3 Game Pass Games That Will Justify Your Subscription During the Weekend (Nov. 21-23)

After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced several high-profile day-one releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations include a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, along with memories of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, which is also included). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each embodying a distinct story style. There's a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant aiming to eradicate poverty through the force of capitalism headlines a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.