Every month, Microsoft continues to add great new titles to its already excellent Xbox Game Pass lineup, and soon, a great deal more will be joining the subscription service’s library. Taking to Twitter via the official Game Pass handle, Microsoft confirmed the looming new additions to the catalog.

We’ve already reported on two of these in recent days- Void Bastards is out on May 29, while Outer Wilds launches the day after that, and both will be joining the Game Pass catalog at launch. The incredible shooter Superhot joins the lineup on June 6, while Stoic Studio’s Banner Saga games will be doing so as well, with The Banner Saga going live tomorrow, May 23, and The Banner Saga 2 following suit on June 6.

Full Metal Furies will also be among the games coming to Game Pass on June 6, while a week before that, Dead by Daylight will be going live, on May 30. Finally there’s Metal Gear Survive, the Metal Gear game we never wanted- but hey, if it you want to give it a try for free, now’s your chance to do so. It joins Game Pass on May 23, which is tomorrow.

So many games on the way we could barely fit them all in this picture pic.twitter.com/Qotz02HTpy

— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) May 22, 2019

https://twitter.com/XboxGamePass/status/1131181890344370176

To me, the term “indie” developer is equal parts counter-culture and unfettered creative vision. However, they are not on a different level from triple-A studios – really, the only things that separate them are bigger budgets and more marketing. Just like indie games are not by virtue worse than triple-A titles because of the lack of money, so too are they not superior because of their unique ideas (which come down to proper execution at the end of the day). I’m not a fan of the “triple-A” or “indie” moniker when it comes down to great games. Because great games, at the end of the day, are great games. And 2018, for all its typical franchises, has seen a lot of great games.

"Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year."

Let’s start with January. It was a cold, dark month, punctuated by the impending release of Monster Hunter World. For me, the month was important for two reasons – Cellar Door Games’ Full Metal Furies and Konjak’s Iconoclasts. The former, obviously, is due to the developer’s amazing Rogue Legacy. Full Metal Furies has been in development for a long time and while its beat ’em up mechanics were decent, the overall gameplay and structure felt a bit wanting. It came and went but thankfully, the same didn’t apply to Iconoclasts. This years-in-development action platformer from Joakim Sandberg culminated in a colourful adventure with a deep story, lovable characters and excellent boss fights. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch as well, making it the perfect title to have on the go.

However, between these titles and Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica finally leaving Steam Early Access amid much fanfare (rightly so given how excellently the development was handled), there was Celeste. Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. It overtook a number of other indie titles by coming to the Nintendo Switch at launch but otherwise, it was a great game in every aspect regardless of the platform.

Mechanically, the platforming and variety in level design was compelling, fresh and organically challenging at every turn. The music and visuals were suitably retro but embodied a surrealistic flavour that felt unmistakably contemporary. I would give the most credit to composer Lena Raine for the sheer perfection that her soundtrack serves in setting the mood but everyone who worked on the game, from the artists and programmers to Thorson as designer and director, deserves the highest praise.

Even as Monster Hunter World was setting records and stealing many players’ hearts, Celeste was already my personal Game of the Year.

"Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach."

Surprisingly, February felt uneventful in comparison. Aegis Defenders from GUTS Department had a certain appeal to its gameplay with the mix of tower defense and 2D platforming but ultimately remained a niche title. February was mostly the month that numerous titles like SteamWorld Dig, Owlboy, Night in the Woods, Layers of Fear: Legacy, Outlast and much more released on the Nintendo Switch. The Nindies program was starting to pick up momentum.

Meanwhile, EA’s Fe was probably the biggest new indie release of the month simply based on the EA Originals label. Was it really exceptional? Did it push any boundaries, especially after January’s cavalcade of great releases? Not really but it was a solid title from the studio behind Stick It To The Man and the upcoming Ghost Giant. Moss was the other big title, simply due to the pedigree of its developer Polyarc (whose team had worked on titles like Guild Wars 2, Halo: Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Dragon Age).

Whether it was the instantly recognizable protagonist Quill or simply being one of the best VR titles ever made, Moss ably established its presence. There was also Where The Water Tastes Like Wine that sadly was proclaimed as a commercial disaster by the developer. Nevertheless, its gorgeous art-direction and strong cast, intermixed with interactive stories, was a welcome offering. An offering that will hopefully receive more appreciation down the line.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach. FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games took a semi-rogue-like approach into the turn-based strategy genre, evoking an aesthetic similar to Advance Wars with intriguing gameplay and squad possibilities. The procedurally generated nature of maps, scaling difficulty and challenge completion required for new units ensured multiple playthroughs. But it was the deceptively simple yet complex gameplay that cemented it as one of the year’s best. There was just something so sweet about knocking an enemy unit into another while their attack kills a third. The ripple effect that this would have on surrounding buildings and other enemies was also worth watching out for at all times.

"Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well."

The scene started picking up again with all kinds of releases in March. Evoland developer Shiro Games returned with a completely different offering in Northgard. The strategy title focused on settlement building and exploration, as players managed resources and set out to conquer the immense campaign. Despite the strong critical acclaim, Northgard didn’t get too much appreciation but saw a number of updates to extend its life.

Other standout releases that didn’t get too much attention include Ghost of A Tale, a stealth fantasy game focused on a mouse named Tilo as he explores the history of a strange, anthropomorphic inhabitated kingdom; Q.U.B.E. 2, a puzzler in first person that involves the manipulation of cubes while one navigates an immense maze to survive; and of course, Hazelight Games’ A Way Out. Published under the EA Originals label and hyped up thanks to the antics of creator Josef Fares, A Way Out imbibed the couch co-op experience with a compelling story and gameplay situations. Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well. It crossed 1 million units sold in just two weeks.

April started earnestly enough with Minit. The game focuses on a mystery but much like Half-Minute Hero, a limited time period is provided to accomplish solve it. In between these sixty-second lives, players gather items that are shared across different lifetimes and advance forward (ideally). Though Minit handled its concept well, it was ultimately overshadowed by Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech and 11 bit Studios’ Frostpunk, not to mention Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice finally coming to Xbox One.

In terms of heavyweights, that’s a pretty solid list. BattleTech became quite successful and Harebrained was acquired by Paradox Interactive. The developer announced future updates and more content (the recently revealed Flashpoint is the first paid expansion). Frostpunk, meanwhile, has been releasing free updates and quality of life changes besides prepping a new scenario for release later this year. Whether it was a tactical turn-based strategy with mech-building and customization or city-management with survival elements and an aspect of humanity, PC players weren’t wanting for unique experiences in April.

"Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale."

Of course, there was also Pizza Titan Ultra, an action platformer which featured giant mechs rampaging through cities to deliver pizzas. Why? Because of course, the mech owners ran a pizzeria! It’s crazy and bizarre but combines the over-top style of Crazy Taxi with the destructible landscape of Blast Corps. It’s nuts and yet extremely endearing.

In May, the flow of indies picked up. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. The addition of piracy, ship combat and exploration made it a fun romp even if, like the first game, the writing could be less than quaint. Titles like Omensight and Wizard of Legend also rose to prominence. The former was developed by Spearhead Games of Stories: The Path of Destinies fame. It saw players reliving the same day in Urralia, attempting to solve a murder to reverse the land’s destruction. Time manipulation, hack and slash combat and the ability to influence key characters all created a unique experience (plus the art-style was pretty good looking).

Wizard of Legend took a more straightforward rogue-like approach. Players explored a fixed number of dungeons with procedurally generated elements but the real hook was developing and combining magical spells together. Combat was fast, and the number of spells and items helped provide enough variety for a few repeat playthroughs.

Then there was Moonlighter, a much-anticipated pixel-art dungeon crawler that combined the combat of Zelda with the item shop management of Recettear. While its shopkeeping elements didn’t feel as dynamic, Moonlighter still had an enjoyable loop of combat, upgrading, dungeon looting and selling that was insanely addictive. Did we also mention the art looks simply gorgeous? It’s since been updated with over a hundred new rooms, various quality of life improvements and more interesting twists to the item store.

"July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT."

Other titles that stood out in May include City of Brass, a first person rogue-like themed on Arabian Nights where players must venture into a dangerous city for the promise of treasure; FAR: Lone Sails, a linear adventure game where players embark on a sea-faring adventure of mystery, braving hazards and attempting to keep their ship going; and Yoku’s Island Express, a charming side-scrolling platformer that incorporates pinball into its core gameplay. Seriously though, if nothing else, try out Yoku’s Island Express. It’s a ball (I know, I’m sorry).

June and July were relatively quiet, though E3 2018 saw a number of titles either announced or outright released. Unravel Two debuted at EA Play 2018 and while it wasn’t as intriguing as Sea of Solitude (which is out in 2019), the sheer charm of the first game was unique. Plus, there was co-op this time. EA further surprised us by releasing the game as soon as it was announced because…well, why not? Nintendo followed suit. It released the Switch port of Team Cherry’s acclaimed Hollow Knight during its Direct presentation. Hollow Knight has since gone on to fame and fortune, selling over 1 million copies since first launching for PC last year.

