However, the biggest headlining release is Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Available for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers on August 7th, the prequel to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla follows Basim in ninth-century Baghdad as he joins the Assassins. Co-op shooter Aliens: Fireteam Elite returns to the service on August 12th, while rogue-lite city-builder 9 Kings will be available on August 14th via Game Preview.

Game Pass Standard subscribers also have plenty to look forward to, including Citizen Sleeper: Starward Vectory, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, MechWarrior 5: Clans, and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap on August 6th. Three titles will leave Game Pass on August 15th, so play them now or purchase them at 20 percent off:

• Anthem (Console and PC via EA Play)
• Farming Simulator 22 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Persona 3 Reload (Cloud, Console, and PC)

With Xbox attending Gamescom in a big way, expect even more Game Pass titles to be announced on August 20th and 21st. Stay tuned for updates until then.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap was originally released on PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store) and Xbox Series X/S back in January. It is the fifth title in the Orcs Must Die! franchise, which focuses on players taking on the roles of War Mages as they take down hordes of invading orcs. The games have always placed quite a bit of emphasis on co-op gameplay, and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap continues this tradition.

The physical release of Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap features the disc for the game, along with an art booklet, a Supporter Pack DLC that includes 7 hero and weapon skins, and a redemption code for a digital copy of the game’s soundtrack, composed by Phill Boucher.

For more details about Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, check out our review, where we gave it a score of 7 out of 10, praising its visuals and game feel, while criticising the lack of control over Threads in each run.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is yet another addition to the formula, though it experiments with rogue-lite mechanics. Even if there’s somewhat of a grind and doesn’t significantly evolve on the beloved gameplay loop, Deathtrap does score with its map design, character variety, and presentation.

The story is what the story has always been – Orcs want to jump into the Rift and it’s your job as a War Mage to defend it. You’re a venerable one-person army, running around and unleashing hell with blades, arrows, magic spells, and whatnot. There are six heroes to choose from, each with unique abilities and Ultimates (aka Overdrives).

"Creating a killzone with Saw Blade Launchers bouncing back and forth in an enclosed space is cool. However, a Tar Trap to slow incoming enemies, ensuring they’re hit by all the bounces is even better…"

Sophie, with her dual daggers, can leech health from enemies with critical hits, create a trail of darkness that damages anyone in its path once it’s activated, and summon Bartholomew, a skeleton soldier who fights alongside her. Then you have Wren, a spell-slinger whose Overdrive summons copies of herself for more damage and who can perfect  reload, Gears-style to gain additional ammo. The variety of playstyles is solid overall and allows for interesting synergies depending on your approach.

However, you also have traps, which truly even the odds. Said traps include the standard Arrow Wall for launching volleys at unsuspecting foes, Auto Crossbows to target from afar, and, well, Ceiling Lasers because of magecraft. Or something.

Traps fall into three categories – Ceiling, Wall, and Floor – and while it might make sense to cover the map in Auto Crossbows, you can’t. The Rift Coin cost often discourages this but you also need to account for the map’s architecture, since traps can’t be placed wherever, whenever. Some traps also work better on some maps than others. A tall staircase that Orcs have to climb is ideal for some Flip Traps – just remember that the tallest foes can’t be launched, at least not initially.

It’s also important to remember that trap efficiency is as important as quantity. Creating a killzone with Saw Blade Launchers bouncing back and forth in an enclosed space is cool. However, a Tar Trap to slow incoming enemies, ensuring they’re hit by all the bounces is even better, especially since you can space out like Brimstone and Spike Trap to give them more to reset.

Each map presents an intriguing puzzle in this regard, especially as subsequent waves open up more spawn doors for the Orcs to filter through. Take the Patio Gardens, for instance – the open-air space around the Rift isn’t ideal for Arrow Walls or Ceiling Lasers. Use those barricades to carefully filter them towards the keep’s door, where other Orcs eventually emerge, and you can lay down enough Floor Traps, Saw Blade Launchers, and more to deal damage.

