Xbox Game Pass Subscribers Say New Day One Game Is a “Must Play”

Xbox Game Pass has a new day one game that is earning positive reviews from Xbox Game Pass subscribers and more. For a couple months, Xbox Game Pass was on absolute fire with the day one game additions. During this run, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Blue Prince, and more all came to the subscription in rapid fire fashion. With video games releases slowing down for the summer months, this impressive streak has been snapped. However, there are still noteworthy Xbox Game Pass day one games dropping.

For example, The Alters just released today, and the moment it released it has been available with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Upon release, it garnered an 84 on Metacritic, currently sitting as the 28th highest-rated game of the year. Coupling this, it has a 90% approval rating on Steam and 4/5 stars on the Microsoft Store. Meanwhile, some Xbox Game Pass subscribers, in particular, appear to be enjoying the new Xbox Game Pass day one game, while others are excited to dive into it, as new posts on the Xbox Game Pass Reddit page demonstrate, including one saying it is a “must-play game” for sci-fi fans.

How long is The Alters going to be available on Xbox Game Pass, we don’t know. It saves Xbox Game Pass subscribers from paying $35 for the new sci-fi strategy game though. Meanwhile, and as always, subscribers can purchase it with a 20 percent discount as long as it is in the Xbox Game Pass library, which means pay $28 rather than the normal $35.

As for the game itself, it comes the way of Polish studio 11 Bit Studios, who is both the developer and publisher. The studio, for those that don’t know it, previously put out This War of Mine in 2014, Frostpunk in 2018, and Frostpunk 2 in 2024. It also had some releases before This War of Mine, but it is this trio of games that it is best known for.

“The Alters is an ambitious sci-fi survival game with a unique twist,” reads an official description of the game for those who want to know more. “You play as Jan Dolski, the lone survivor of a crash-landed expedition on a hostile planet. To survive, you must form a new crew for your mobile base. Using a substance called Rapidium, you create alternative versions of Jan—THE ALTERS—each one shaped by a different crucial decision from the protagonist’s past. As you navigate through survival and moral dilemmas, you will explore a branching narrative filled with captivating character dynamics and challenging decisions.”

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It is important to note as a day one addition this new Xbox Game Pass day one game is limited to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and not available to other tiers of the subscription service.

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