Microsoft’s Game Pass service is delivering a strong lineup for turn-based RPG enthusiasts as May 2025 comes to a close.
Just before the end of the month, I finally got back into a great habit: diving into everything new on Xbox Game Pass this May. I’ve covered this in the past with articles about what’s easily one of the best gaming subscription services around. For just a few bucks a month, you get access to a massive lineup of new titles—including frequent day-one releases like the recent and stunning RPG Clair Obscur.
May has been especially generous for us Turn Based Lovers, and it’s only going to get better. The month is set to end with a bang, thanks to the addition of one of the best and most recent JRPGs, available through Game Pass.
Now, just to clear things up (mainly for myself), Xbox Game Pass comes in three different flavors: one for consoles with different sub-tiers (Xbox Series & Xbox One), one for PC and the Ultimate plan (which bundles console, PC, and cloud gaming), It’s a bit confusing, sure, but for this article, I’m focusing on everything the PC plan has to offer. And this May, it’s delivered two standout titles with a third just hours away from release.
First up is Metal Slug Tactics, a tactical twist on the legendary arcade platformer that first blew up in the ‘90s. This roguelite adaptation stays true to its roots, preserving the original characters, pixel-art style, and fast-paced vibe fans know and love.
Gone is the linear run-and-gun gameplay, replaced by grid-based combat, deep customization, and squad-building. You’ll command familiar faces like Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma, each with unique skills, weapon synergies, and a slick SYNC system that enables devastating combo attacks. The game offers handcrafted maps, permadeath mechanics, and a constant stream of unlockable perks and loadouts.
The bombastic flair of the Metal Slug series is still there, from explosive airstrikes to summoning the titular tank itself in clutch moments. It’s a roguelite loop that encourages experimentation, with every defeat offering XP and gear to evolve your tactics. Add in a soundtrack by Tee Lopes and a pixel-perfect visual style that honors the franchise’s legacy, and you’ve got a love letter.
Another recent addition to Xbox Game Pass is Monster Train 2, the sequel to the acclaimed roguelite where you lead the forces of evil on a desperate ride to hell. This time Titans have shattered the balance of Heaven and Hell, forcing angels and demons into a desperate alliance aboard mighty war-trains. Your mission? Travel across celestial and abyssal realms, managing a three-tiered battlefield while customizing units, cards, and train compartments to resist overwhelming waves of enemies. The vertical combat returns with greater depth, as five new clans and an expanded card system, including Room and Equipment Cards, open the door to endless tactical combinations and build synergies.
This sequel isn’t just more Monster Train, it’s a fully tricked-out locomotive of roguelite deckbuilder content. The Covenant Outpost acts as your narrative and mechanical hub, offering Pyre Hearts for gameplay-altering perks, dimensional challenges, and an expanded Logbook for achievement tracking and lore.
Add in daily mutator-based challenges, train customization, and a long-awaited survival mode that ramps up difficulty over time, and you’ve got a high-replayability, strategy-rich experience that will thrill fans of Slay the Spire, Griftlands, and, of course, the original Monster Train.
And finally—as I mentioned earlier—May is set to end with a bang. That bang is Metaphor: ReFantazio, coming to PC Game Pass. From the creators of the Persona series, this title is already being hailed as one of the finest modern JRPGs.
Metaphor: ReFantazio marks a bold leap into high fantasy from the visionary team behind Persona 3, 4, and 5, fusing signature social sim mechanics with rich turn-based RPG combat. In a world ruled by inner fears and mystical power, you journey to break the curse of a forgotten prince, awaken hidden “Archetypes,” and master a dynamic class system that allows for deep customization and party synergy.
This isn’t just a JRPG, it’s an emotional, time-sensitive journey through beautifully animated towns, haunting dungeons, and a psyche-driven narrative wrapped in stunning anime cutscenes and an evocative score. Fans of Persona‘s calendar systems, Final Fantasy’s job mechanics, and Fire Emblem’s character bonds will find Metaphor: ReFantazio to be a genre-defying experience brimming with stylish storytelling, layered combat, and heartfelt moments of introspection. It’ll be available starting May 29, 2025.
Below, you’ll find the full list of May’s Game Pass additions, followed by a selection of must-play turn-based titles already in the PC Pass library. If you haven’t tried them yet, now’s the time.
- Metal Slug Tactics (added to Game Pass Standard on May 7th, 2025)
- Monster Train 2 (added May 21st, 2025 – excluded from Game Pass Standard)
- Metaphor ReFantazio (added May 29th, 2025)
Standout turn-based titles from previous months that are still available on Xbox Game Pass:
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
- Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
- Gears Tactics
- Octopath Traveler II
- Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition
- Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition
- Sea of Stars
- Shadowrun Trilogy
- The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut
- Wargroove 2
- Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
- Wasteland 3
- Wartales
That’s everything I had to report about Xbox Game Pass for now, but I’ll come back to the topic next month. Let me know what you think. Ciao
