If your Xbox Game Pass backlog is already looking cursed, yeah, same. Microsoft’s subscription library now has around 900 games, and that is way too much choice for anyone who just wants to sit down and play something good after work.
For this weekend, three titles stand out from the pack: Hades 2, Absolum, and Starfield. The mix is quite solid too, with two roguelikes if you want that “one more run” addiction, plus a big Bethesda sci-fi RPG that just got a major update.
Hades 2 is the easy first pick
After previously being available on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Windows PC, Hades 2 landed on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X this week. That wider console launch means a lot more players can finally jump into one of the most talked-about roguelikes around right now.
This time, you play as Melinoë, sister of Zagreus from the first game. Her mission takes her deep into the Underworld again and again as she fights to save Hades and the rest of her family. The setup is familiar in the best way: repeated runs, brutal enemies, strong build variety, and Greek god boons that can completely change how each attempt feels.
What makes Hades 2 hit so hard is how quickly it hooks you. One run turns into three. Three turns into your whole night gone. If you like action games with tight combat loops and loads of replay value, this is the weekend killer.
For Malaysian and SEA players, this kind of game is especially easy to recommend because it suits short sessions. Whether you’re squeezing in runs after class, after kerja, or between ranked matches in your usual live-service games, Hades 2 fits nicely without demanding a full-day commitment.
Absolum looks classic, but has a roguelike twist
If you miss the feel of old-school arcade side-scrollers, Absolum sounds like a fun one to keep on your radar. On the surface, it looks like a familiar beat-’em-up: move right, smash enemies, survive the boss, repeat.
The difference is that Absolum also mixes in roguelike structure. Each run lets you shape your fighter with new perks, and the game pushes you to replay stages because its levels hide alternate routes and secrets. That gives it more staying power than a standard brawler.
Apparently it is not a perfect genre fusion, but it works better than expected because the level design keeps rewarding repeat attempts. You are not just replaying for the sake of it, you are replaying because there is more to uncover, and because your combat skills improve naturally over time.
That’s a nice fit for players here in SEA too. Beat-’em-ups already have that cybercafe, couch co-op, lepak-gaming energy, and adding roguelike progression gives the format a more modern hook.
Starfield gets a meaningful update
Starfield originally launched back in 2023, but it is back in the conversation this month thanks to a big update aimed at one of the game’s major criticisms. The headline change is simple: you can now fly between planets seamlessly.
That is a pretty major improvement for a game built around the fantasy of space exploration. The main story still sounds like the weaker part of the package, with players chasing mysterious objects rather than anything especially memorable. But for many people, that was never the point. The appeal is the freedom, the wandering, and the ability to just cruise through space and mess around in Bethesda’s sandbox.
And yes, it still comes with that familiar Bethesda flavour, which also means a bit of Bethesda jank. If you can live with that, Starfield may be worth revisiting this weekend, especially if you bounced off it earlier and wanted a better sense of planetary travel.
For Game Pass users in Malaysia, that matters. Big RPGs are expensive to buy blind, so subscription access makes it much easier to test whether a newly updated Starfield finally clicks for you.
The short version
If you want the safest pick, go with Hades 2. If you want something more unusual, try Absolum. If you want a slower sci-fi session and feel like giving Bethesda another shot, Starfield is the one.
Either way, this is one of those weekends where Game Pass saves you from doom-scrolling the library for an hour and then playing nothing.
Source: Polygon