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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current picks include a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning indie 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 series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent mayhem targeting enemy targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, family pain, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her school and family life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, each representing a different story style. You'll find a procedural tale about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader aiming to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). A few of these plots intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.