🔗 Share this article

Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several big-name day-one releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

Our current picks include a cathartic action game, an prize-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent thrill for any pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative touching on post-pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her education and family life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first 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 8 protagonists, every one embodying a different story style. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown background, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.