The Best RPG of 2025 is on Xbox Game Pass

If you want to play the best RPG of 2025, you can do it on Xbox Game Pass, as long as you are signed up for the Ultimate or PC tiers of the service. Xbox Game Pass came under fire for its price hike that saw the Ultimate tier go from $19.99 per month to $29.99 per month, and rightfully so. But even with the price increase, the subscription service may very well pay for itself if you play enough games on it.

Xbox Game Pass features a huge variety of games, with subscribers able to access hundreds of titles as soon as they sign up for the Ultimate tier. Day one games are also part of the Xbox Game Pass package, with subscribers guaranteed launch day access to any game published by Xbox along with various other titles. Xbox-published day one games that hit Game Pass this year include Doom: The Dark Ages, Gears of War: Reloaded, South of Midnight, Ninja Gaiden 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. But day one indie games are what really made a big splash on Game Pass in 2025.

Related

Xbox Game Pass is Losing Some Incredible RPGs on November 30

Sunday, November 30 is going to be a rough day for RPG fans with Xbox Game Pass, as that’s when the service is saying goodbye to some big hits.

From critically-acclaimed puzzle game Blue Prince to the long-awaited tough-as-nails Metroidvania Hollow Knight: Silksong, indie games have dominated much of the conversation when it comes to day one Game Pass games this year. However, one day one Game Pass addition has been especially well-received, with many hailing it as not just the best RPG of the year, but the best game of the year, period. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 joined Game Pass in April as part of a ridiculously stacked month that also included Blue Prince and the Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered shadow drop. Turn-based RPG Expedition 33 debuted to rave reviews, solidifying itself as one of the year’s highest-rated games and breaking the record for most nominations in the history of the Game Awards.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 typically retails for $49.99, so it’s already a budget release, but being able to play it for $29.99 is even better. Expedition 33 being a part of the Game Pass Ultimate lineup means that subscribers can play through the game in its entirety without paying anything beyond what they already do for their subscription fee. Obviously, those that are only interested in Expedition 33 and none of the other Game Pass Ultimate games or perks (like monthly Fortnite Crew benefits, for instance) should simply buy the game outright, but others will definitely want to consider playing Expedition 33 through Game Pass.

Expedition 33 is the Highest-Rated RPG of 2025

Barring some last-minute surprise new release that takes the industry by storm, it seems safe to crown Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the highest-rated RPG of the year, both in terms of professional critic scores and user reviews. Users on Metacritic have bestowed the game with a jaw-dropping 9.6 rating, while critic scores have given it a still-incredible 92.

Expedition 33 reviews have praised its emotionally-engaging and shocking story, its memorable cast of characters, and its challenging turn-based combat. Expedition 33‘s parry system makes its turn-based battles even more hands-on than most RPGs, especially when combined with the deep layer of strategy required for the higher difficulty levels. It’s all added up to make it so Expedition 33 has more nominations at The Game Awards than any other title in history.

When Will Expedition 33 Leave Xbox Game Pass?

Most day one Xbox Game Pass games that aren’t published by Xbox tend to leave the subscription service about a year after they make their debut. Considering this, it’s likely that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will leave Game Pass in April 2026. Then again, since it was added towards the end of April 2025, it may be part of the May removals. We won’t be 100% for sure until about two weeks before Expedition 33‘s removal date, so while there’s still plenty of time to play it, anyone interested should make sure to do so sooner rather than later.

Released

April 24, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Developer(s)

Sandfall Interactive

Publisher(s)

Kepler Interactive