3 new Xbox Game Pass games that you should play this weekend (December 13-15)

By Tomas Franzese Published December 13, 2024

Indiana jones buried in the sand. — Bethesda

Xbox Game Pass has had a wild year of ups and downs. While the introduction of new tiers with different game offerings has made subscribing a more confusing process, lots of fantastic games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 have still come to the service the day they released. Over the past couple of weeks, we saw the launch of the last few of 2024’s day one Xbox Game Pass titles. These range from early access indies to a new Indiana Jones game from the developer of the Wolfenstein series. If you’re wondering what you should be playing on Xbox Game Pass this weekend, look to these titles.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Gamescom Date Reveal Trailer - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | gamescom 2024

The last major Xbox exclusive release of the year, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, is a first-person action-adventure game based on the iconic Lucasfilm series. Wolfenstein: The New Order and The New Colossus developer MachineGames managed to create a licensed game that still retains a unique gameplay identity, infusing puzzle game and immersive sim gameplay elements into what easily could’ve been an Uncharted knockoff. If you’ve ever enjoyed an Indiana Jones film and are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, then Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a game you should definitely check out.

Recommended Videos

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is now available to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers via PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Wildfrost

Wildfrost - Xbox Launch Trailer

If you’ve been looking for a new card game roguelike hybrid to kill some time with as we wait for Slay the Spire 2, then Wildfrost is a good option. Wildfrost takes that tried and true roguelike setup and applies it to tactical RPG combat centered around controlling the countdown timer of when your enemies can attack next. When you create the perfect deck to stall enemies and deal a ton of damage, Wildfrost is as satisfying as the best card games out there. It finally came to Game Pass alongside the release of its Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S port, so now is a great time to try out Wildfrost if you’ve never played it before.

The PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S versions of Wildfrost are now available to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. It’s also on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Overthrown

Overthrown – Game Preview Launch Trailer

If you’re a fan of survival games, then you’ll want to check out Overthrown. This Xbox Game Preview title from Brimstone and Maximum Entertainment has the same core loop as most games of its style, as players have to work together to gather resources and then build towns they can defend and farm in. Overthrown stands out because of the visual flourishes it gives its mechanics, like being able to dash at really fast speeds or chuck almost any object you find very far. If you’re getting a little burnt out on other games of this ilk, Overthrown is a solid alternative you can follow throughout development on Game Pass.

Overthrown is available to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers through PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Topics

A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

Xbox Game Pass is getting 2 of January’s biggest games

Citizen Sleeper 2 cover art.

Both Sniper Elite: Resistance and Citizen Sleeper 2 are making their way to Game Pass before the end of the month, along with a slew of other must-play titles. Although games come and go from the service, Game Pass rarely adds as many notable games at once as it has this month. January is host to several day-one releases, as well as several updates and DLC that promise to change up your most-played games.
Sniper Elite: Resistance — January 30

Few games can compare themselves to the Sniper Elite franchise in terms of gameplay. Combining stealth and tactical combat, Sniper Elite: Resistance isn't just a sniping sim. You'll have to think carefully about your targets and find the right way to line up your shot without being targeted.
Citizen Sleeper 2 — January 31
The original Citizen Sleeper was one heck of an RPG, and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector builds on that formula with an amnesiac android with a busted body. Find a ship, find a crew, keep flying. It's like cyborg Firefly, kind of — and that's incredibly exciting.
Lonely Mountain: Snow Riders — January 21
Lonely Mountain: Snow Riders is a follow up to Lonely Mountains: Downhill, a Trials-like experience that has you master the mountain trails on skis, racing against other players in online multiplayer or trying to set the best time possible. Lonely Mountain: Snow Riders is available today on Game Pass.
Flock — January 22

Gaming

3 PS Plus games you should play this weekend (January 17-19)

Karl Fairburne in Sniper Elite 5.

We're at the tail end of a particularly long gap between new PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra game catalog drops. As such, I don't have new games coming to the service to recommend. Instead, I want to spotlight the games you should check out to prepare for some of the first high-profile releases of the year. New games in the Dynasty Warriors, Sniper Elite, and Monster Hunter series will be launching over the next couple of months, and prior entries in each of those franchises are available as part of Sony's gaming subscription service. That's why PS Plus subscribers who are looking forward to these games should use this weekend to play catch-up (if you aren't already checking out Dynasty Warriors: Origins).
Sniper Elite 5
Sniper Elite 5 – Marksman Trailer | PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5

Sniper Elite: Resistance launches on January 30 and serves as a spinoff of Sniper Elite 5. It follows a Special Operations Executive agent helping the French Resistance fight off the encroaching Nazi threat. While it's meant to be standalone, some of the narrative context might not make sense unless you've played Sniper Elite 5. Thankfully, that game is part of the PS Plus game catalog and it's a substantially entertaining game in its own right. There are few things more satisfying in gaming than this series' slow-mo sniper kills. Sniper Elite 5, in particular, excels in making each level feel like a large sandbox with lots of options for completing objectives.

Gaming

3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (January 17-19)

Key art for Diablo 1.

While Xbox Game Pass is off to a slow start in 2025, some new games have come to the subscription service this week. Namely, a classic Blizzard game that revolutionized the loot-driven RPG space, Diablo, got added to PC Game Pass a few months after the early Starcraft games did. Meanwhile, console Game Pass Ultimate subscribers got access to the latest EA Sports UFC games. Those two games, plus an enjoyable early access game that recently became available to Game Pass Standard subscribers, are worth your while this weekend.
Diablo
Diablo – Opening Cinematic

The original Diablo was a very important one for Blizzard Entertainment. It was the studio's first big success after Warcraft, proving Blizzard wasn't a one-trick pony and kick-started another franchise that's still ongoing today. On top of that, it also played a large role in popularizing loot-driven RPGs with procedurally generated content and online multiplayer gaming as a whole. Although it's dated by modern standards, Diablo is an important piece of video game history worth revisiting today. Hopefully, Diablo II: Resurrected and Diablo III will make their way to the Game Pass soon so the whole franchise can be played on Microsoft's gaming subscription service.

nproxy.org