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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it may not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name launch day releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a massive library of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks include a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for any peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, each embodying a different story style. There's a investigative tale about a priest looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A trader striving to solve destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a hero with an mysterious background, of course). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.