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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, with the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her education and home life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour 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 visually striking gem 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 States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one representing a distinct story style. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the death of his church's head priest. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs need a character with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.