Xbox Game Pass adds one of the most original shooters in years – a must-play

Arguably since the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in 2007, we have been living in an era where pretty much all of the biggest games are shooters. The best ones are great fun, but it is easy to get stuck in a bit of a rut and start blurring some of them together. 

That won't happen however with this new addition to Xbox Game Pass. Superhot: Mind Control Delete is the third installment in the Superhot series that flipped the shooter genre on its head, and the first on Game Pass.

Although it has a standout super-stylised aesthetic, that's not the main thing that sets the series apart. The core mechanic of all three games is that time only moves when you do. You start each of the rapid-fire levels in a new scenario with enemies hunting you down (a bit like a very angry Quantum Leap) and have to take them out matrix style, dodging bullets, using melee weapons and firing your own rounds back in slow motion. 

It's a real power trip. I challenge anyone not to feel like a badass when you sidestep a hail of incoming bullets and then pop them back with a single decisive shot. Then, best of all you get to watch your victory back in 'real time'. Putting together a movie-quality action sequence is immensely satisfying. 

Mind Control Delete is slightly different from the earlier games in the series. This is a roguelike spin that sees you tackling lots of super-quick levels to progress the story (a trippy meta romp). You might be in a bar throwing whiskey bottles at attackers one moment, then in a boardroom exchanging bullets over the table the next. As you progress you'll be exposed to new skills, weapons and enemies to add to the equation. 

It's the perfect game to scratch an itch when you don't want to invest hours into something serious, and just want to have some fun. That makes it amazing for Game Pass, where you can play hundreds of different games with one subscription. 

The service has also recently added another of my favourite titles, which those who are obsessed with dinosaurs will love.