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

After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several big-name launch day releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations include a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative exploring life after a pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from that point. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just 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 masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a different story style. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric investigating the death of his church's head priest. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, of course). Some of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.