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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. Although it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi targets. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into 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 easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in only nine days 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 masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, every one embodying a different story style. There's a procedural tale about a priest looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A trader aiming to solve poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs require a character with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.