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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it may not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced several big-name launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the game's trademark killcam showing each shot's impact in gory, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot develops from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each representing a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the power of capitalism headlines a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these stories connect in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.