Three Game Pass Games That Can Justify Your Membership This Weekend (Nov. 21-23)

After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the top deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several big-name launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current picks feature a cathartic action game, an prize-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage against Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with memories of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, each embodying a distinct story style. There's a investigative story about a priest investigating the death of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a hero with an unknown background, of course). A few of these stories connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.