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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. Although it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast collection of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem against enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with memories of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these stories connect in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.