Dontnod’s Vampyr was the other big indie release for June. While it seemingly flew under the radar, only slightly buoyed by reviews that praised the story but criticized for its combat, it managed to sell 450,000 units in a manner of weeks. July’s releases were pretty straightforward – This is the Police 2 released and alienated a few fans, though its shift towards a more XCOM-style tactical game wasn’t terrible. Chasm finally released after years in development and while it wasn’t bad, it did average slightly higher than “okay”. At least its 2D art maintained its appeal after so many years.

Honestly, though, July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT. The latter technically wasn’t a new game but a large update, overhauling a number of features, adding new ones like co-op multiplayer (and PvP for the more violent-minded folk), and significantly improving the visuals. It did mark the game’s debut for Xbox One but perhaps the most significant development was Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray finally speaking out and admitting to the numerous problems at launch. The commitment to keep improving the game, especially with weekly events, continues.

"Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences."

We hence come to August which saw the incredible Dead Cells finally leave Steam Early Access and become a fairly big hit with critics. I’ve waxed eloquent about how brilliant the game is, nailing its core gameplay loop thanks to a striking yet organic aesthetic. And really, it’s tons of fun to kill stuff in that game. No joke.

Guacamelee! 2 wasn’t a revolutionary leap over the sequel but it’s still an excellent follow-up, celebrating Mexican culture and folklore while embodying the very best of Metroidvania gameplay. Death’s Gambit, a 2D Souls-like, also released after numerous years in development. While I personally had a few qualms with it, the combat is fun and challenging to engage with as are the boss battles. Overcooked! 2 brought a whole new meaning to hating your friends with its cooking-based missions (and that odd design choice of only the hosting player receiving progress should be fixed by now). Even Donut County, a game where you control a whole that’s swallowing things up and increasing in size, looks bizarrely fun.

Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences. For as much hype as there was for Iconoclasts, Celeste simply came out of nowhere and became known as one of the very best games ever made. Likewise, with August coming to an end (as of this time of writing), Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger has released and proven itself to be an excellent homage to the old-school Ninja Gaiden.

Even without the direct comparison, it’s still proven to be a fantastic 2D action platformer. For The King, IronOak Games’ tabletop roguelike RPG, was also pretty good and despite leaving Early Access with very little fanfare, it’s been well-received by both critics and regular fans. The same goes for Event Horizon’s Tower of Time, a more story-centric RPG dungeon crawler with some compelling combat and decent story-telling.

"Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number."

Though the Fall and Holiday seasons are known for their triple-A releases, there are a few awesome indie games to look forward to. InExile’s The Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deep will arrive on September 18th, introducing a new generation to the dungeon crawling, RPG excitement that permeated old-school titles. Secret of Mana-style action RPG CrossCode will also finally release, exiting Steam Early Access on September 20th, and I couldn’t be more excited about finally playing the game through from start to finish. A number of titles like This War of Mine, Hyper Light Drifter, Everspace, Beat Cop, Moonlighter and much more will also be making their way to the Nintendo Switch, which has proven to be a premier destination for indie titles. Just ask anyone still addicted to Dead Cells on the go.

Frozen Synapse 2 is also probably still coming this year. It’s really hard to say at this point.

The industry has seen its ups and downs throughout the years. Whether it’s last year’s hefty push for loot boxes and reinforcing essential gameplay elements with loot boxes, or the constant nagging about the Battle Royale genre this year, there will always be some kind of pervasive cynicism. That doesn’t mean that some great games – even those seemingly “ruined” by microtransactions – aren’t available to indulge in but that’s beside the point. Through all the twists we’ve seen the industry take, the indie development scene continues to push forward. It may not always be easy or lead to returns as exemplified by Zeboyd Games (Cosmic Star Heroine) or Infinite Fall (Night in the Woods). Some developers like Hello Games may be forever marred by their past failures. Others may be defined more by their explosive personalities than their actual work like Josef Fares.

At the end of the day, the market has proven receptive to indie games and fresh experiences in general. Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

Square Enix’s Dissidia Final Fantasy series has always been very interesting to follow. After all, on paper, a crossover fighting game between Final Fantasy characters should be awesome, right? Dissidia takes a more nuanced approach though and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is perhaps the most significant addition to the series yet. Ported over from arcades, Dissidia NT focuses on 3 vs. 3 battles with characters split into four classes – Vanguards for attacking, Assassins for their agility, Marksmen for range and Specialists with unique traits.

There’s the new Bravery system for attacking, switching between characters during combat and a revamped story mode which introduces more story information as battles take place. With over 28 characters including series greats like Sephiroth, Cloud, Squall and whatnot along with a number of Summons, there’s a lot of variety to enjoy. Dissidia Final Fantasy NT releases on January 30^th 2018 for PS4.

