Brand-new, day one Xbox Game Pass game Chained Echoes is getting rave reviews from critics, and if it keeps up, it will wind up being one of the highest-rated new game releases of the entire year. Xbox Game Pass adds new games on a near-weekly basis, and while there is plenty of excitement to be had from every new addition to the service, the day one releases are especially exciting for subscribers.

December 2022 will see a number of day one Xbox Game Pass games added to the lineup by the time the month is out, with some having already been added. Stealth horror game Hello Neighbor 2 joined the Game Pass lineup on December 6, and High on Life is scheduled to release as a day one Xbox Game Pass game on December 13. But in the meantime, subscribers may want to pay close attention to Chained Echoes, which will release as a day one Xbox Game Pass game on December 8.

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Chained Echoes, for those unfamiliar with the game, is a throwback to SNES-era JRPGs. It's earned rave reviews from critics, earning an impressive 91 overall rating on OpenCritic based on the reviews that have been counted so far. Xbox Game Pass subscribers should keep in mind that there aren't many Chained Echoes reviews that have been published just yet, so the score will almost certainly fluctuate, but right now it's one of the highest-rated games of the year.

Chained Echoes Reviews

chained echoes opencritic score

While the score may dip, the current score for Chained Echoes makes it one of five games that have managed to earn a 90 or above when it comes to 2022 releases. Puzzle game Freshly Frosted also has a 91 score, while point-and-click adventure game and fellow day one Xbox Game Pass release Norco does as well. The only games ahead of Chained Echoes are Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok, which have 95 and 93 overall ratings, respectively.

Reviews for Chained Echoes have praised it for modernizing the JRPG-style of gameplay, addressing things that fans have disliked about the genre to make it more appealing to a wider audience. There's also been a great deal of praise for Chained Echoes story, music, and graphics, with many seemingly in agreement that the game does well by its SNES inspirations and delivers an experience that matches or even exceeds them. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can come to their own conclusions when Chained Echoes releases for the service on December 8.

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Source: OpenCritic