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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of big-name day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic action game, an prize-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players ultraviolent carnage targeting Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as always, with the series' trademark killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific disease, as well as experiences of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). However, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a distinct story style. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate poverty through the force of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.