Skip to main content

3 Xbox Game Pass games to play this Independence Day weekend (July 4-7)

Fallout 3 key art featuring the protagonist wearing the iconic power armor.
Bethesda

It’s Independence Day weekend, so you’re probably looking for some games to play if you don’t have to work this holiday weekend. If you’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, the service offers plenty of games to choose from. This weekend, three titles from its catalog stand out as particularly fitting to play on this holiday weekend if you plan on spending more time on your Xbox or PC rather than outside with this time off.

The first is an indie game from Free Lives and Devolver Digital that satirizes the over-the-top, bombastic nature of both American patriotism and blockbuster movies. Next, there’s a Fallout video game set around Washington, D.C., that you can check out if you’re getting tired of playing Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. Finally, I’m recommending a baseball game that’s on Xbox Game Pass for those who’d rather play a game themselves than watch one on TV.

Recommended Videos

Broforce

A screenshot of a level in Broforce.
Devolver Digital

Broforce is one of my favorite indie games of the 2010s because of how shamelessly excessive it is. It’s a pixelated 2D platformer in which players can destroy pretty much anything in a level as spoofs of characters from classic movies. Playable characters include “Rambro” and “Double Bro Seven,” each of which comes with a unique ability that adds to the destruction in its own way. Few games match the satisfaction that comes from tearing a Broforce level apart with explosives before escaping on a helicopter and watching everything blow up behind you.

Broforce does retain some old-school difficulty too, as players die in one hit. When that happens, you’ll respawn as another Bro, so the design smartly allows players to cycle through all the different characters and get ample time on them. Broforce clearly satirizes American exceptionalism, with the Bros and their commander spreading “freedom” around the world but mainly just leaving destruction in their wake. Broforce finally came to Xbox in 2023 and was added to Game Pass from day one, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, this Fourth of July holiday weekend gives you the perfect excuse to do so.

The Xbox One and PC versions of Broforce are available through Xbox Game Pass. It’s also on PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

Fallout 3

A soldier in power armor in Fallout 3.
Bethesda

Bethesda’s Fallout series is more relevant than it has been in years because of the new Amazon Prime TV show. If you’ve been sticking with the newer games like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, take this holiday weekend to look back and play the first Fallout game Bethesda ever made: Fallout 3. Its gameplay and dialogue systems might feel a bit dated by modern standards, but this 2008 classic is vitally important because it’s responsible for reviving interest in the series and establishing the gameplay formula all future Bethesda Fallout games would follow.

What makes Fallout 3 particularly fitting for Independence Day weekend is that it’s set around Washington, D.C. While a postapocalyptic America might not be what a lot of people want to see right now, it’s still a very distinct setting and one the TV show likely won’t touch anytime soon as it’s set in the United States’ west coast. Although it’s best to play Fallout 3 on PC because you can then heavily mod it, you’ll still see some benefits, like the game running at 4K and 60 frames per second, if you choose to play the Xbox 360 version on an Xbox Series X console through Microsoft’s subscription service.

The Xbox 360 and PC versions of Fallout 3 are included in the Xbox Game Pass game catalog. The game also launched on PS3.

MLB The Show 24

A woman plays baseball in MLB The Show 24.
Sony Interactive Entertainment

We’re right in the middle of the baseball season, and you’ll probably be watching a game at any Fourth of July party this weekend. If you want more of this sport but don’t want to play in the summer heat, then you’ll be relieved to hear that a fantastic baseball simulation game is on Xbox Game Pass. I’m referencing MLB The Show 24, the latest entry in Sony San Diego’s annual baseball game series that has come to Xbox Game Pass every year since 2021.

MLB The Show 24 does not radically alter the formula from Sony San Diego’s previous games. Instead, it expands on what came before by continuing to refine animations and gameplay, adding a career mode for female players called Road to the Show: Women Pave the Way, and expanding Storylines with a new season of content about The Negro Leagues. It’s a very easy game to pick up and play as well, so you don’t have to worry about dedicating a ton of time to it this weekend if you don’t have it.

MLB The Show 24 is available via Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It’s on PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch as well.

