After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. While it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced several big-name launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.
Our current picks include a therapeutic action game, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.
Sniper Elite: Resistance
Every so often, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting Nazi targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for any pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a digital space.
Resist 1000x
1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic life, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her education and home life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from there. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling opening than this?
Octopath Traveler 2
Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, which is also included). However, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, each representing a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.
