🔗 Share this article

Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it might not be seen as the top offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced a number of big-name launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

Our current picks include a cathartic shooter, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem against enemy forces. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and much more. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the story unfolds from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, each embodying a different story style. You'll find a investigative story about a priest investigating the death of his church's archbishop. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, naturally). A few of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.