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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the top offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

Our current picks include a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting enemy forces. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative touching on post-pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, each representing a distinct story style. There's a investigative story about a priest investigating the murder of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the battle system is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its essence.