This update includes several improvements, but the most notable are further refinements to the game’s A-Life system and the addition of a new difficulty level. I consider the A-Life fixes to be the more important of these two changes.
Xbox Game Pass usually removes games from its library around the middle and end of each month. Recently, on October 31st, popular titles like Return to Monkey Island, Jusant, and Metal Slug Tactics were removed, and five more games are scheduled to leave soon.
Platypus Entertainment announced that they received and addressed concerns from GSC’s legal team regarding their claims against Misery, resolving the issue this Wednesday.
Platypus recently announced on Steam that the game is once again available on the Steam store.
I’m super hyped because Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is hitting Game Pass this month – it’s supposed to be the biggest launch of November! But it’s always a bit of a bummer, even with all the new games being added, that some titles have to leave the service each month when their time is up.
Currently, the Steam page for the game Misery is unavailable. All information about this situation comes from a post by the game’s developer, Platypus. They state that GSC GameWorld, the creators of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., issued a DMCA takedown request, causing the game to be removed from sale. GSC GameWorld claims Misery infringes on their intellectual property, pointing to player reviews that mention S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Platypus denies these claims and says they are working to get Misery back on Steam.
I just saw this crazy thing online! Apparently, Valve emailed the solo developer of Misery, a 19-year-old named Maewing, and their publisher, Ytopia. It turns out GSC Game World, the makers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., claimed Misery was using content from their game without permission. The email included screenshots comparing the two games, and honestly, it’s pretty clear they both have similar scenes – like this one of a group of survivors chilling around a campfire with guitars and gas masks, scavenging for supplies. It’s a tough situation for a small indie dev!
Just a heads-up, a bunch of games are getting pulled on November 16th. It’s not just that we won’t be able to play them as part of our subscription anymore, but any discounts we were getting on buying them will also disappear. So if there’s anything on the list I’ve been eyeing, I need to grab it before then!
For many players, the biggest disappointment this month will be the removal of games from GSC Game World. However, Football Manager 2024 remains a popular title – and will be replaced by Football Manager 26 soon – and Frostpunk is still an excellent survival strategy game. While Spirittea and Blacksmith Master didn’t generate as much buzz, they both have dedicated fans.
Recently, Xbox Game Pass removed Return to Monkey Island, Metal Slug Tactics, and Jusant on October 31st. Although the full list hasn’t been made official yet, the Xbox app already shows which games will be leaving soon as part of a regular update to the game library.