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

Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it might not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed several high-profile day-one games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive library of hundreds games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem against enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist looking to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with memories of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, also available). However, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, every one embodying a different genre. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce headlines a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.