🔗 Share this article

Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of big-name launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

This week's recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players intensely graphic carnage targeting Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with experiences of her school and family life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a killing. Is there a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each embodying a different genre. There's a procedural tale about a priest looking into the murder of his church's archbishop. A trader aiming to eradicate poverty through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, naturally). A few of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.