BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Special Edition
BlazBlue is a long-running Japanese fighting game franchise. It hasn’t managed to break out worldwide in quite the same way Guilty Gear did, but the closest it got was withBlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. This game took the hardcore fighting mechanics and stunning anime-inspired visuals of the series and used it for a 2v2 tag-team crossover game. While BlazBlue characters are still part ofCross Tag Battle’sroster, it features several guest fighters fromRWBY, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth, Arcana Heart, Senran Kagura, andAkatsuki EN-Eins. It’s an eclectic mix of fighters you won’t find in any other game, soCross Tag Battleis worth a shot if you’re a fan of any of the franchises featured in this crossover.
The PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming versions ofBlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Special Editionleave Game Pass on December 31. It’s also on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
The first thing players do inMcPixel 3is eat a bomb and then poop it into a toilet, which perfectly sets the stage for this hilarious game.McPixel 3is essentially made up of a bunch of small minigames where the titular character is put in hilarious situations that players have to solve to get out of them. There are different outcomes depending on what you interact with, making each ofMcPixel 3′s goofy scenarios a riot to experience. Think of it as an expanded take on WarioWare’s microgames formula. This is a light, comedic indie game that will brighten up your spirits as 2024 comes to an end.
The PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming versions ofMcPixel 3leave Game Pass on December 31. It’s also on Switch, PS4, and PS5.
Close to the Sun
Finally, we haveClose to the Sun, which is my recommendation for fans of adventure games. This is a first-person adventure game that follows a journalist named Rose as she searches for her sister aboard the Helios, a giant vessel that once stood as a haven for genius scientific minds. It’s mostly abandoned when Rose arrives, though, so players spend time exploring, slowly piecing together what happened to Rose’s sister and the other inhabitants of Helios. It’sBioshockmeetsEverybody’s Gone to the RapturemeetsSOMA —an eclectic mix worth experiencing beforeClose to the Sunleaves Game Pass.
The PC, Xbox One and Xbox Cloud Gaming versions ofClose to the Sunleave Game Pass on December 31. You can also check it out on PS4 or Nintendo Switch.
