🔗 Share this article

After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it might not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several big-name launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent mayhem against enemy forces. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that terrible plague, along with experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, which is also included). But, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each embodying a different story style. There's a investigative story about a priest investigating the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to solve destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.