Xbox Game Pass adds Civilization 6, Valheim, and my favorite JRPG from 2018

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Ni No Kuni 2 is an unexpected but welcome addition to Game Pass

Ni no Kuni 2
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

The March 2023 Xbox Game Pass list is in, and it's got some surprise hits. We knew Valheim was coming, and cloud versions of Dead Space 2 and 3 are well-timed on the heels of the remake, but I didn't have Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom on my Game Pass bingo card. 

Anyway, let me get through the full list of new Xbox Game pass games and release dates before I gush about Ni No Kuni for way too long. 

  • Today - Guilty Gear: Strive (cloud, console, PC), Fallout 76 Mutation Invasion, No Man's Sky Fractal update, Halo Infinite Season 3
  • March 9 - Dead Space 2 and 3 (cloud)
  • March 14 - Valheim (console)
  • March 16 - Civilization 6 (cloud, console, PC), Sea of Thieves: The Forts of Fortune
  • March 20 - Sea of Thieves 5th Anniversary Celebration 
  • March 21 - Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom - The Prince's Edition (console, PC)

Several games will soon leave the Xbox subscription service: F1 2020, Goat Simulator, Kentucky Route Zero, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Paradise Killer, Undertale, Young Souls, and Zero Escape: The Nonary Games. If you haven't heard, Undertale, Kentucky Route Zero, and The Nonary Games are unmissable, so don't write them off once they're gone.

Ni No Kuni 2, then. I wasn't head-over-heels with the original Ni No Kuni, pretty as it was, but the sequel really hooked me. In a year with Dragon Quest 11 and Octopath Traveler – both excellent games, with the latter recently spawning a sequel that's become the best RPG of 2023 so far – Ni No Kuni 2 still stands out as my favorite JRPG of 2018, largely thanks to its Suikoden-esque villager recruitment and town building. 

Building the kingdom of Nevermore informs nearly every part of the game, and combat is a blast too, especially with the higher difficulties patched in after launch. And you don't need to play the first game to enjoy it, either. Trust me, nothing could possibly prepare you for the premise of Ni No Kuni 2's story. The US president gets isekaied, and that's all I'm gonna say. 

Here are 10 of the best Xbox Game Pass games to play today. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.