🔗 Share this article

Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile day-one releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's recommendations include a cathartic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam showing each shot's impact in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from there. Should all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a killing. Is there a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, also available). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each embodying a distinct genre. There's a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown background, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.