🔗 Share this article

After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive collection of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, with the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent thrill for every peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from there. Should all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just 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 gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each representing a distinct story style. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the power of capitalism headlines a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs require a character with an unknown background, naturally). A few of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.