🔗 Share this article

After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name day-one releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

This week's recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as ever, with the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. Is there a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, which is also included). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant aiming to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.