3 Game Pass Titles That Can Validate Your Membership During the Weekend (Nov. 21-23)

After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced a number of big-name launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast collection of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations feature a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage targeting Nazi forces. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as always, with the series' trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the story develops from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). However, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, each embodying a different genre. There's a procedural tale about a priest looking into the murder of his church's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a character with an unknown past, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.