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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has introduced several high-profile launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a therapeutic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage targeting Nazi targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, which is also included). However, with a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one representing a different story style. You'll find a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his church's archbishop. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown background, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.