Latest Features
Soapbox Despite Its Rough Launch, I'm Incredibly Excited For Battlefield 2042 To Hit Xbox Game Pass
Progression
The time has almost arrived for Battlefield 2042 to hit Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with DICE's shooter set to come to the EA Play library during the game's third season. Usually, this sort of EA Play addition wouldn't affect me, as I typically buy and play every Battlefield title at launch. However, 2042's bumpy arrival — and its rough...
Talking Point What's Your Most Anticipated December Release On Xbox?
Need for Speed? High on Life? Come tell us!
The end of the year is almost upon us, and we're already finding ourselves looking ahead at what's launching during December. The final month of 2022 is looking like a pretty big one already, with a slew of major releases dropping ahead of a stacked year in 2023. Next month kicks off with a tantalising...
Feature Warzone 2.0 Is A Massive Visual Improvement Over Its Predecessor On Xbox Series S
Proper 'next-gen' support!
So, we've been playing quite a lot of Warzone 2.0 since its launch on Xbox last Wednesday, and the good news is that both the 'battle royale' and the 'DMZ' modes are a ton of fun so far! Our playtime has been split fairly evenly across both Xbox Series X and Series S (in part due to the brilliant xScreen), and the game is...
Pick One Which Is Your Favourite Tom Clancy Game On Xbox?
One of the Splinter Cells, or something else?
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate 20 years of the Splinter Cell series, we thought we'd take a look back at the history of Tom Clancy games on Xbox. Last year, you told us that Chaos Theory was your favourite Splinter Cell game with 36% of the vote, and Wildlands was your
Feature These 15+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (November 21-25)
"Evil never sleeps… but it bleeds."
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for November 21st to 25th! We've got another busy week of new releases ahead, including the likes of Evil West, Just Dance 2023 Edition and more, while Xbox Game Pass is also adding some major titles in the form of Gungrave G.O.R.E and (hopefully)
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 19-20)
Bit of Warzone 2?
Welcome to another November weekend! There's lots of new stuff to check out on Xbox over the next couple of days, including a large batch of new Xbox Game Pass additions, three more Free Play Days titles highlighted by NBA 2K23, the free-to-play launch of
Talking Point As Of Right Now, What's Your Xbox Game Of The Year For 2022?
Is it Elden Ring?
Can you believe it's nearly the end of 2022 already?! That means it's almost time for the annual Game of the Year awards here at Pure Xbox, where we ask you to vote on the best Xbox games in order to crown an overall favourite. Looking back over the past couple of years since the relaunch of Pure Xbox a couple of years ago, your...
Soapbox It's Been 20 Years Since Xbox Live Launched, And It Brings Back Some Fond Memories
We salute you!
20 years ago to the day, Microsoft launched Xbox Live, just a year after its first ever console hit the market. It was a momentous day for gaming, as the console world took a gargantuan leap towards mass adoption for online play. Admittedly, I'm a bit young to have too many memories of its initial launch, but Xbox Live in general...
Feature 21 Today! The Original Xbox Hits Legal Drinking Age In The US
First round on me
Today's the day for the original Xbox! Yes, believe it or not, Microsoft's very first gaming console is now 21 years of age, originally launching all the way back on November 15, 2001. We have some very fond memories of the OG Xbox, from its star-studded reveal presentations to its uniquely chonky design, and who can forget the...
Feature Insurgency: Sandstorm Is An Amazing FPS, And It's Heading To Xbox Game Pass
Absolutely worth a go!
Xbox has just dropped its latest Xbox Game Pass roundup for November 2022, and by far the biggest news is that New World Interactive's authentic first-person shooter Insurgency: Sandstorm is coming to the library later this month. In just a few short hours since the announcement, this reveal has been getting a fair bit of...
Talking Point We're Ready For The Next Limited Edition Xbox Console
Will it be Starfield-themed?
Well, we regret to inform you that we could have been playing Starfield right now on our Xbox Series consoles, as the game's initial 11/11/22 launch date has just passed. While we're disappointed that we can't go hands-on with Bethesda's next epic just yet, we're happy that the team is getting all the time it needs to...
Pick One Which Is The Best Xbox Game Studios Release Of The Past Two Years?