Tomas Franzese
As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (November 1-3)
xbox game pass recommendations november 1 throne and liberty

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was a monumental addition to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate last week, so no week of additions to the service will live up to that for a while. Still, that didn't stop some more games from trickling onto Microsoft's subscription service in the wake of the latest Call of Duty. In fact, the games that came to the service were quite good. If you're wondering what you should be checking out next as a Game Pass subscriber after you're done with Black Ops 6, consider trying one of these games.
Ashen
ASHEN | Gamescom 2018 Gameplay

In July, A44 released Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, and it was part of Xbox Game Pass from day one. Now, the studio has brought its previous Soulslike to the subscription service. Originally released in 2018, Ashen stood out from the crowd at the time thanks to its distinct, grayish cel-shaded look and open-world design years before Elden Ring came out. Ashen still stands as one of the best indie Soulslikes ever released, so those who have never played it before should give it a shot now that it's on Xbox Game Pass. It'll also make for an enjoyable Game Pass Soulslike double-feature with Flintlock.

Read more
3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (October 25-27)
A player holds a dead player as a body shield in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

It's Call of Duty week on Xbox Game Pass. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launched today, and from day one, it's a part of Game Pass Ultimate's game catalog. It's one of the big payoffs of Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Depending on how it performs, it may be one of the most important games to ever come to the subscription service. On top of that, other Call of Duty games finally got Xbox Cloud Gaming support, which required collaboration with Ubisoft because of certain concessions made during the Activision Blizzard acquisition process. If you're an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber wondering what you should play this weekend, the obvious answer is Call of Duty.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - Global Launch Gameplay Trailer

After four years, the Call of Duty: Black Ops series has made its grand return. It brings the series' story to the 1990s with a spy-movie-like campaign that sees players investigate a secret, nefarious organization that has infiltrated the American government. While the campaign alone is reason enough to check out the new Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass, Black Ops 6 also features meaty multiplayer and Zombies modes. Multiplayer is as exhilarating as ever, with an emphasis being placed on an "omnimovement" system that allows players to dive, roll, and dodge enemies with a lot more freedom than they could before. Meanwhile, Zombies mode finds a solid balance between old and new mechanics. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available via PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription. It's also on PS4 and PS5.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III technically came to the subscription service in July but was restricted to PC and console play. Now, alongside Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Modern Warfare III is playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. This was a lesser entry in the series with a disappointing campaign, but if you're looking for another premium Call of Duty game to try after playing lots of Black Ops 6, Modern Warfare III is the only other one on the service. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. It's also on PS4 and PS5.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Finally, Call of Duty: Warzone also comes to Xbox Cloud Gaming today. This free-to-play battle royale title doesn't require any sort of subscription to play normally, but Game Pass subscribers now have the benefit of not needing to be tethered down by specific hardware. So far, there aren't any other additional in-game perks for Game Pass subscribers, but hopefully Warzone will follow Overwatch 2's lead and add some soon enough. If you aren't using Xbox Cloud Gaming, Call of Duty: Warzone is playable on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Read more
3 new Xbox Game Pass games to try this weekend (October 18-20)
South Park The Fractured But Whole

While the first half of October was fairly light on new Xbox Game Pass additions, the back half of the month is a lot more exciting. Of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the month's biggest release, but that's still a week away. Meanwhile, this week saw two great RPGs and an excellent indie game hit Microsoft's subscription service. If you're wondering what you should be playing this weekend, all three of these new Xbox Game Pass additions are worthy of your time.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
South Park: The Fractured But Whole Gameplay Trailer - Gamescom 2016

While this year's South Park: Snow Day was a disappointment, the two Ubisoft-published games that preceded it narratively are stellar. One of those, the superhero-themed South Park: The Fractured But Whole, just came to Xbox Game Pass. This game perfectly captures the handcrafted look of the show with its art and the franchise's crass humor through its increasingly ridiculous story about Cartman, a new kid, and their other friends pretending to be superheroes. It's a surprisingly well-made grid-based tactical RPG, making it a significantly better game than it may seem on the surface.

Read more