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

Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of big-name launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a vast collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

Our current recommendations include a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections 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 learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one representing a different story style. There's a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs require a character with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its essence.