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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming now, the service has introduced several big-name launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, also available). But, with a break in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a different story style. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate poverty through the power of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs require a character with an mysterious past, naturally). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.