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

After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it might not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of big-name day-one releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's picks include a therapeutic action game, an award-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi forces. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for any pacifist wanting to unwind in the security of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with memories of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). However, with a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, every one embodying a different story style. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the death of his church's head priest. A trader aiming to solve poverty through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these stories intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.