🔗 Share this article

After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it might not be seen as the absolute best offer 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. Those additions further enrich a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent mayhem targeting Nazi forces. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, along with memories of her education and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). However, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, each representing a distinct story style. There's a procedural story about a cleric investigating the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.