give. Desperados III, Ghost of a Tale, Kingdom Hearts III, Mount & Blade: Warband, Pandemic, and Yiik: A Postmodern RPG are leaving Game Pass on January 15.
