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

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.

Broforce

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

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

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.