"Extra War Mage health, primary attack damage, and trap damage are nice, but a three percent increased critical hit chance from Primary Attacks doesn’t exactly inspire joy."

However, this may not always pan out depending on the chosen modifiers during a run. You may opt for flying enemies that can heal their allies since that sounds less annoying than reduced crit chance and headshot damage. But you need traps (or heroes) that can deal with said threats, lest you face waves that out-heal your traps’ damage. Kobolds having double health and counting for two Rift Points may not seem too bad until your entire set-up falters and you’re swarmed. Then you have options like the barricade limit getting reduced by one per War Mage, which isn’t troublesome when playing solo.

Each subsequent mission requires picking a new modifier, so everything will add up en route to facing the boss on the last node. Completing waves during a mission allows for selecting Threads, upgrades ranging from her Overdrive continuing to build for Sophie even while Bartholomew is active, launching enemies twice as far, and much more. You could even bestow Saw Blade Launchers with a chance to Rend leading to more critical hits, which means more health leeching opportunities for Sophie. You only have three choices, though, and I’ve yet to discover a way to reroll them, which means one wrong move could lead to negligible benefits (if not hamper a run entirely).

As you complete missions, you’ll earn Skulls to unlock new Threads, trap upgrades, and character passives. Maybe it’s because I played solo, but a single run (albeit failed) was only enough for one passive upgrade on a character and a few trap improvements. Traps are unlocked using gold Skulls, and the rate they’re doled out feels fine enough, but considering you need to level up each hero individually and complete Thread Quests to make the modifiers available to purchase, there’s a significant grind to be had.

The character upgrades also aren’t the most exciting outside of the ability improvements – extra War Mage health, primary attack damage, and trap damage are nice, but a three percent increased critical hit chance from Primary Attacks doesn’t exactly inspire joy. At least they’re more affordable than a lot of the Threads. Those cost hundreds of Skulls, and while I’m all for long-term pursuits, they feel a bit excessive.

"Despite its rogue-lite machinations, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap sticks to what makes the series work – setting up elaborate kill boxes and slaying Orcs by the dozens, ideally with friends."

The map layouts can take some getting used to, especially when accounting for the different enemy types, but they offer up some interesting nuances. They also look incredible, with the entire animated presentation coming up exceedingly well, and it’s hard to not get hyped when the epic metal riffs begin, and Orcs are burned, rent, launched, and diced. Performance is also solid throughout, though I did find some visual noise when selecting different upscalers. TSR on DLSS 3’s Quality Mode works well enough, thankfully.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t really mess around with the online co-op, which is the main attraction of any Orcs Must Die! title. While the solo component is robust enough, you’ll have the most fun playing with others, so keep that in mind. It’s also worth noting that I couldn’t save a run and exit, picking up where I left off. Perhaps the option will be available at launch, but considering that runs can take an hour or more while solo, it would be appreciated.

Despite its rogue-lite machinations, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap sticks to what makes the series work – setting up elaborate kill boxes and slaying Orcs by the dozens, ideally with friends. I would have liked some kind of Classic Mode for that old-school experience, but what’s here can be quite fun. Here’s hoping for further optimizations to the grind for Threads, skill tree points, and trap upgrades to make them more palatable alongside more quality-of-life features and rogue-lite essentials.

This game was reviewed on PC.

January 22nd sees the arrival of Flock, Magical Delicacy, Tchia, The Case of the Golden Idol, and Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess on consoles for Game Pass Standard subscribers. They’re joined by Gigantic: Rampage Edition, playable for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, and Starbound. January 28th sees the arrival of two brand new titles – Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap and Eternal Strands.

Both are playable on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Shady Part of Me debuts on January 29th for all tiers, and Sniper Elite: Resistance sneaks in on January 30th for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The month caps off with Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector on January 31st for cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

But wait, there’s more, as Far Cry New Dawn will be added for all subscribers on February 4th. Of course, there will be titles leaving the service on January 31st. Check them out below.

