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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming now, the service has welcomed several high-profile day-one releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's picks include a cathartic action game, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It approaches 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 global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, also available). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a different genre. There's a procedural story about a priest investigating the murder of his church's archbishop. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a character with an unknown past, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.