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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. Although it might not be considered the top offer in gaming now, the service has introduced several big-name launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current recommendations include a therapeutic shooter, an prize-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her school and family life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does start with a murder. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). However, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one embodying a different story style. There's a investigative story about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the power of commerce headlines a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because every good RPGs require a character with an unknown background, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.