Kirby Battle Royale

Kirby hasn’t exactly been top-tier in many gamers’ hearts after Kirby’s Epic Yarn. That being said, Kirby: Planet Robobot sold moderately well and received positive critical acclaim. So when you look at Kirby Battle Royale and its premise of battling a bunch of other Kirbies in arena combat from a top-down perspective, it feels…weird. There’s a campaign, co-op, multiplayer and much more. However, it’s been released for Europe already and reviews have been less than positive. Kirby Battle Royale arrives on January 19^th 2018 for the Nintendo 3DS so it’s worth checking gameplay footage before putting down any cash.

Lost Sphear

The next RPG from the studio behind I Am Setsuna, Lost Sphear combines an evolution of the Active Time Based system with a mystical new world. The result is a smaller but more personal experience. The story follows a man who faces a power that could tear reality apart. Using “Memory”, the man must restore lost parts of the world. As you’d expect, there are allies to meet, items to gain and equipment to use as you level up en route to saving the world. Lost Sphear releases on January 23^rd 2018.

The Inpatient

Originally scheduled to launch in November 2017, Supermassive Games’ The Inpatient was delayed to January 23^rd 2018 in North America and January 24^th 2018 in Europe. Developed for the PS4 and PlayStation VR, The Inpatient acts as a prequel to Until Dawn, the narrative-focused horror adventure game. Players will head to Blackwood Sanatorium sixty years prior to Until Dawn and play as an amnesiac trying to recover their memories. Along with NPCs reacting to voice recognition, The Inpatient’s overall story will be influenced by the decisions you make.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Developed seemingly in response to Capcom’s Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, Dragon Ball FighterZ has it all. There’s 3v3, fast paced combat and the mechanics resemble that seen in Arc System Works’ Guilty Gear. Dragon Ball fans don’t have to worry though – you can still rush your foes, teleport and smash them against the floor and power up to different Super Saiyan forms. We know that Goku, Trunks, Vegeta, Goku Black and many other heroes will be making an appearance and players can expect a robust story mode divided into three arcs. Dragon Ball FighterZ is out on January 26^th 2018 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Full Metal Furies

Remember Rogue Legacy? If you haven’t played Rogue Legacy, it’s an amazing Metroidvania rogue-lite where each new life sees you playing as a descendant navigating a crazy castle. Its developer Cellar Door Games has been out of the spotlight since its release but that’s because it was prepping something bigger in Full Metal Furies. Touted as the first “true co-op” action RPG experience, Full Metal Furies offers four different characters – Alex the Fighter, Meg the Sniper, Triss the Tank and Erin the Engineer, each with their own abilities and skills.

You can play with friends or go it solo, choosing two characters and switching between them at will. The sheer range of abilities allows for lots of customization and you’ll engage in boss battles with a number of phases. That’s not counting the massive world broken up into stages filled with secrets, enemies and the odd hidden dimension. Full Metal Furies is out on January 17^th 2018 for Xbox One, Windows 10 PC and Steam.

Iconoclasts

In development for seven years by Joakim Sandberg, Iconoclasts is a nostalgic action platformer full of personality and amazingly detailed locations. It follows the mechanic Robin as she attempts to fix the world and try to understand her role in it as catastrophe strikes. Iconoclasts will feature over 20 boss battles, 10 locations, numerous difficulty settings and a gorgeous art-style that simply speaks to the retro enthusiast in all of us. It arrives for PC on January 23^rd 2018.

Monster Hunter World

The biggest Monster Hunter game till date will be heading to Xbox One and PS4 on January 26th 2018 with Monster Hunter World. Built as a huge sprawling open world with support for online play, Monster Hunter World features ecosystems full of monsters that interact with each other, new movement abilities like the grappling hook, various weapon types and so on. Players can join squads and meet at common hubs or you can go it solo and participate in high ranking hunts that way. Monster Hunter World releases next month for consoles but PC players will have to wait till later in the year.

Street Fighter 5: Arcade Edition

Capcom has been attempting to make up for the sins of Street Fighter 5’s launch with new updates, new stages, new characters and much more. Street Fighter 5: Arcade Edition is probably the game we should have had at first with a new user interface, new V-Triggers that can be selected beforehand, Arcade Mode with six different modes that represent every major Street Fighter released till now with some 200 endings, and much more. The roster from the base game along with Season 1 and 2 of DLC combine for a roster of 28 characters. Street Fighter 5: Arcade Edition is out on January 16^th 2018 for PS4 and PC.

