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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative tale about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown background, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.