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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. Although it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive library of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations feature a cathartic action game, an award-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative touching on post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that terrible disease, as well as memories of her education and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a murder. Is there a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's 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 (as is the original game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, each representing a different genre. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A trader aiming to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a hero with an unknown background, naturally). A few of these stories connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.