Batman: The Enemy Within Episode 4 – “What Ails You?”

The second season of Telltale Games’ Batman continues to roll on with Episode 4 “What Ails You” arriving in January 2018. Thus far, we’ve seen Batman run into the Riddler, go face to face with the Agency’s Amanda Waller, eventually fighting against Bane and having to deal with a mysterious new group called the Pact. There’s plenty of intrigue as old villains appear, a new villain named John Doe takes centre stage and you’ll have to make some tough decisions in order to succeed.

Those who haven’t played the first game will be able to engage in investigation sequences and it’s possible to approach certain decisions by either playing as Batman or Bruce Wayne. Crowd Play also makes a return, thus allowing a streamer’s audience to determine how the story goes. Batman: The Enemy Within Episode 4 will be out on January 2018 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Remember Rogue Legacy, the rogue-lite Metroidvania platformer from Cellar Door Games? The developer’s next big title, a “true cooperative” action RPG called Full Metal Furies is in the final stages of development. In fact, in a recent trailer, the studio announced that the game would launch on January 17th 2018 for Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam. Check it out below.

Teased for the past few weeks following long months of silence from its initial announcement, Full Metal Furies throws four different classes at the player to progress through a number of beat-em up-esque stages. You can play couch co-op with friends, online with up to four players or go it alone. The game’s Pick 2 system allows solo players to choose two different classes and quickly switch between them during combat to chain combos together.

Along with a number of stages, bosses and over 70 different enemies, Full Metal Furies will have a number of secrets for players to uncover. Stay tuned for more information en route to its release next month and let us know what you think of the trailer in the comments.

Cellar Door Games’ low-key co-op action RPG Full Metal Furies will be getting a release date soon. In fact, the Rogue Legacy developer announced that a trailer with the launch date would be coming on December 6th. It’s actually quite amazing that the studio hasn’t missed the 2017 release window that it promised.

Full Metal Furies is touted as a “true co-operative” action RPG with offline and online co-op that supports up to four players. Solo players can have fun as well with the Pick 2 system that allows you to choose two different party members and switch between them anytime.

With four classes, unique skill trees with a multitude of abilities, 70 different enemies along with huge boss battles, secrets and whatnot, there’s quite a lot to explore in Full Metal Furies. Currently, the game is slated to launch on PC and Xbox One. Will it also head to PS4 at some point? Will it launch simultaneously on its current two platforms? Stay tuned for more information on those questions soon.

Cellar Door Games’ Full Metal Furies has been on the down-low for many, many months since its initial announcement but more information is finally being revealed by the developer. Its most recent update highlights quick-switching in a new video, showcasing one of the game’s core mechanics that we’ve only briefly seen till now.

Quick-switching essentially allows a solo player to use two characters, switching between them as necessary. You could use Triss to break barriers with your shield and tank damage while Alex, the fighter, moves in to combo and air-crit foes. If one character goes down, you can switch to the other to revive them. The main purpose is to allow all the co-op content to be completed solo as well.

Full Metal Furies doesn’t have a release date but Cellar Door Games will be providing updates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until it finally launches. It will be coming to PC via the Windows Store and Steam along with Xbox One.

Cellar Door Games, developer of the amazing Metroidvania/rogue-lite title Rogue Legacy, has been rather quiet since debuting its newest upcoming game Full Metal Furies. The initial announcement came in May and we’ve heard next to nothing about it since then. It’s still scheduled for 2017 though – could Full Metal Furies possibly slip into next year?

That doesn’t seem to be the case just yet. The developer announced on Steam that Full Metal Furies was “almost done” and described it as “massive” in all caps. To that end, fans can expect new information on the game to be shared at 12:30 PM EST on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until it launches. This seems to include “videos, comics and more”.

A release date is still missing but at least Cellar Door is getting closer to release. Full Metal Furies is also releasing for Xbox One and Windows 10 alongside Steam for those that are interested.

Cellar Door Games, known for Rogue Legacy and its quirky take on the roguelike 2D platformer genre, has announced its next game: Full Metal Furies.

It’s an action RPG with four player co-op that will be releasing for Xbox One and PC this year. It also comes with Xbox Play Anywhere support, meaning you can purchase a digital copy for either platform and receive it for free on the other.

Full Metal Furies offers four different characters with their own roles and skills. If you play solo, you can swap between two characters and explore a large map with different objectives to clear. There are tons of little details like gold to collect, mid-battle switching, boss battles, levels that build before your very eyes and so on.

What are your thoughts on Full Metal Furies, especially given how big of a departure from Rogue Legacy it is? Let us know in the comments below.