Halo Infinite? Forza Horizon 5? Tell us!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate two years of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, we thought we'd take a look back at the first-party games that have been released on those consoles so far. The only game missing from this list is Obsidian's Pentiment, which arrives on...
Hands On Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration - A Lovingly Crafted History Lesson
Developed by the brilliant Digital Eclipse
The first thing you'll notice when booting up Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is just how much effort has gone into putting this collection together. Developed by the brilliant Digital Eclipse (TNMT: The Cowabunga Collection), 'Atari 50' rounds up over 90 playable Atari games (including six new ones)...
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (November 14-18)
"Get ready for a New Era"
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for November 14th to 18th! We've got a few big releases on the way including Call of Duty Warzone 2.0, Goat Simulator 3 and The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me, along with two brand-new Xbox Game Pass releases in th
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 12-13)
Jumping back into Halo Infinite?
Welcome to the weekend! We've got a bunch of new Xbox Game Pass titles to check out over the next few days including Return to Monkey Island and Vampire Survivors, three more Free Play Days titles, and another set of
Soapbox Two Years In, FPS Boost Is My Xbox 'Game' Of The Generation So Far
Seriously, it's the console's best feature!
I'm not sure if this is a slight on how the ninth generation of gaming is going so far, but my best experience on Xbox Series X since November 2020 isn't a 'next-gen' game at all. We've seen a few of those over the last two years, and a load of cross-generation games of course, but it's the suite of...
Talking Point What's Your Favourite Thing About Xbox Series X|S After Two Years?
Happy 2nd birthday!
Well, the Xbox Series consoles are officially two years old! The Series X and S graced us with their presence on November 10, 2020, after seven years of life with Xbox One. As much pleasure as the eighth generation brought us (most of the time anyway), it felt good to leave those days behind and move to a new platform two years...
Feature These 15+ Games Are Coming To Xbox This Week (November 7-11)
Big new games, XGP titles and free updates!
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for November 7th to 11th! The big new release of this week is undoubtedly Sonic Frontiers on November 8th, but we've also got the likes of Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection and the Halo Infinite
Pick One Which Is The Best 3D Sonic Game To Date?
Adventure? Heroes? Generations? You tell us!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate the upcoming release of Sonic Frontiers on November 8th, we thought we'd take a look back at the history of Sonic games on Xbox, and specifically the 3D titles. We ran a similar poll on Pure Xbox last year where we included the 2D games as...
Feature It's Been 15 Years Since Call Of Duty 4 Changed The Xbox Live Landscape
Remember, remember the 5th of November
The tail end of last month was filled with Call of Duty, mainly due to Modern Warfare 2's impressive arrival in a year filled with AAA game delays. No matter your stance on the series, it still captures millions with each title, thanks in no small part to a rigorous release schedule that usually manages to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 5-6)
Ghost Song on Game Pass?
Welcome to the weekend! As always, there's plenty of new stuff to check out on Xbox over the next couple of days, including a bunch of new Xbox Game Pass additions, three more Free Play Days titles, a free new game in the form of Destroy All Humans! - Clone Carnage, an
Talking Point What Kind Of Review Scores Do You Think Sonic Frontiers Will Get?
Will it be a hit, a major flop, or something in-between?
It might not seem like it, but we're just a few days away from the release of Sonic Frontiers on Xbox (and every other platform!). The game arrives on November 8th, and we're very interested to see how it fares with players and critics. There's definitely been a fair bit of scepticism...
Interview 'High On Life' Dev Talks Xbox, Game Length And Living Up To The Hype
Launching day one on Xbox Game Pass this December!
Squanch Games' High on Life is one of the most highly anticipated Xbox Game Pass launches we've seen in 2022, and for good reason! The game, which is the brainchild of Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, attracted massive hype over the summer in response to it
Reaction Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Is Beating Battlefield At Its Own Game
Ground War
Infinity Ward took a very different direction, at the time, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in 2019. The reboot grounded the series in a modern combat setting similar to what made it famous in the first place, after years of misguided attempts at propelling things into the future (and one look back to the past). The franchise also,...
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox This Week (October 31 - November 4)
Another busy week for new releases
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for October 31st to November 4th! It's another busy week ahead, with the likes of WRC Generations, The Chant, The Entropy Centre and
Pick One What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Game In October?
