🔗 Share this article

After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. Although it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage against Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent thrill for any pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic life, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour 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 gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, also available). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, each embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric investigating the death of his church's archbishop. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a western-themed adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.