A beloved Xbox Game Pass indie is getting an ambitious sequel

By Tomas Franzese August 6, 2024

A player in Descenders Next moutainboards. — No More Robots

Descenders, an indie sports game from RageSquid and No More Robots, is quietly one of the best games on Xbox Game Pass thanks to its engaging bike-riding gameplay and endlessly playable, procedurally generated levels. Now, it’s getting a sequel called Descenders Next that trades in biking for snowboarding and mountainboarding.

In Descenders Next, players can choose from a variety of handcrafted parks or procedurally generated level “nodes” across several different biomes. Players are then free to snowboard or mountainboard down the mountain, performing tricks and building up their reputation along the way.

Descenders Next fully embraces multiplayer too, so it’s possible to play every level with friends. With its only real competition being Steep, Descenders Next looks like it will fill a disappointing void that currently exists in the extreme sports genre.

The developers are planning to offer many more customization options for riders and their gear, and the game will feature gear from unspecified “real brands.” Other promised features include an in-game way to edit gameplay, a reputation system tied to game progression, and a soundtrack by Monstercat. On X (formerly Twitter), Mike Rose, No More Robots company director, teased that Descenders Next will “start life with boarding sports, before adding more and more extreme sports over time.”

Descenders Next will be released on PC via Steam and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2025. It will be available as part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog from day one as well, building off the success its predecessor found on the subscription service.

Topics

Gaming Staff Writer

Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

Is Xbox Game Pass really worth it anymore?

Games on Xbox Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass is changing. On Tuesday night, Microsoft quietly announced that it was retooling its game subscription service. The change would bring new tiers, including one that doesn't feature "day one" releases, and a price hike to the Ultimate tier. Naturally, fans didn't take the news well. The decision has already been dissected by players who theorize that the end of Xbox's subscription service is nigh -- or at least that it's turning into a bum deal.

Are players overreacting over a couple of dollars or is there legitimacy to the doomsaying? It's likely a bit of both, but there's no doubt that Xbox Game Pass' value wanes with the new change. The question is whether or not it's still a good deal even if it's a pricier one. That's where things get complicated. What used to be a no-brainer for all Xbox players now feels like its geared toward a narrower audience. And I know for sure that I'm not the target anymore.
Is Xbox Game Pass worth it?
Let's recap what exactly is changing on Xbox's service. For starters, Xbox Game Pass for Console is going away for new subscribers. That will more or less be replaced by Xbox Game Pass Standard, a new tier that is missing one key perk: It will not feature "day one" games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Each remaining tier is getting a price hike. Xbox Game Pass PC will go from $10 to $12 per month, while Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will jump from $17 to $20 per month. Those are the tiers players will need to subscribe to in order to get "day one" games.

Gaming

This is the cheapest way to play Xbox Game Pass, but there’s a catch

A woman holding a remote while looking at an Amazon Fire TV with the Xbox app on it. It's on the Cloud Gaming menu with Fallout 76, Senua's Saga Hellblade 2 and more on it.

It was only a few weeks ago when I gave cloud gaming an earnest shot. For a full week, I resolved to replace my Xbox with a Samsung smart TV equipped with Xbox Game Pass. I'd only stream my Xbox games through the cloud during the time, even playing the entirety of Still Wakes the Deep that way. It went much better than expected. Sure, the image quality wasn't tip-top, but it ran smoothly enough that I could picture integrating a Game Pass-enabled smart TV in a home setup with multiple TVs.

That experiment just so happened to line up with another significant push in Xbox's platform expansion. Game Pass is now available on select Amazon Fire TV streaming sticks. That means you don't need a console or even a specific smart TV to enjoy Game Pass on a big screen; all you need is a very portable and relatively inexpensive stick.

Gaming

Xbox Game Pass is getting a price hike alongside complicated tier overhaul

Microsoft just announced some price hikes and tier changes for Xbox Game Pass, its video game subscription service. The changes, which go into effect on July 10, were quietly announced on Xbox's support site before being noticed by Wario64 and Windows Central.

The most notable change is that Microsoft will no longer allow people to purchase Game Pass for Console. While existing subscriptions won't be affected, people will have to instead opt for Xbox Game Pass Core or the new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier, which is launching "in the coming months." Xbox Game Pass Standard will cost $15 a month and give subscribers access to online multiplayer on consoles, but won't support cloud gaming or have immediate access to "some games available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one."