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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name day-one releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a vast collection of numerous games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current picks include a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning independent gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one embodying a distinct story style. There's a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to solve poverty through the power of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs require a hero with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.