3 Xbox Series X/S Games to Play This Weekend (August 15 – August 17)

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.

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

3/10

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

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

9/10

Released

March 24, 2023

ESRB

M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

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.