New to Xbox Game Pass – January 2023 Wave 2

The last couple of Xbox Game Pass waves has strayed from the typical schedule. December only had one wave and it’s presumed it was due to the holidays. The first wave of January then came out a little over a week into the month and only featured three games that most already knew were coming. A second wave for January has been announced, although it is being stretched out a bit into February. It’s difficult to tell whether these will continue to release at a new schedule or not, but for now, we can go over the nine games being added over the next two weeks.

This wave is beginning with a brand-new title from Tango Gameworks that was announced during the Xbox & Bethesda Developer Direct. Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-action game where every attack adds to the soundtrack. Everything from enemy attacks to the movement of obstacles in the overworld moves to the beat. Matching your own attacks to the beat leads to higher damage and more musical flair. It’s available now for cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.

Coming next today, January 27th is a classic of the shooter genre. GoldenEye 007 will be available on cloud and console, recreated with 4K resolution and a smoother framerate. Four-player split-screen will of course be included too, meaning you can still have plenty of local multiplayer fun.

January 30th will see Roboquest added for consoles. Multiple upgrade paths and procedurally generated areas ensure that each run feels unique as you battle through hordes of robots. It’s possible that you’ve seen this on the PC app before since it was added to PC Game Pass nearly a year ago.

The next set of games land on January 31st. One that many have been waiting for is Inkulinati for cloud, console, and PC. Using your quill to bring outrageous drawn units to life, you’ll compete in tactical duels against medieval masters that each have their own unique army of beasts.

For those looking to play an updated strategy classic, there’s nothing else quite like Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Available on cloud and console, this marks the first time that the remaster will be playable on consoles. New optimizations and tutorials are being added to make it easier to play with controllers.

If you’re looking for another remastered title that’s had new content added to it, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R will be available on cloud, console, and PC. Featuring balance changes, ten additional characters, and an updated voice cast to match the anime, it’s a must-play for fans.

We’ll be dipping into February for the last few games. February 2nd will see Grid Legends come to cloud through EA Play. The 2022 racing title was already available to play as a part of some Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, but now it’ll be even easier to play it across different devices. Feel free to read more about it with Keiran’s review.

Darkest Dungeon will be added on the same day for cloud, console, and PC. The dark turn-based RPG has you lead a team of bleak heroes in a gothic world where stress and fear are just as deadly as the hellish monsters. If you’d like to read a first-hand review, David has you covered here.

Although the 2021 racer was initially scheduled to be added in December, Hot Wheels Unleashed – Game of the Year Edition is finally being added on February 7th. Coming to cloud, console, and PC, it features all of the DLC and content that were added after release. You can read Mike’s review here to see if this game is more your speed.

Naturally, we’re ending this with a small handful of games leaving the service. Players have until January 31st to check out the following four games: Donut County, Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master, Telling Lies, and Worms WMD.