Typically, this series showcases a few top games available on Xbox Series X/S for the weekend. However, limited time means players often must choose carefully: a balancing act between gaming and resting. This time, by narrowing the selection, players can experience a more focused sessions that doesn’t leave them juggling between titles. There are only three picks this week, one for each day of the weekend, crafted to suit different moods as the days go by.
This weekend’s three Xbox Series X/S recommendations can be taken as a weekend gaming itinerary. Friday is for adrenaline and teamwork, Saturday is for high-stakes immersion, and Sunday is for cozy, low-pressure play to prep for the next week. Whether a player is craving co-op chaos, a tightly woven story, or a world they can tend to at their own pace, these three picks should carry anyone straight through to Monday morning.
Best Online Co-Op Games On Xbox Game Pass
Looking to team up with a few friends? Then check out the best online co-op games on Xbox Game Pass.
Why Now is the Perfect Time to Play Aliens: Fireteam Elite
Friday’s recommendation is inspired by Tuesday’s event on another platform: television. It's uncommon for a video game to launch on Xbox Game Pass and coincide with a TV debut. But if any franchise could pull this off, it would be Alien. Aliens: Fireteam Elite, a recent Xbox Game Pass addition, immerses players in the franchise's cosmic horror. Released in 2021, it’s a great choice for those who just watched the pilot of Alien: Earth and are eager for the next episode, or for fans who enjoy the franchise’s most haunting moments.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a cooperative third-person survival shooter that throws an elite team of marines into battle in an effort to control the growing threat of Alien's Xenomorphs. The game, set 23 years after the original Alien trilogy and based heavily on the second film, follows a Colonial Marine aboard the UAS Endeavor, a spaceship sent to respond to a distress signal from the outer colonies. With seven classes and 130 perks, players can customize a Marine capable of putting down any Xenomorph.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 68 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- August 24, 2021
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Cold Iron Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Cold Iron Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
Play with up to two players or AI as you battle through four campaigns to explore the mystery of a new planet, LV-895. Discover what hides in the ruins and caves beneath in this third-person survival shooter set in the Aliens universe.
Build your fireteam focusing on class composition, consumables, and weapons to take down Xenomorphs, beat Challenge Card runs, or play various game modes with friends.
Blast through hordes of Xenomorphs, evade deadly Prowlers and Spitters, and set up defensive positions to stay alive long enough to get your fireteam to safety.
Build your Marine the way you want. Level up in each of 7 unique classes or be a master of one. Choose your weapon – everything from magnums and SMGs to rocket launchers – and use over 130 unique perks to create the build of your choice.
Level your character through 7 Class Kits, each with two unique abilities to use in combat and unlockable perks. Max out a variety of weapons, powering them up in stats the more you use them.
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Why Now is the Perfect Time to Play Resident Evil 4 Remake (2023)
Saturday calls for something immersive; something someone can sink hours into without realizing how much time has passed. Resident Evil 4 delivers exactly that. It’s a gripping blend of action, horror, and exploration, keeping the tension high while still offering satisfying combat and progression. The pacing is masterful even for today’s standards: just when a player starts to feel safe, the game throws a curveball, pulling them deeper into its eerie, unpredictable world.
Players take on the role of Leon S. Kennedy, a government agent sent to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter from a remote European village. But what starts as a straightforward rescue mission quickly spirals into a nightmare as the locals, controlled by a strange parasite, have turned hostile. Along the way, players will uncover dark secrets, face grotesque enemies, and navigate a labyrinth of interconnected locations that constantly test their survival instincts. It’s a classic for a reason, and the modern reimaginings have made it even more irresistible.
Resident Evil 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
WHERE TO PLAY
Survival is just the beginning.
Six years have passed since the biological disaster in Raccoon City.
Agent Leon S. Kennedy, one of the survivors of the incident, has been sent to rescue the president's kidnapped daughter. He tracks her to a secluded European village, where there is something terribly wrong with the locals.
And the curtain rises on this story of daring rescue and grueling horror where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect.
Featuring modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics, Resident Evil 4 marks the rebirth of an industry juggernaut.
Relive the nightmare that revolutionized survival horror.
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Why Now is the Perfect Time to Play Stardew Valley
Sometimes, the best part of the weekend is slowing down. Sundays are the perfect time for a slower pace to prepare for the week ahead. And there is no better game to relax with than Stardew Valley. There’s a reason why it is considered one of the greatest cozy games of all time, having set major milestones for the life-sim genre despite the fact that it was only a small indie project. Even though it’s been almost ten years since its release, Stardew Valley still holds up and continues to set the standard of quality to beat in the genre.
Stardew Valley kicks off with a classic Hallmark movie charm: the protagonist is eager to escape their corporate job. Fortunately, they inherit their grandfather’s old farm, giving them a perfect reason to leave. Upon arriving in charming, scenic Pelican Town, they find the farm in worse shape than expected and realize the town needs help to revive itself. The game centers on cultivating a successful farm, building bonds with the villagers who can be romanced, and restoring the neglected Community Center to its former splendor.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
WHERE TO PLAY
You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation