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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour 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 gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). However, with 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 investigative tale about a priest investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs require a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.