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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it might not be considered the top offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several high-profile day-one releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players intensely graphic carnage against enemy forces. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her school and home life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, also available). But, with a break in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each embodying a distinct story style. You'll find a procedural story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant aiming to solve destitution through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a hero with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.