🔗 Share this article

After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed a number of big-name launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage targeting Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from there. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). However, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a procedural story about a cleric investigating the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.