Xbox Game Pass May Have Another Huge Hit

Xbox may have another huge Xbox Game Pass hit on its hands. Earlier this year, Xbox and Xbox Game Pass had their first huge hit of the year, Hi-Fi Rush. This came out of nowhere though as Hi-Fi Rush was a stealth release. Going into 2023, it was on no one's radar because nobody knew it existed. What was on the radar of every Xbox fan was Redfall and Starfield. The latter is on the other side of summer, but the former is roughly only a month away. Ahead of this release, previews for the game recently went live and they are all -- largely -- glowing. And this is exactly what the game needed, as previously its pre-release hype levels seemed underwhelming. 

Not only do previews suggest Redfall is going to do well, but the combinatiom of critical-acclaim and Xbox Game Pass player boost could prove a great combination for Xbox. Arkane usually delievers with critical-acclaim, however, its games tend not to perform well commercially. With Xbox Game Pass, the barrier to entry is severely lowered. Arkane's issue has never been impressing those who pick up their games, but attracting them in the first place. Xbox Game Pass is great for solving this problem. 

The last point involves when it's releasing. It's releasing on May 2. This is important because this is before The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases by 10 days and is before the PS4 and Xbox One ports of Hogwarts Legacy. The only game it has to worry about sucking up oxygen is Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on April 28, however, the highly-anticipated Star Wars sequel is expected to be fairly short so this shouldn't be a problem. 

Redfall is set to release worldwide on May 2 via PC, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. When it releases, it will cost $69.99. However, if you're an Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, you can, as noted above, bypass this hefty fee. 

"Redfall is an open-world, single player and co-op FPS from Arkane Austin, the award-winning team behind Prey and Dishonored. Continuing Arkane's legacy of carefully crafted worlds and immersive sims, Redfall brings the studio's signature gameplay to this story-driven action shooter," reads an official pitch for the game. 

The game's official description continues: "The island town of Redfall, Massachusetts, is under siege by a legion of vampires who have blocked out the sun and cut the citizens off from the outside world. Explore the open world and immerse yourself in a deep story campaign as you unravel the mystery behind the vampires' appearance. Ally with a handful of survivors against the creatures threatening to bleed the town dry."