• Anuchard (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Broforce Forever (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Death’s Door (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Maquette (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Just when it seemed like Nintendo wrapped up all its big releases ahead of its next console reveal, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD launches on January 16th for the Switch. Featuring the return of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, the classic campaign supports revamped visuals, JoyCon support, and new levels from the 3DS port. There’s even New Mode, which provides an easier on-boarding difficulty for newcomers.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins

“No more open world” is already a massive selling point for Dynasty Warriors: Origins. However, Omega Force is cooking up even more with the prequel ahead of its launch on January 17th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. A new protagonist, tactics, and combat improvements alongside multiple weapons and famous warriors as teammates (who you can control for limited periods) are just a few notable features. If the demo is any indication, Dynasty Warriors: Origins should restore the series ‘ glory.

Tales of Graces f Remastered

It’s still remaster season for Tales fans, with Tales of Graces f the latest title to get said treatment. Unlike Symphonia, the next remaster is handled by Tose instead of Bandai Namco, ensuring 60 FPS on all platforms (except Nintendo Switch, sadly). Tales of Graces f Remastered also features quality-of-life additions like auto-save, English and Japanese audio, a destination marker for quests on the world map, and more. It launches on January 17th for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Switch.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (PC)

The critically acclaimed sequel finally arrives on PC after remaining on PS5 for the better part of 2024. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth offers numerous improvements to Remake’s combat while heavily expanding on the mini-games, characters, exploration, and story. PC players can look forward to more extensive graphical settings, support for upscalers like DLSS, and improved lighting rendering. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth arrives for PC players on January 23rd.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PC)

If another 100-hour RPG isn’t what you’re after on PC, then Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 may be the solution. Featuring not one but two Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Mile Morales, it offers new locations, combat abilities, and activities to go with the darker narrative and addition of the infamous Symbiote, Venom. It’s out on January 30th for PC.

Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles

Aspyr has been working overtime to bring various Star Wars classics to modern platforms, with Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles being the latest. It arrives on January 23rd for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. While the prospect of higher resolutions and better performance is tempting, fans can also look forward to playing unlocked characters from the beginning and using a new modern control scheme.

Hyper Light Breaker Early Access

Hyper Light Breaker is an open-world rogue-lite for PC that features intense boss battles, weapons and hoverboards. After facing several delays, Heart Machine is releasing Hyper Light Breaker in early access on January 14.  It will feature three player co-op along with a variety of skins and weapons.

Eternal Strands

Action adventure title Eternal Strands, which sees players relying on the elements and environments to battle massively imposing threats, launches on January 28th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Besides intriguing us with its visuals and overall combat, the premise and journey of Brynn, a Weaver on a mission of redemption, is intriguing. If that’s not enough, post-launch content developed alongside the Final Fantasy 16 development team is also in the works.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap

Franchises come and go, and yet somehow, Orcs Must Die! still showcases the appeal of constructing elaborate defenses and slaying hordes of Orcs. Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is the latest iteration of the series, out on January 28th for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It offers co-op for up to four players, but you can still go it alone, choosing from six new War Mages and partaking in new rogue-lite runs. Offering more extensive customization, random modifiers in each run, and more, Deathtrap retains the series’ signature chaos and charm.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

Odd Bug’s long-awaited sequel to its brutal 2D side-scrolling action RPG finally arrives on January 28th for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. On top of a new violent story, players will once again engage in settlement building, slaying enemies (this time with new elemental effects), and even embarking on hunts against massive beasts for greater rewards. And yes, Doug Cockle, the voice of Geralt from The Witcher 3, returns to provide the same impeccable narration.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Long-range snipes into body parts with explosive results, carefully showcased with an X-Ray Killcam? You’ve come to the right place with Rebellion’s Sniper Elite: Resistance, a spin-off that runs parallel to Sniper Elite 5 and stars Harry Hawker of the SOE. Between sniping, sneaking, and assassinating Nazis across large maps, you’ll also take out Kill List targets and embody Resistance fighters in new Propaganda Missions. All this and more await on January 30th for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

