🔗 Share this article

Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of big-name day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist looking to unwind in the security of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the story unfolds from there. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). But, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one embodying a distinct story style. There's a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the death of his church's head priest. A trader striving to solve destitution through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a character with an unknown background, naturally). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired world. And the battle system is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.