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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several big-name launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a vast library of hundreds games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the series' trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for any peace-lover wanting to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative exploring post-pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with memories of her school and family life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. Should all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, 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 (as is the original game, also available). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each embodying a different story style. There's a procedural story about a priest investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs need a character with an mysterious background, naturally). A few of these stories connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.