Three Game Pass Titles That Will Validate Your Membership This Weekend (Nov. 21-23)

After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. Although it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of big-name launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations include a therapeutic action game, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the game's signature killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on life after a pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). However, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one representing a distinct genre. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the death of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, naturally). A few of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.