3 Xbox Game Pass Titles That Will Validate Your Subscription During the Weekend (Nov. 21-23)

Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive collection of numerous games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody thrill for any pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, along with experiences of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, also available). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, every one representing a distinct story style. You'll find a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the death of his church's head priest. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a character with an unknown background, naturally). A few of these stories connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.