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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed several high-profile day-one games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the game's trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative touching on life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the story develops from there. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a killing. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, every one representing a different genre. There's a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs require a hero with an mysterious background, naturally). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.