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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of big-name day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, with the series' trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist wanting to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as experiences of her school and home life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting 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 first game, also available). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one representing a different genre. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.