A Plague Tale? Persona? It's a tough one!
It's time for another round of Pick One! With October now almost behind us, it's time to go back and look at the complete batch of Xbox Game Pass games from this month and pick a favourite! There were some definite highlights in October 2022's Xbox Game Pass lineup, including the likes of A Plague Tale:...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 29-30)
Did you buy Modern Warfare 2?
Welcome to the weekend! There's plenty to check out on Xbox over the next few days, including some major new releases this week, a bunch of Xbox Game Pass additions, and four fantastic Free Play Days titles. Also, don't forget that the massive
Hands On Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Flexes The Series' AAA Muscle
Captain Pricey
Another year, another Call of Duty, with long-time developer Infinity Ward at the helm once again in 2022 delivering a direct sequel to Modern Warfare 2019. So far, we've only had access to the game's campaign ahead of the big online server switch-on later this week, so these thoughts are based purely on single-player. What we can say...
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox This Week (October 24-28)
Another big few days ahead!
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for October 24th to 28th! We've got some major releases on the way this week, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Resident Evil Village Gold Edition, while the new Xbox Game Pass launches include the highly anticipated Signalis and the FPS / roguelike / RPG mashup,
Soapbox Tomb Raider Deserves A 'Resident Evil-Style' Remake
Embrace modernity
Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Crystal Dynamics' reimagining of the 1996 original, launched 15 years ago on Xbox 360 believe it or not. Yep, it's been a decade and a half since the series' sole remake hit Xbox, and its birthday has got me thinking about the future of the series. While I thoroughly enjoyed Crystal's recent trilogy,...
Pick One Which Of These Silent Hill Xbox Games Is Your Favourite?
Who needs a remake anyway?
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, following the reveal of Silent Hill 2's remake as a timed PlayStation exclusive (boo!), we thought we'd take a look back at the history of the Silent Hill series on Xbox specifically. It's definitely not been plain sailing for Silent Hill on Xbox, with the platform...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 22-23)
Did you pick up Gotham Knights?
Welcome to the weekend! There's plenty to get stuck into over the next couple of days, including a bunch of new Xbox Game Pass additions, three more Free Play Days titles, the arrival of major releases such as Gotham Knights, the free-to-play r
Hands On Resident Evil Village 3rd Person Mode Is Great, With A Slight Catch
Confined spaces
So, ahead of the Resident Evil Village Gold Edition launch on October 28th, we decided to give Capcom's new demo a whirl on Xbox to see how the game holds up from a fresh perspective. One of the big features of the upcoming Gold Edition is the ability to play the whole game in third person mode, and based on the demo's short but...
Poll What Score Would You Give 'Scorn' On Xbox Game Pass?
How are you finding it so far?
It's been such a busy week for Xbox Game Pass with the arrivals of A Plague Tale: Requiem and Persona 5 Royal (amongst others), that we're almost beginning to forget about Scorn - it only launched this time last week! Considering it's been seven days now, we're hoping you've had a chance to at least give it a try
Reaction Is 30FPS Good Enough For An Xbox Series X|S Game?
Or should we expect more?
Over the last couple of gaming generations, many console players have found themselves getting used to playing games at 30 frames per-second. With the push to HD in the Xbox 360 era, some developers began dropping frame rates to the 30FPS region, in an attempt to push visual fidelity at higher resolutions. These weren't the...
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox This Week (October 17-21)
We've got an exciting week coming up!
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for October 17th to 21st! We've got a stacked week ahead in terms of major new releases, with the likes of Gotham Knights, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed and New Tales From The Borderlands coming to Xbox, plus Game Pass titles includin
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 15-16)
How about some Costume Quest on Game Pass?
Welcome to the weekend! The big focus of this weekend for many Xbox fans will be Scorn, which just arrived on Xbox Game Pass yesterday, although there are plenty of other new Game Pass titles to check out over the next few days, along with more Free Play Days additions and hundreds of great deals to take...
Talking Point Which 'Bad' Games Have Had The Best Comeback Stories?
Battlefront 2? Cyberpunk 2077? You tell us!
Earlier this week, Deep Silver Voliton issued a lengthy update about long-term plans to improve the state of Saints Row, which received mostly average-ish reviews when it launched a few months ago. We called the game "poor" in our 4/10 review, stating that it was a "truly disappointing return for the...
