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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced a number of big-name launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current picks feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning indie gem, 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 offers players ultraviolent carnage against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with memories of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot develops from that point. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, also available). But, with a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one embodying a different story style. You'll find a procedural story about a cleric investigating the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, naturally). A few of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed world. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.