May is nearly here, but there are still a few more April additions to Xbox Game Pass that have to arrive. Today the service is adding a brand-new action-packed sci-fi adventure from an acclaimed studio to Game Pass Ultimate and PC subscribers.
Xbox Game Pass Adds Aphelion
DON’T NOD, the developer that is most well-known for its work on the Life is Strange franchise, is back this year with a very different style of game. Aphelion launches today across platforms and looks like a tense and beautiful narrative-driven sci-fi adventure. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers have a chance to check the game out as a Day One premier.
“Aphelion is a cinematic third-person action-adventure set on the planet Persephone, an uncharted, frozen world. Stranded and isolated, you must survive the truly unknown, find each other, and complete the mission. Traverse stunning alien landscapes, avoid lurking threats, and discover the haunting secrets buried beneath the ice.”
The title definitely has a compelling narrative hook and it has some interesting gameplay mechanics for players to engage with. Armed only with your explorational tools – pathfinder, oxygen tank, grappling hook, and more – you must face the unknown, traverse treacherous terrain, and gather clues about the strange, reality-bending phenomenon threatening your existence.
The game’s key features include:
- Grounded sci-fi exploration: a realistic depiction of near-future space exploration
- Dual-perspective survival: experience both Thomas’s resourceful investigation and Ariane’s high stakes parkour gameplay
- Cinematic third-person action: gripping traversal mechanics, with grappling, sliding, and momentum-driven movement
- Tense stealth encounters: face an alien threat in tense and exciting stealth-based sequences
- An emotional core: two astronauts bound by a complicated past, fighting to find each other
It will be very interesting to see how well the game is received by critics and fans and whether it is able to find an audience. There aren’t a ton of other big releases this week, so there’s certainly room in the release calendar for it to get a bit of attention, assuming the story and mechanics click with players.
Be sure to check back soon for more news and updates on Aphelion and other Xbox Game Pass additions. A handful of the May 2026 additions to Xbox Game Pass have already been confirmed, but there are sure to be others added to the list in the coming weeks.
Aphelion is available today on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles. It is a Day One title for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC subscribers.
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