The Greatest Sci-Fi Games On Xbox Game Pass

Game Pass has grown massively over the past few years into an expansive library of games that covers every side of the gaming landscape. Among all the genres, however, sci-fi is easily one of the biggest, with a long list of exceptional titles from FPS giants to incredible RPG adventures.

Out of all of them, there are a few sci-fi games currently on Game Pass that stand out from the crowd as true 10/10 experiences that really know no equals. This is due to their innovation, narrative, world design, gameplay, and just about every other category that can be measured, demonstrating a level that very few other games can even come close to.

Prey

The Gold Standard For Sci-Fi Horror

• A huge amount of freedom in exploration and gameplay.
• Integrates scares and action perfectly into every moment.

Prey places players aboard a haunting space station and forces them to survive against shapeshifting creatures that are littered throughout every room and corridor. Its environment is both inviting and terrifying, as players need to slowly navigate through puzzles and moments of action. Thankfully, they have the freedom to approach those challenges however they choose.

The game’s strength lies in how consistently its mechanics tie directly into its themes. Alien abilities open new paths but come with narrative and gameplay consequences, while the environmental storytelling fills every corridor with important details that have just as many revelations as the main cutscenes. Few sci-fi games so perfectly fuse atmosphere, player choice, and mechanical depth into a single cohesive experience, but somehow, Prey manages to pull it off.

DOOM: Eternal

Setting A New High For Boomer Shooters

• More mechanics and more action than ever.
• Iconic enemies and guns are brought back with higher fidelity and polish.

Doom Eternal ushers in a new era for one of gaming’s most celebrated franchises, sending players on a non-stop thrill ride that keeps them glued to the screen right up until the credits roll. The gameplay is obviously the standout, bringing all the gore and grit that series fans have come to know and love, and letting them tear through demons in more satisfying ways than ever before.

The whole experience just feels so refined, giving players all the tools they need to unleash wave after wave of attacks on everything that enters their line of sight. While many players still love the 2016 Doom reboot, Doom: Eternal is still a big step up, refining everything from the movement to the gunplay to create what is easily the best entry in the entire series.

Fallout: New Vegas

Leading The Charge In The RPG Space

• Huge branching story arcs based on player choice.
• True role-playing freedom.

Fallout: New Vegas brings the post-apocalyptic world to new territory, putting a bigger emphasis on player decisions and NPC interactions while maintaining the charm and wit of the other games in the series. Nearly every quest can be resolved in multiple ways, often with lasting consequences that ripple through the Mojave, and with no forced routes to take, players are free to approach any encounter and questline however they choose.

This level of agency remains at the top of the RPG space, as virtually every dialogue option can have a major impact on the player’s journey throughout the world. Even years later, New Vegas remains an exceptional entry in the sci-fi genre, showing that oftentimes, what players want most is to be able to do whatever they want.

Gears Of War: Ultimate Edition

A Genre Titan For A Reason

• Flawless pacing and genre-defining mechanics.
• Tight third-person shooter gameplay that empowers skill.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition manages to perfectly recapture the original’s gritty feel, only with better visuals and an overall more well-rounded experience. Every encounter places a heavy focus on positioning, flanking, and aggression in equal measure, creating a sense of constant forward momentum even when facing several enemies at once.

The enemy design is where a lot of people praise the game, and now they appear even more horrifying, jumping from around corners and always feeling threatening, no matter what. Even years later, the narrative and gameplay stand alongside modern shooter titles, and from an influence standpoint alone, many other games simply wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Gears of War.

Nine Sols

Hollow Knight, Look Out

• Tao Punk aesthetic with a colorful atmosphere.
• Sekiro-style parries that rely on timing and knowledge above all else.

Nine Sols is a super impressive metroidvania that stands alongside the best games in the genre. Players take on a monumental challenge as Yi, an alchemist revived after centuries in stasis, and his journey to defeat the infamous Nine Sols that now control the land.

The art style is super unique, blending futuristic settings with classic East Asian environments, but the gameplay is where the game really shines. Players can parry their way through enemy attacks and quickly chain follow-ups and talismans that turn them into an unstoppable warrior capable of taking down even the most fearsome opponents.

Halo 3 (Master Chief Collection)

The Ultimate Futuristic Shooter

• Legendary campaign and characters.
• Every weapon and enemy interaction feels purposeful, no matter what.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection was met with a mixed reception for the most part, but the third game in the Halo trilogy still remains one of the most impressive single-player stories of all time. The gunplay feels so rewarding, and rather than tearing through enemies with no resistance, players actually have to think about each encounter, using all the tools at their disposal to make it through unscathed.

Add in vehicles and different physics-based weapons, and every aspect of the gameplay screams fun, giving players both an immersive experience and a deeply enjoyable one to boot. Few other games in the sci-fi space have managed to even come close to the caliber of Halo 3, with the game firmly sitting in the hall of fame for FPS campaigns.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

A Fan-Favourite RPG Trilogy

• Full-length campaigns for all three original games.
• Player choice carries throughout the entire trilogy.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is the perfect place to enjoy the entire original Mass Effect trilogy, gifting players with an expansive narrative full of meaningful choices and storylines that span all three titles. Characters can be shaped by choices early on, and entire civilizations can be saved or lost by following the wrong path, adding palpable weight to every game’s decisions rather than keeping them separate.

The collection also managed to update the visuals, gameplay, and a few other technical aspects, while keeping the core experience intact for fans and newcomers to enjoy. Whether players are revisiting the franchise after a long break or exploring these worlds for the first time, there truly is no better sci-fi series to get invested in.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Soulslikes, Meet The Force

• Lightsaber and force abilities make combat shine.
• Expansive environments that hide secrets and additional areas to explore.

Jedi: Fallen Order brings the Star Wars franchise back to the earlier days by sending players on a journey across the galaxy with new characters and new enemies to slay. The combat takes a lot of hints from the Soulslike genre, with parries and timing-based attacks that require much more precision than other Star Wars games demand.

The story itself is also incredibly compelling, casting players as a young Jedi starting to grapple with his powers and has the potential to be one of the most powerful force wielders in the galaxy. The blend of melee combat and force abilities makes the fights feel far more rewarding and satisfying, allowing the game to reach new heights for a series that is already so well-loved.

Titanfall 2

As Good As A Movement Shooter Can Get

• Exceptional single-player campaign.
• Fast-paced PvP action that still feels modern.

Titanfall 2 took several bold steps forward in an incredibly competitive genre, opting to push further in a faster-paced direction to give players a bigger thrill ride. The multiplayer remains a stellar example of how far the FPS space has come, blending insane movement options with giant Titan fights that feel more like cinematic scenes from a movie than a video game.

The campaign is also incredible, allowing players to experience all of the different abilities and tech in a way that feels intuitive rather than through basic tutorials. Even if players may have moved on, the game still stands as a best-in-class sci-fi experience that will test their skills, aim, and ability to make fast decisions on the go.

No Man’s Sky

The Perfect Universe Sandbox

• Near-endless planets and galaxies to explore.
• Years of updates and content drops have improved the overall experience.

No Man’s Sky really is in a league of its own. Rather than a single open world to explore, the game offers a virtually infinite universe, full of exciting planets and intergalactic spectacles that can all be seen up close or from within a fully customizable spacecraft.

The survival aspects of the game become mere stepping stones to the actual goal of exploring and seeing as much of the environment as possible, taking in the sights, and surveying the land for precious resources. Adding in multiplayer makes the whole game feel like a communal space where everyone is seeking the same endless goal of discovery.