🔗 Share this article

Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it may not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent mayhem targeting enemy targets. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a violent thrill for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game does begin with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each embodying a distinct genre. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.