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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. Although it may not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed a number of big-name day-one games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks include a cathartic shooter, an award-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative exploring life after a pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with memories of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the story unfolds from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the effort 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 original game, also available). But, with a break in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one embodying a different story style. There's a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a character with an unknown background, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.