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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced several high-profile launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a violent thrill for any pacifist wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic existence, generational pain, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, along with memories of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, each embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric looking into the death of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a hero with an unknown background, naturally). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its essence.