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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several high-profile launch day releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a vast library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's picks feature a cathartic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential 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 precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, with the series' trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her education and family life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one embodying a different genre. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the death of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs require a character with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.