Xbox Free Game Is Perfect For Halloween If You Hate Horror

Halloween might mostly be the product of rampant capitalism, but it is a great time of the year to get comfy and play some scary games (or indeed watch some frightening movies, if that's more your speed).

Some releases lend themselves very well to a great night in during spooky season, and one has just been added to Game Pass that really has gone under the radar as one of the best games in the genre over the last few years.

As first reported by Screen Rant, Pacific Drive has just entered the fray on Xbox's flagship subscription service, and it really is worth playing if you're a fan of horror or exploring an even creepier post-apocalypse than Fallout manages to muster.

Game Pass has missed a bit of a trick in recent days, as the service failed to add much in the way of games that would work well as a Halloween treat, but Pacific Drive bucked that trend and it's a good job that it did.

Ironwood Studios

Welcome to the Olympic Exclusion Zone

Pacific Drive is a first-person survival game that sees players take to a supernatural reimagining of the Pacific Northwest, with the real dangers coming when you enter an area known as the Olympic Exclusion Zone.

A big part of the game is the car that you drive, which you'll restore and upgrade from a garage that serves as the player base in the game. Using your vehicle, you'll head to the zone to scavenge resources and unlock the secrets of what happened there, all while avoiding the storm and the many dangers that live in the area.

In the developer's own words, "It’s you and your station wagon against an unforgiving, vicious world. It’ll take more than a fresh set of tires to keep you alive, on and off the road. Your faithful wagon can be upgraded and reinforced to protect you, but the car is going to take a beating. Keep your gas tank filled and your panels intact to withstand the radiation permeating the Zone. You’ll be pushed to your limit - making repairs on the fly, scavenging materials wherever you can, and adapting your rolling fortress to tackle the many life-threatening dangers that lurk in the shadows."

It's a fantastically atmospheric and enthralling game that builds the tension every time you head out into the world, so much so that you'll quickly find yourself debating whether you can face it again.

Pacific Drive is available to download on Game Pass right now, and we really recommend you do so before the weekend hits.