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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed several high-profile launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

Our current recommendations include a therapeutic 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 release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players ultraviolent mayhem against enemy targets. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody thrill for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if 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). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one representing a distinct story style. There's a investigative tale about a priest investigating the death of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.