A new Sleeper, a new Belt in the Helios System, and many of the same problems (with a few new ones thrown in for good measure). Jump Over the Age’s mix of sci-fi narrative, tabletop dice mechanics, and role-playing gives you a ship and various jobs to complete amid an ongoing conflict between corporations. Making new friends, temporary and permanent, and bringing them along to complete jobs is key, as is managing stress and your slowly deteriorating body. If you even mildly enjoyed the original’s characters and stories, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector launches on January 31st for PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana

Trying to unravel the origins of Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana can be a headache (especially since it’s a remaster of a remake). All you need to know is that it’s one of the better titles in the series, now presented with sharper visuals, a new voiceover for protagonist Adol, new character illustrations, and every iteration of the excellent soundtrack. It’s available on January 7th for PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

Freedom Wars Remastered

The underrated dystopian action RPG first released in 2014 by Sony for the PlayStation Vita makes its long-awaited return on January 10th for PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. As a prisoner in the Panopticons, players must effectively work off their sentence, battling Abductors and competing against other cities for valuable resources. Offering 4K/60 FPS on PlayStation and PC, improved controls, visual improvements, and more to go with eight-player co-op, Freedom Wars Remastered is a long time coming.

Blade Chimera

From the team behind Touhou Luna Nights comes another immensely sleek platformer. As the amnesiac Shin, players work alongside Lux and fight against various monsters to unravel the mysteries of his life. Alongside shapeshifting and time manipulation, players will unlock new abilities and weapons in their quest. Launching on January 16th for PC and Nintendo Switch, Blade Chimera is shaping up into an excellent side-scroller.

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist

The follow-up to Ender Lilies, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist travels to the Land of Fumes and stars a new hero – Lilac, an Attuner who can control the Homunculi, each with different abilities. While there are no signs of the Rain of Death from decades prior, the world has fallen into ruin after mysterious Fumes infect the Homunculi. Survival is paramount, but Lilac must also recover her memories. While offering more excellent 2D art and animation and a new soundtrack by Mili, Ender Magnolia also provides new skills, difficulty levels, and combat changes. It exits early access on January 22nd for PC while also launching for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

Orcs Must DIe! Deathtrap will launch on January 28, Robot Entertainment has announced with a new gameplay trailer, which you can check out below. The trailer also showcases new gameplay footage, plenty of which shows familiar tower defense action that fans of the series will recognize. Meanwhile, new features such as War Mages, new roguelike progression mechanics, and more. You can check out the trailer below. 

Upon its launch next month, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap will be available on Xbox Series X/S and PC. When (or if) we can expect a PlayStation 5 launch remains to be seen, though Robot Entertainment has yet to announce anything on that front.

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap will introduce a number of major mechanics and systems that will be entirely new to the series. That will include four player co-op and new roguelike progression mechanics, in addition to several new playable characters with their own unique sets of abilities. Beyond that, you can also expect improvements to the physics and visuals, as well as to the combat, among other enhancements.

“We are thrilled to unveil the latest instalment in the Orcs Must Die! franchise,” says Robot Entertainment co-founder and CEO Patrick Hudson. “Our goal has always been to push the boundaries of fun and creativity. With Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, we embraced the challenge of innovating within a thirteen-year-old franchise by listening closely to our fans and their requests. We’ve stayed true to the classic chaotic action and light-hearted tone, while introducing four-player co-op, new and versatile heroes with deeply unique abilities, expanded level variety, and new roguelite progression choices. This game is all about delivering the most exhilarating orc-slaying experience yet.”

Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is due out in early 2025, and will release only for Xbox Series X/S and PC. There’s no word on whether Robot Entertainment also plans on bringing the game to additional platforms down the road. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks and months.