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

Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it might not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a vast library of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations include a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning independent gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent mayhem targeting Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam showing each shot's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with memories of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). However, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each embodying a distinct story style. You'll find a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate poverty through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since all great RPGs require a character with an unknown background, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.

Alexandra James
Alexandra James

Award-winning investigative journalist with over 15 years of experience covering political and social issues across Europe.