After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several big-name day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.
This week's picks feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.
From time to time, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage targeting enemy targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, with the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for any peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.
1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring post-pandemic existence, family trauma, 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 wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that terrible plague, along with memories of her school and family life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot develops from that point. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than that?
Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, also available). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, every one embodying a different story style. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A trader striving to solve destitution through the power of commerce headlines a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.
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James Shepherd
James Shepherd
James Shepherd
James Shepherd
James Shepherd