My 2026 New Year’s resolution is to finally play these 8 Xbox and PC games in my backlog — mostly because new releases are getting too expensive

As 2025 ends and 2026 begins, people often start discussing the Xbox games they’re excited to play, including those revealed at events like The Game Awards 2025.

I’ve noticed that new video games are getting increasingly pricey. Plus, they often release with problems that take months, or even a year, to fix – Monster Hunter Wilds is a good example of this.

For my 2026 New Year’s Resolution, I’m planning to finally play all the Xbox and PC games I’ve been meaning to get to. I’ve built up a huge backlog over time, waiting for updates, sales, or just finding the time to play.

Here are my top-priority backlog games I plan to play and finish in 2026, finally.

The Divinity Original Sin series

I used to avoid complex computer role-playing games, but that changed after I played and loved Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Now I’m excited to explore more games in the genre.

I’m planning to start playing the Divinity: Original Sin games because Larian Studios recently showed off their new Divinity game at The Game Awards 2025, and it looked amazing – dark, detailed, and epic!

Divinity: Original Sin 1 and 2 are fantasy role-playing games where you take turns battling enemies. Set in the world of Rivellon, these games send you on huge, exciting adventures to protect the land from powerful villains like evil wizards, demons, and even threats from beyond the stars.

The initial game, launched in 2014, received high praise for its challenging combat. Players could cleverly use their surroundings – for instance, soaking enemies with water and then shocking them with lightning – to win battles. The game also allowed for extensive customization of character classes.

As an analyst, I found the game really stood out with its difficult moral decisions – these choices genuinely impacted the story and could lead to unexpected outcomes. What was particularly innovative was the two-player co-op; instead of working together, players actually competed! They’d battle it out in simple, Rock-Paper-Scissors-like mini-games, and the winner got to decide the moral path for both of them.

You can buy Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition for Xbox, PlayStation, and computers running Windows, as well as through Steam or GOG.

Released in 2017, Divinity: Original Sin 2 built on the success of the first game and introduced many new features. These innovations would later become central to the gameplay of Larian Studios’ critically acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3.

Choose from six ready-made characters, each with their own history and missions, or design a custom hero as a Human, Lizardfolk, Elf, Dwarf, or Undead.

Plus, the game offers much more freedom in how you play, letting you make choices like eliminating any character without getting stuck. You’ll also have access to a wider range of skills and spells to use in combat, and you can enjoy the game with up to three friends either online or in local split-screen.

The game also includes a Game Master Mode, letting players design their own adventures and share them for others to play and enjoy.

Plus, Divinity: Original Sin 2 just got an update for Xbox Series X|S that adds a smooth 60 frames-per-second experience. A great bonus is that anyone who owns the game on Xbox One can upgrade to the newer version for free.

You can buy Divinity Original Sin 2 on Xbox, PlayStation, and computers running Windows, through Steam, or on GOG.

Baldur’s Gate 3

This is going to come as a major shock, but I haven’t played Baldur’s Gate 3 yet.

The game spent a really long time in early access, and even after its official release, it was constantly updated with fixes and new content that significantly altered the gameplay. Because of this, I chose to hold off playing until the development was fully complete.

With Larian Studios finished with Baldur’s Gate 3 and a huge number of player-made modifications available, now is a great time to jump in and play.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is the newest installment in the beloved Baldur’s Gate role-playing game series, originally created by BioWare – the studio known for games like Mass Effect.

In Baldur’s Gate, you take on the role of either a unique Origin character or a character you create yourself. Your mission is to protect the city from a terrifying invasion by mind flayers (Illithids) while desperately seeking a way to remove the parasitic tadpoles they’ve implanted in your brain – before it’s too late and they take control.

Our reviewer Jennifer Young, a big fan of Diablo, gave this game a perfect score. It was also a critical success, winning Best Game at the BAFTAs and multiple awards – including Game of the Year – at The Game Awards 2023. Critics praised its compelling stories, memorable characters, and gameplay that brilliantly brings the world of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition to life as a video game.

Baldur’s Gate offers incredible character customization, top-notch voice acting, and a deep, strategic turn-based combat system. With a huge number of dialogue options and ways to build your character, it’s a game you can play again and again.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows, Steam, or GOG.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

I really enjoyed playing Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and am excited for Owlcat Games’ next Warhammer 40,000 game, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy. To get a feel for their work while I wait, I’ve decided to try out their earlier game, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

For more than a century, demons have been spilling out of a massive tear in the fabric of reality called the Worldwound, relentlessly attacking the mortal world and slowly gaining the upper hand.

Will you join the fight against these evil forces, or will you choose a selfish path and pursue your own gain?

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a deeply complex game with extensive character customization options. Players can choose to fight in either turn-based or real-time combat, and the game features a huge amount of branching dialogue that significantly impacts the story.

The game features a detailed system for managing your army, plus you’ll meet over ten unique companions, each with their own stories and quests. You can also choose from several ‘Mythic Paths’ that allow your character to gain godlike powers.

Having grown up playing the Pathfinder tabletop RPG, I’m really excited to see how Owlcat Games has brought it to life as a video game.

You can now play Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC through Windows, Steam, or GOG.

The Hollow Knight series

I have to admit something: I’ve never actually played Hollow Knight. It’s pretty surprising, considering how much I love both Metroidvania and Soulslike games – it combines both of those genres!

When the first Hollow Knight was released, I was completely absorbed in Monster Hunter: World and didn’t play much else for years.

Now that Hollow Knight: Silksong is coming out, and with a free expansion announced for it, I’ve decided it’s time to play the original Hollow Knight and understand why everyone loves it so much.

