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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of big-name launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, with the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as 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 delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, along with memories of her education and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, every one representing a distinct genre. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs require a hero with an mysterious background, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.