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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage against Nazi forces. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It examines these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, along with experiences of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in only 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 visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, also available). But, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, each representing a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant aiming to solve destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these stories connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.