If you haven’t experienced them yet, the Hollow Knight games are action platformers where you explore large, interconnected worlds. They’re similar to classic games like Metroid and Castlevania, but with a gloomy, gothic style and challenging combat inspired by games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls.

Everyone loves these games because of their beautiful, hand-drawn art, fascinating worlds filled with rich stories, and gameplay that’s both engaging and has a ton of content to enjoy for a long time.

Having spent my childhood with Super Metroid and recently started playing Soulslike games, I’m really excited to finally experience Hollow Knight in 2026.

You can buy Hollow Knight and its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, on Xbox, PlayStation, and computers running Windows, Steam, or GOG.

Ninja Gaiden series

Growing up, I deliberately avoided the Ninja Gaiden games because I’d heard they were incredibly difficult, and I knew my younger, easily frustrated self would have gotten extremely angry playing them.

As an adult, I’ve become more patient and capable, and I’m now eager for exciting challenges. Inspired by playing and enjoying Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Ninja Gaiden 4, I’m ready to face the fears from my childhood and finally overcome them.

The Ninja Gaiden series began in the 1980s and challenges players to overcome difficult enemies as the skilled ninja, Ryu Hayabusa.

From classic 2D games on the NES to the newer 3D action titles by Team Ninja, the Ninja Gaiden series has always been known for its challenging but rewarding gameplay. Players keep returning for the intense combat, epic boss battles, and a difficulty level that doesn’t offer much help – it truly tests your skill and courage.

It’s become harder to find classic NES games, but older 3D titles like the Ninja Gaiden Sigma series can be played on PlayStation and PC through Steam. Similarly, games like *Ninja Gaiden 2 Black* are available on Windows PC and Xbox.

Control

As a huge fan of Remedy’s games, I was really excited to hear about Control: Resonant – it’s the sequel to the awesome Control, and it looks like it’s going to be something special!

I hadn’t played any of Remedy’s games before, so I didn’t know the story behind Control: Resonant. However, the trailer immediately grabbed my attention with its strange visuals and exciting, superpower-filled combat.

I plan to play the original Control in 2026 to understand the story better, and I might also check out Alan Wake 2 since its upcoming expansion seems to tie into it.

Control, released in 2019, is an action-adventure game starring Jesse Faden.

Jesse is searching for her brother when she stumbles upon the Federal Bureau of Control, a secret government agency thrown into chaos by a strange, otherworldly event. It’s up to her to contain this phenomenon and prevent it from wiping out mankind.

People loved Control for its unique story, beautiful and eerie graphics, and exciting combat—a blend of shooting and supernatural abilities. I’m excited to see if the upcoming 2026 release can live up to all the praise.

Control is available for purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via Windows and Steam.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine series

I’m a bit late to the party, but I just realized I’ve never played the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine games, even though I’m a big fan of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It’s one of those things I can’t believe I haven’t gotten around to!

I’m not very drawn to this because it largely centers on the Ultramarines Space Marines. I find other factions – like the aggressive Orks, the technologically obsessed Adeptus Mechanicus, the chaotic Chaos Space Marines, or the cruel Dark Eldar – much more interesting.

When Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was released, I had already become more interested in playing Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and the older-style shooter, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.

I initially wasn’t a big fan, but after watching the Ultramarines short film on Amazon Prime, I’ve changed my mind! I’m planning to play both Space Marine games in 2026, especially with the remastered version of the original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine now available.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine and its sequel are action-packed, third-person shooter games where you play as Titus, a battle-worn veteran of the Ultramarines Space Marines.

As a researcher studying gaming trends, I’ve observed a fascinating trajectory with this series. The original game developed a dedicated, almost ‘cult’ following, but its sequel really took off. We’re talking a massive hit that significantly refined the shooting mechanics and overall gameplay. Importantly, it also set a new standard for all Warhammer 40,000 video games that followed.

My friend and fellow Warhammer 40,000 enthusiast, Samuel Tolbert, really enjoyed Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, giving it a 4 out of 5-star review. He praised its incredible graphics, intense combat, difficult battles against huge numbers of enemies, fantastic sound, and the strong cooperative gameplay, which is still being improved with free updates.

You can now buy *Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Re-Crafted* and *Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2* on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC through Windows and Steam.

Age of Mythology: Retold

As a child, I often tried playing strategy games with my family – games like StarCraft, Warcraft 3, Age of Empires, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and Age of Mythology – even though I wasn’t very good at them.

I fondly remember playing the single-player game as Arkantos, an Atlantean hero who journeyed across the world with an army. He fought against villains and monsters inspired by myths from Greece, Norse lands, and ancient Egypt.

I was thrilled to hear that Age of Mythology was getting remastered as Age of Mythology: Retold! The new version boasts updated graphics, works with console controllers, includes helpful improvements to gameplay, and will have downloadable expansions.

I’ve spent a lot of time with turn-based strategy games, but I’m ready to get back to real-time strategy. I’m especially excited to learn Age of Mythology: Retold when it comes out in 2026 – it reminds me of a game I loved as a kid!

Age of Mythology: Retold is available for purchase on Xbox and PC via Windows and Steam.

FAQ

Are any of these games available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate?

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate currently includes Hollow Knight (Voidheart Edition), Hollow Knight: Silksong, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, Control: Ultimate Edition, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition, and the remastered Age of Mythology: Retold.

Do any of these games support Xbox Play Anywhere?

If you purchase Hollow Knight (Voidheart Edition), Hollow Knight: Silksong, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition, or Age of Mythology: Retold on Xbox, you also get the PC version at no extra cost thanks to the Xbox Play Anywhere program.

2025-12-21 18:16