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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. Although it may not be considered the top offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced several high-profile day-one games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current picks feature a cathartic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as always, with the game's trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that terrible disease, as well as experiences of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a distinct story style. There's a investigative story about a priest investigating the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.