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

After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it might not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several big-name day-one releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's picks include a cathartic action game, an prize-winning independent gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage against Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the game's signature killcam showing each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic life, family trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of several 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 disease, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from there. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each representing a distinct story style. There's a investigative story about a cleric investigating the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to solve poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a character with an unknown background, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.