Maya Chen is an HR consultant with over 10 years of experience in performance management and organizational development.
After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. Although it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed several big-name launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.
This week's picks include a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.
From time to time, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the security of a virtual space.
1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, along with memories of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than that?
Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one embodying a different story style. You'll find a procedural tale about a priest investigating the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant aiming to solve poverty through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb â ânumber go upâ distilled to its essence.
Maya Chen is an HR consultant with over 10 years of experience in performance management and organizational development.