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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several high-profile day-one games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's picks include a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy targets. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, with the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story exploring post-pandemic existence, generational pain, and much more. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed begin with a killing. What could be a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). However, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, each embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a priest investigating the death of his church's archbishop. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a character with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired world. And the battle system is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.