For almost six years now, Xbox Game Pass has continued to give overshadowed games the spotlight they deserve. One of Game Pass' most mutually beneficial aspects is its dedication to giving Indie games the chance to shine, giving the game an audience much wider than it would have been while also drawing in a few more subscribers who were thinking about picking up the game anyway. But every so often, Xbox Game Pass has the chance to breathe new life into an underrated release, and that's exactly the case with one of Xbox Game Pass' April 2023 games: Ghostwire Tokyo.
Even without its full line-up being revealed, Xbox Game Pass' April 2023 offerings are already pretty excellent. The highly addictive Loop Hero is coming to Xbox Game Pass, right alongside NHL 23, and the highly-anticipated action-strategy spinoff Minecraft Legends will hit the service day one. Ghostwire: Tokyo has the most potential to be a sleeper hit, of them all though.
Xbox Game Pass Could Finally Give Ghostwire: Tokyo the Audience it Deserves
Initially launched for the PC and PlayStation 5 back in March 2022, Ghostwire: Tokyo is an action-adventure game developed by Tango Gameworks, the same studio behind The Evil Within and the recent Hi-Fi Rush. Leaning more into the studio's survival horror roots than its newfound love for colorful adventures, Ghostwire: Tokyo drops the player into the titular Japanese city and pits them against a horde of paranormal foes, equipping them with some flashy magical abilities along the way.
Upon its release, Ghostwire: Tokyo had a bit of a mixed reception from critics, and unfortunately, the game's weaknesses were all that seemed to be talked about at the time. Ghostwire: Tokyo is by no means a perfect game. It certainly lacks some polish in areas such as its combat, with some barebones skill trees and repetitive-feeling combos, and while its overarching story is unique and engaging, it does lack the refinements gamers have come to expect from a AAA game. But looking past those issues, Ghostwire: Tokyo is one of the most intriguing games of 2022.
A year later, Ghostwire: Tokyo's strengths are very rarely discussed, with it being all but forgotten about by the time game of the year talks were being held. But there's a lot to love about Ghostwire: Tokyo. Its energetic animations are enough to keep many players engaged in its flashy paranormal showdowns. Ghostwire's side quests are also a real standout, offering some bizarre, sometimes surprisingly wholesome moments that aren't often seen in an action-adventure like it. The overall visual aesthetic of Ghostwire: Tokyo is also a big point of praise, with its otherworldly take on Shibuya feeling truly special.
After its mixed reception, Ghostwire: Tokyo had a bit of a tough launch. Though exact sales figures haven't been officially revealed, it's widely believed that Ghostwire: Tokyo didn't quite meet expectations, and one of the key reasons behind that is likely its PlayStation 5 and PC exclusivity, cordoning off a whole section of potential fans before the game was even released. But now Ghostwire: Tokyo is set to make its Xbox debut on April 12, 2023, and it's coming day-one to Xbox Game Pass. Though it's not guaranteed, it's fairly likely that Ghostwire: Tokyo's place on Xbox Game Pass' April 2023 line-up will finally be the breath of new life that the game needs to be remembered, with a slew of fresh, new players ready to jump on board for the very first time.
Xbox Game Pass users get a handful of games every month.