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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. Although it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the service has introduced a number of high-profile launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a cathartic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as ever, with the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with memories of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each embodying a distinct story style. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs require a character with an unknown background, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.