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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the service has introduced a number of high-profile day-one releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy forces. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, family pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her school and home life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). But, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. There's a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.