🔗 Share this article

Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic life, family pain, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with memories of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game does begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if there's 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 (along with the original game, also available). However, with a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each embodying a distinct story style. You'll find a procedural story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's archbishop. A merchant aiming to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.