Interview 'Eville' Creator Reveals What To Expect On Xbox Game Pass
It's out today!
Amongst today's batch of Xbox Game Pass releases is Eville, which is a new multiplayer social deduction game inspired by the likes of Among Us and the party game Werewolves. Ahead of its launch, we had a chance to speak to the CEO of developer VestGames about what players can expect from it, as well as getting some comments...
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox This Week (October 10-14)
Ready for the nightmarish world of Scorn?
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for October 10th to 14th! It's a very busy few days coming up for new releases, including the likes of No More Heroes 3, Dragon Ball: The Breakers, NHL 23, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3, PGA Tour 2K23 and more, along with lots of Game Pass titles highlighted by the launch...
Feature Five Criterion Games You Should Try Before Need For Speed Unbound
A treasure trove of high-speed action, and crashes
EA finally lifted the lid on Need for Speed Unbound this week, after months of rumours surrounding the 2022 series entry. British developer Criterion Games is back at the helm of a brand-new NFS for first time in about a decade with this one, which makes us unusually excited for a new Need for...
Pick One Which Need For Speed Xbox Game Is Your Favourite?
You've got plenty to choose from!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate the announcement of Need for Speed: Unbound, we thought we'd go back and look at the history of the series on Xbox, which extends to almost 20 years. If you recall, we ran this poll last year when Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered arrived on Xbox...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 8-9)
It's a bit of Bandicoot time for us!
Welcome to the weekend! If you're looking for something to play on Xbox from October 8th-9th, don't forget that we've got a few new Xbox Game Pass additions, three more Free Play Days titles, and a whole batch of fantastic deals! Here's what we're playing this weekend
Talking Point How Often Do You Actually Buy Xbox Game Pass Games?
And what platform do you buy them on?
Earlier this week, the publisher behind Xbox Game Pass title Let's Build a Zoo revealed that the service appeared to have helped with sales on Nintendo Switch, with a "notable number" of people telling them that they bought the game on that platform for portability reasons - based on their experiences trying it...
Feature These 10+ Games Are Coming To Xbox This Week (October 3-7)
"Can you trust your own mind?"
Welcome to your new Xbox games roundup for October 3rd to 7th! The new releases lineup is looking fairly quiet this week (things really kick off later in the month), but we've still got the likes of Overwatch 2 and Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo on the way, along with a surprise Xbox Game Pass addition in the form of
Feature Project Gotham Racing 4 Is Now 15 Years Old, And It's Still An Incredible Xbox Racer
Taking it for a spin, again
Another day, another excuse to pen some words about how good Project Gotham Racing 4 is! Well, we have a legitimate excuse anyway, as PGR4 has just ticked over the 15-year-old mark; the title released way back on October 2nd, 2007. Can you believe that?! We can't either, but as the months and years pass us by, the Xbox...
Pick One What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Game In September?
It ended up being a great month!
It's time for another round of Pick One! With September now behind us, it's time to go back and look at the entire batch of Xbox Game Pass games from last month - and pick a favourite! We were treated to some fantastic surprises throughout those few weeks, including the likes of Deathloop, Assassin's Creed Odyssey...
Feature All New Releases Coming To Xbox In October 2022
Every game confirmed for October so far
Welcome to your new Xbox game releases roundup for October 2022! Below, we've prepared a full list of every game confirmed for Xbox in October 2022 so far. We've also thrown in the Xbox Game Pass games we know about... Without further ado, here are the new game releases on Xbox in October 2022: The Biggest...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 1-2)
Returning to the backyard?
Welcome to the weekend! If you're looking for something new to try on Xbox over the next few days, don't forget that we've got lots of new Xbox Game Pass additions, another Free Play Days title, and the usual set of great deals. Plus, Xbox Game Pass Ultimat
Talking Point Do You Consider A Game's Length When Browsing Xbox Game Pass?
Alexa, how long to beat?
In a world filled with seemingly infinite choices on games, TV shows, movies, you name it, we tend to prefer our gaming experiences to fall on the shorter side in this day and age. That's not to say we don't love getting stuck into a huge RPG every now and then, but sampling a wider variety of shorter titles is typically our...