Xbox Game Pass Just Added One of 2021’s Best New Games

Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC have been updated with one of 2021’s newest and best games. More specifically, all Xbox Game Pass subscribers, no matter the tier or the platform, can now enjoy Psychonauts 2, which was just released today, but because it’s published by Xbox, it’s a day one Xbox Game Pass game. And judging by Metacritic, Xbox and PC gamers are in for a treat.

Over on Metacritic, Psychonauts 2 boasts an 87, making it one of the higher-rated new releases of 2021. It’s not going to win Game of the Year, but in a light year like 2021, it could very well be in the mix come December.

For those that know nothing about the game, it’s a 3D platformer from legendary game studio Double Fine. Announced back in 2015, it’s a direct sequel to 2005’s Psychonauts.

“As a longtime fan of the original Psychonauts and its developer Double Fine Productions, Psychonauts 2 has proven to be everything that I hoped it would be,” reads the opening of our official and glowing review of the game. “Despite this sequel coming about 16 years after the first installment, Double Fine has found a way to tap into the same energy and charm that made the franchise a cult classic in the first place. And in a time where 3D platformers are less common than they were in the early 2000s, Psychonauts 2 proves to be video game comfort food of the highest degree.”

Psychonauts 2 was notably crowdfunded on Fig, where it raised nearly $4 million back in 2016. At the time, Xbox didn’t own the studio — and wouldn’t until 2019 — hence why it was crowdfunded. That said, when Xbox acquired Double Fine, it gave the game more resources, which surely contributed to its impressive critical reception.

It’s also worth noting the game is available on PS4, but not PS5. And of course, it’s not going to be available via PlayStation Now or PlayStation Plus, which means the only way to play it without paying full price is Xbox Game Pass, which isn’t available on PlayStation consoles, only Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC.