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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the top deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive library of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting Nazi forces. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, as well as experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). But, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one embodying a distinct story style. You'll find a procedural story about a priest investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired world. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.