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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. While it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several high-profile day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current recommendations include a cathartic action game, an award-winning independent gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players intensely graphic carnage against enemy targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It examines these themes through a sci-fi lens; 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 sister clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, as well as experiences of her education and home life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot develops from there. Should all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just 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 departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, each embodying a different story style. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric investigating the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious background, naturally). A few of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.