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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has introduced several high-profile launch day releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, featuring the series' trademark killcam showing every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody thrill for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as experiences of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing 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 HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). But, due to a break in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one embodying a different genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant aiming to eradicate poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since all great RPGs require a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.