New Xbox Game Pass Game Reminds Users "How Fun Games Used to Be"

A new Xbox Game Pass game feels straight out of yesteryear.

By Tyler Fischer

A new addition to the Xbox Game Pass library may not be the highest-rated game on Metacritic, but subscribers over on the Xbox Game Pass Reddit page are enjoying it, and are, more specifically, reveling in the fact it reminds them of "how fun games used to be." In the modern era of gaming, games are far more complicated than they used to be. Whether that is via design, gameplay, or story. By and large, games have improved, but this improvement and complication sometimes comes at a sacrifice of good ol' fashioned fun. 

The game in question is 2022 release from developer Flying Wild Hog and publisher Focus Entertainment, the former best known for the Shadow Warrior series. If you haven't connected the dots yet, the game is third-person shooter, Evil West. Upon release, the game garnered a 75 on Metacritic, which is a decent score, but far from the best. There are many fan favorites games from yesteryear with similar review scores that are cherished because they are pure fun. And according to the Xbox Game Pass Reddit page, Evil West is one of these examples. 

"Evil West reminded me how fun games used to be," reads the post. "I remember when a game would come out and just be fun! No groundbreaking new features or gameplay, just pure dumb fun. That old school feeling of just go ahead, kill stuff and don't worry too much about mechanics or progression."

In isolation, this take wouldn't be noteworthy, but as noted, many fellow subscribers -- via the comments -- have echoed the sentiment: "It's really good, I've been playing all afternoon," reads one of these comments. "Combat feels smoother and more refined than I was expecting from a AA game. The studio who made it have a decent track record though, so I should be surprised."

A second comment adds: "Also digging it. I'm in my 30s and don't have time to spend hours learning a game. Just wanna hop in and have fun."

Related:

Evil West was added to Xbox Game Pass on March 21. How long it will remain available via the subscription service, remains to be seen. However, as long as Evil West is available via the subscription service, subscribers can purchase the game outright with a 20 percent discount. This also applies to DLC as well.

If you decide to check out Evil West via Xbox Game Pass, be prepared to sink anywhere from 10 to 15 hours with the game to beat it. Completionists will need a bit more time or, more specifically, somewhere between 20 to 25 hours. 

Trending Now: