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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it might not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile day-one games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations feature a therapeutic shooter, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players ultraviolent mayhem against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one representing a different story style. There's a investigative tale about a priest investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A trader striving to solve destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since all great RPGs require a hero with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.