Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I played Forza Horizon 1 and 2 and won every race, drove every strip of road, but went into this one with a different approach.  Just Drive.  With game pass there's so much to play, I have a hard time committing to one game for an overly long stretch, so to take this game as a "driving game" and not a "racing game" it really helped me to get through it.  This is a "live game" so there never really is an end, and the game encourages you to re run races, not get first and move on.  It's a beautiful game with a good soundtrack, but is likely best enjoyed when you fire up Spotify and just cruise around and race when you feel like it.  Recommend.

Tetris Effect Connected (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I owned Tetris Effect on PS4 but just realized this morning that I never reviewed it.  Tetris Effect is a super stylized version of what some would consider "The Perfect Game".  I've bought so many versions of Tetris over the years I've become quite good at it, which is nice when you're ready to compete online.  The skill ceiling is high and I'm far from the best, but I can usually hold my own.  The primary draw of this game is it's music and graphic details and this game does it better than any other.  Where the PS4 version had me hooked for a week only to drop it, this one keeps me coming back with the added multiplayer.  Recommend.

Gears 5: Hive Busters (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I tried to get back into Gears when I got my Xbox Series X and found I was far too behind to even begin to compete in the multiplayer.  Sure the game looked great, but I wasn't having a good time.  Enter Hive Busters, a DLC expansion included in Game Pass.  It's a very short 3 hourish campaign with a new cast.  I love games of this length.  This was a fun romp through the Gears Universe which makes me want to try the multiplayer again.  A great cast of characters and fun story that looks and runs amazingly on the Series X.  Highly Recommend.

Plants vs. Zombies (Xbox 360 on Xbox Series X on Game Pass)

I downloaded this for a nostalgia trip and ended up completing the entire adventure without losing a single level.  Around 10 years ago, I had so so many hours put into this game.  It's probably one of the best games of all time.  It captures a certain magic and scratches an odd itch I didn't know I had.  I want to keep playing but I feel like I should be playing something that pushes my new console a little more.  Oh well.  BRAINS!  Recommend.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War (Xbox Series X)

I picked this up on disc taking advantage of a Shoppers PC Point redemption deal.  I played the heck of last years Call of Duty and was kinda missing the second to second action the series provides.  I really enjoyed the campaign and while the multiplayer has it's hooks in, I can tell already I won't be playing this game for the better part of the year.  It's fun in short bursts, but I know I won't be unlocking EVERYTHING with this one.  It's more Call of Duty, but I like it.  Recommend.

NHL Rewind (Xbox One on Xbox Series X on Game Pass)

NHL 94 in 2020 is one of the best things I've played this year.  It's NHL 94 through and through with current rosters and logos.  I remember my brother and I playing this game in the mid nineties saying "how can hockey games get any better than this?!?!" and you know what?  26 Years later, we were right.  Games don't capture the fun any better than this.  If this game had stable online play it would get much more play time than it already has.  Recommend.

Minecraft Dungeons (Xbox One Optimized for Series X)

I played this on Xbox Game Pass hoping for something to play with my oldest son Cole.  Turns out I play it with my youngest sons Jack and Eli.  I hadn't put any time into any type of dungeon crawler since "Gauntlet" in the arcade 30 years ago, if that should even qualify.  Things started out pretty exciting, cool unlocks, cool levels, but ultimately this game is about the grind.  Grind grind grind, replay levels hoping for cool loot drops, equip the loot only to find it wasn't as good as your old loot.  Now don't get me wrong, this game had me HOOKED, I even bought a copy of PS4 so I could play with my twins on separate TV's, but after 20 hours or so, the gameplay loop got a little dull.  I had a great time with it, and will revisit, I'm just not sure I'll be coming back daily.   Recommend.

Jedi: Fallen Order (Xbox One)

When I saw this game show up on game pass, I was excited!  I was under the impression this game was an "Uncharted" clone, not sure where I'd heard that, but I couldn't have been more wrong.  After some playtime I did some more research and learned it's actually a "Dark Souls" clone, a game series I've never explored ... mainly because based on what I'd heard of that series, I knew wasn't for me. I kept playing though, enjoying what I was doing.  And then then deaths, oh the punishing deaths which have you spawning way behind the point of death.  Ugh.  I quickly dropped the difficulty down to easy which allowed me to explore the vast environments and solve the puzzles without the punishing deaths.  I had a good time, but I felt like I played it wrong.  It's a nice looking game and if you like Star Wars (I'm only a mild fan) I'm sure you'll enjoy the story.  Recommend on easy, but if you like to punish yourself, you'll probably love it at a harder difficulty.