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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting enemy forces. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the security of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic life, family trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with memories of her education and home life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one representing a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these stories connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its essence.