🔗 Share this article

After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of big-name launch day releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). But, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each embodying a different story style. There's a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these stories connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its essence.