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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the service has welcomed a number of big-name day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's picks feature a cathartic action game, an prize-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent mayhem targeting Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as ever, with the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for any pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that terrible plague, along with memories of her education and home life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. Should all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, also available). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each embodying a different genre. There's a procedural tale about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.