Three Game Pass Titles That Will Validate Your Subscription During the Weekend (Nov. 21-23)

After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast library of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's picks include a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent mayhem targeting Nazi targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the security of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with experiences of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, which is also included). However, with a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one representing a different genre. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.