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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast collection of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi forces. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the game's signature killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic life, generational trauma, 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 survivor of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game worth trying the grind 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, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one representing a different genre. There's a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the death of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, naturally). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.