Xbox Game Pass is currently in the middle of its best lineups yet, and the recent June announcement has just made it even better. Fan-favorite titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered will be joined by The Division 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and Metaphor: ReFantazio, but there’s one game I’m even more excited to play than any other. Near the bottom of the June announcement is Crypt Custodian, an indie game that I’m looking forward to more than any other game.
Crypt Custodian, a top-down metroidvania set in the afterlife, stars an adorable black cat named Pluto who might not have been on the best of behavior during its nine lives. After being assigned eternal cleaning duty, Pluto must explore the vast underworld, all while making friends with other sinful ghosts, solving puzzles, combating monsters, and planning a palace break-in. Crypt Custodian was made by a solo developer, whose previous projects include Islets and Sheepo, and its overall vibe seems unusual and fun, which has sparked my interest more than any other Game Pass title.
The Atlus Title Swept At The Game Awards In 2024
That’s not to say that Xbox Game Pass’s addition of Metaphor: ReFantazio isn’t worth paying attention to, as the JRPG from Studio Zero and Atlus is a smash hit for a reason. Metaphor is a modern JRPG with a high fantasy setting and an incredible story that takes players through a Royal Tournament to claim the throne on behalf of a cursed prince. Dealing with issues of discrimination, Metaphor explores the idea of a utopia and whether creating something that perfect is even possible in a corrupt world.
Related
After Metaphor: ReFantazio Developer’s Comments, I Get How Turn-Based JRPGs Can Still Win Fans
One of Metaphor: ReFantazio’s developers recently described his approach to turn-based combat, and it can help keep the style fresh for new players.
Players must travel across Euchronia, a kingdom full of different fantasy races, all while fighting their way through dungeons and building relationships with their party members, each of whom provides unique assets to the team in combat. Metaphor utilizes a similar combat system to previous Atlus games, with both turn-based and real time combat that helps the game keep momentum. Metaphor released to rave reviews, including a 9/10 Screen Rant review, a 94/100 average on Metacritic (for the PC version), and a 93 average on OpenCritic.
Reviewers praised every aspect of Metaphor, from its gameplay and story to its worldbuilding and art. Though it didn’t win Game of the Year in 2024, Metaphor did score Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, and Best Role-Playing Game at The Game Awards. This universal high praise makes Metaphor easily one of the most exciting games to come to Game Pass this year and deserving of all its praise — I just happen to be more interested in an indie game further down the list of June Game Pass releases.
I’m Way More Excited For Crypt Custodian
Ghostly Janitor Duties Combined With Fast-Paced Combat
Crypt Custodian hasn’t caught my attention by receiving the same red carpet as a universally beloved RPG, but playing as a naughty cat that’s been assigned cleaning duties in the afterlife happens to sound attractive as well, and its addition to Xbox Game Pass later this June should be the perfect opportunity to check it out. It’s a 2024 metroidvania created by solo indie developer Kyle Thompson with an “Overwhelmingly Positive” consensus on Steam, and, based on its art style and character dialogue, it looks like an incredibly fun afterlife romp.
Game Pass provides the perfect avenue to try something new at every opportunity.
Crypt Custodian takes place in the afterlife, with a cat named Pluto who was a bit too mischievous during life and has now been sentenced to be a sort of ghostly janitor forever. Not satisfied with their lot in the afterlife, Pluto begins to band together with other janitors and banished ghosts to break into the underworld palace and change their eternal fates. Crypt Custodian takes players all over the afterlife as they clean messes, solve puzzles, and upgrade Pluto’s customizable skills to match their preferred play style.
Related
10 Best Metroidvanias To Play Right Now
There are many amazing Metroidvania games on all platforms, with varying degrees of quality, but here are the best available to play today.
Like other metroidvanias, Crypt Custodian is more focused on exploring the environment than progressing through a linear plot. On top of this non-linear style of gameplay, Crypt Custodian looks like a delight for the senses in both sight and sound. The game has a beautiful art style and fun character design, but the sound design truly takes it up a notch. The soundtrack, created by Eric Thompson, is slow and thoughtful, though it does have its upbeat tracks for boss fights. Crafted for exploring the afterlife, music helps complete the atmosphere for a wonderfully wistful sense of adventure.
Why You Should Check Out Crypt Custodian
Supporting Indie Developers Is As Easy As A Download
There are plenty of games to play on Xbox Game Pass, and the June line-up has presented some stiff competition for players’ time. Massively popular titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and a whole catalog of Call of Duty titles make it easy to skip over smaller indie titles, but the beauty of Game Pass is that subscribers can try any game without strings or any hassle. Rather than being selective with what to buy and try out, Game Pass provides the perfect avenue to try something new at every opportunity.
To those who haven’t already fallen in love with games like Hollow Knight, an indie metroidvania might not sound intriguing at first, and even the name of the genre is both a mouthful and a bit intimidating to the uninitiated. The charm of Crypt Custodian’s atmosphere and gameplay, however, could make it a title worth spending time in even for genre newcomers.
Related
10 Ways Hollow Knight: Silksong Can Improve Upon Hollow Knight’s Formula
Its hard to improve on a game as great as Hollow Knight, but there are still a few areas that could be expanded in even greater depth for Silksong.
From what I’ve listened to, even the soundtrack alone makes the game worth a download. Sampling an adorable title like Crypt Custodian later this month is a great way to simultaneously try something new and get the most bang for the subscription buck. It’s also much easier to squeeze something like this into a busy schedule than focusing only on major releases, as you could often complete a number of great indie games in the same time as one open-world RPG.
Xbox Game Pass gives its subscribers so much freedom to try new things, so before you scroll away to download Metaphor: ReFantazio, it’s worth considering giving an imaginative game with a ghostly janitor cat some of their time. If indie games can continue to attract attention on Game Pass, it could also lead to the service including an even wider range of diverse games in the future. Checking out a title like Crypt Custodian this June is a great way to support indie developers while also potentially discovering a new favorite game genre.
Sources: Metacritic, OpenCritic, Steam
9/10
- Released
-
October 11, 2024
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Studio Zero
- Publisher(s)
-
Atlus
- Engine
-
GFD
- Number of Players
-
1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
-
Playable
