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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. While it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a massive library of hundreds games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as always, with the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for any peace-lover wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic life, family pain, and much more. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that terrible disease, as well as memories of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. There's a procedural tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious background, naturally). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.