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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several high-profile launch day releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a polished serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam showing each shot's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her education and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the story develops from there. Should all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just 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 masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each embodying a different story style. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant aiming to solve poverty through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.