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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several big-name launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a polished serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her education and family life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, also available). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, each embodying a distinct genre. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs require a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its essence.