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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it might not be considered the top deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed a number of big-name launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive collection of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent mayhem targeting Nazi forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as always, with the series' trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for any peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative exploring life after a pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her school and family life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one representing a distinct genre. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a character with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.