Three Xbox Game Pass Games That Will Validate Your Subscription This Weekend (Nov. 21-23)

After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it might not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of big-name day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning independent gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as ever, with the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story touching on life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her school and family life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from there. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, which is also included). However, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one embodying a distinct genre. There's a investigative tale about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the power of capitalism headlines a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, naturally). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its essence.