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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. Although it might not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several big-name launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic shooter, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage against Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for any pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic life, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with memories of her school and family life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. Is there a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, which is also included). However, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each embodying a different genre. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce headlines a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these stories connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.