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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. Although it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced several big-name launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a violent thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic life, family pain, and much more. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, also available). However, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each representing a different story style. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate poverty through the power of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (because all great RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.