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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed a number of big-name day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations include a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, with the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for any pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic existence, family pain, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only 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 terrible disease, along with memories of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long 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 departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one embodying a different genre. You'll find a procedural story about a cleric investigating the death of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.