The best games on Xbox Game Pass for right now (March 2023)

Is 15 years too long to wait for a sequel? That depends on how good the original game is — and Double Fine’s Psychonauts was certainly one of the best in its genre. Psychonauts 2 is finally here, and the familiar formula is back, sure to please fans of the old game while making an excellent introduction to the zany, heartfelt world of Psychonauts. The story picks up soon after the first (and a VR side story that was later released), following a boy named Raz, who has left his circus family to train his psychic powers with the acclaimed Psychonauts organization. Raz’s specialty is entering minds and sorting out hidden traumas so that people (heroes and villains alike) can move on in healthy ways. He uses a wide assortment of psychic powers to defeat literal doubts, fears, and panic attacks while navigating worlds chock-full of collectibles and currency that allow him to upgrade or modify abilities. The platforming in Psychonauts 2 is not only excellent, but insanely inventive, incorporating every kind of movement you can imagine in ways that make the cartoony world both fascinating and emotionally moving (but not too challenging). Combat sometimes seems like an afterthought as a result, but there’s plenty to do for all kinds of gamers. Take a  look at our Psychonauts 2 beginner’s guide to get started.

If you’re looking for the complete Mass Effect experience with all DLC, upgraded graphics for the latest consoles, and improved systems, then the Legendary Edition is perfect for you. Create your own Commander Shepard, put together teams to fight the galaxy’s most fearsome threat, and chain your key decisions across three games to affect just how it all goes down. Mass Effect remains a pinnacle of RPG storytelling, and as the Legendary version fixes some of the clunkier aspects of earlier games, there’s no better time to jump in. Just make sure you have enough storage space for all three optimized games … it’s a lot of gigs.

Microsoft Flight Simulator was already a boon to serious simulator lovers when it first arrived, but the Game of the Year edition hitting Game Pass is a greatly improved experience that’s also friendly if it’s your first simulator and you want to learn the ropes. This edition includes added features like more tutorials to learn all the details, Flight Assistant mode while you’re playing more casually, Map Labels to help you pin down specific spots, Land Anywhere mode to help those still getting the gist, and Discovery Flights for pure exploration. That’s in addition to the multiple world and sim updates that Flight Simulator has received since it came out in mid-2021. It’s one of the best possible times to jump in, especially if you have a Series X that can take advantage of the real-world scenery.