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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar 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 launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks include a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative exploring post-pandemic life, generational pain, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, along with memories of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, which is also included). However, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, every one embodying a different genre. You'll find a procedural story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.