We hope you’re having a great time with this month’s featured game, Fable Anniversary, but we need you to come back from Albion for a moment to vote for next month’s TA Playlist.Citius, altius, fortius – faster, higher, stronger. Next week marks the opening ceremony of the games of the XXXIII Olympiad, a.k.a. the Paris 2024 Olympics. This time-honored event is staged every four years, and brings together the top athletes around the world to compete in events like track and field, swimming, gymnastics, and more.We wanted to honor the Olympics with this month’s TA Playlist poll, although it’s generally agreed that straight-up sports genre games would not be too interesting for a month’s worth of discussion. Instead, we found aspects of Olympic sports hidden within some of the best games on Xbox Game Pass. Take a look at our nominees, and let us know which one you’d like to see take home the Gold Medal as TA Playlist Game of the Month for August!Lies of PRepresenting the sport of Fencing, our first nominee is the Pinnochio-inspired souls-like game, Lies of P. Grab a sword and enter this dark fairy tale world from developers Neowiz and Round8 Studio, which dropped directly into Xbox Game Pass when it launched back in September of last year. Lies of P is a thrilling soulslike that takes the story of Pinocchio, turns it on its head, and sets it against the darkly elegant backdrop of the Belle Epoque era. You are a puppet created by Geppetto and awakened by a mysterious voice that guides you through the plagued city of Krat – a once lively place poisoned by madness and bloodlust. Adapt yourself and your weapons to face untold horrors, untangle the unfathomable secrets of the city’s elites, and choose whether to confront predicaments with the truth or weave lies to overcome them on the journey to find yourself.Lies of P has an impressive TA user rating of 4.42/5.00, with over 194,000 tracked gamers having started the game. Around 5% (just over 9,000 users) have unlocked all 42 of the game’s achievements, which is estimated to take around 60 to 80 hours. The Lies of P Walkthrough by Cenrail is available if you need some help navigating the bleak streets of Krat.Far Cry 5The next event in our TA Playlist Olympics is the sport of Archery, which is a staple of the Far Cry series. The protagonist of Far Cry 5 uses his trusty bow and arrow to stealthily attack outposts of the Eden’s Gate cult. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Far Cry 5 released back in March 2018, and arrived on Xbox Game Pass in July 2022.Welcome to Hope County, Montana, the land of the free and brave, but also the home of a fanatical doomsday cult. Stand up to cult leader Joseph Seed and his siblings, the Heralds, to spark the fires of resistance and liberate the besieged community. Use a vast arsenal of weapons from rocket launchers to shovels, and take control of iconic muscle cars, ATVs, planes, and more to engage the cult forces in epic fights. Ally with the Fangs for Hire group, including fan-favorite bear Cheeseburger and dog Boomer, and free Hope County from its oppressors.Far Cry 5 currently has a TA User rating of 4.15/5.00, with more than 404,000 users unlocking at least one achievement in the game. Around 1% (just over 4,500 users) have completed all of the game’s 72 achievements, including 50 from the base game and the rest spread out over four DLC packs. With so much to see and do in Hope County, It’s estimated to take 60-80 hours to get the full 100% completion.JusantSport Climbing made its Olympic debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and returns again this year in Paris, represented in our Playlist poll by the excellent climbing adventure, Jusant. Developed and published by Don’t Nod, makers of the original Life is Strange, Jusant drew heaps of critical praise when it launched directly into Xbox Game Pass in October 2023.Jusant is a brand-new action-puzzle climbing game and a meditative journey to the top of a tall tower. Challenge yourself at your own pace, explore different paths, and unravel the secrets from a bygone civilization. As you go higher and hone your skills, you’ll have to figure out how best to use the tools at your disposal to get to where you want to go. Explore alternative paths to find clues about what happened here. As you climb, you’ll come across breathtaking biomes full of flora and fauna, accompanied by a peaceful and atmospheric soundtrack. Brace yourself on arid, windy slopes, seek refuge in tunnels lit only by bioluminescence, and more.Jusant currently sits at a TA User rating of 3.94/5.00, and it’s been started by over 71,000 tracked gamers. It’s estimated to take 6-8 hours to unlock all 21 of the game’s achievements, with around 6,200 TA users (around 9% of the total player count) having done just that.ManeaterLast but not least, the final event in the TA Playlist Olympics is Swimming. While a Michael Phelps video game does exist, we decided instead to go with the shark who beat Phelps in a head-to-head race, represented by the open-world action-adventure game, Maneater. Developed by Tripwire Interactive, Maneater is one of the few games to leave Xbox Game Pass and then return, rejoining the service in February 2024.Experience the ultimate power fantasy as the apex predator of the seas – a terrifying SHARK! Maneater is a single player, open world action RPG (ShaRkPG) where YOU are the shark. Starting as a small shark pup you are tasked with surviving the harsh world while eating your way up the ecosystem. To do this, you will explore a large and varied open world, encountering diverse enemies – both human and wildlife. Find the right resources, and you can grow and evolve far beyond what nature intended, allowing the player to tailor the shark to their play style. This is fortunate, because to get revenge on the cruel fisherman that dismembered you will take evolving into a massive shark, an apex predator of legends. Eat. Explore. Evolve.Maneater has been played by over 273,000 tracked gamers in the TA community, with just over 9,000 users (3%) unlocking all 44 achievements – 32 from the base game, and 12 more from Truth Quest DLC. It’s estimated to take 15-20 hours for the full completion.Fencing, Archery, Climbing, or Swimming – which event will you choose? Place your vote and let us know your thoughts in the comments! And as always, if you have any suggestions for future Playlist games or themes, be sure to drop them in the TA Playlist Game Suggestion Thread for possible inclusion in a future poll!Which game should the community play for August 2024’s TA Playlist?
Lies of P
Far Cry 5
Jusant
Maneater