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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced a number of big-name launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players intensely graphic mayhem against enemy forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, with the game's trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for any pacifist looking to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, along with 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 there. Should all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just 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 leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, also available). However, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, each embodying a distinct genre. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the death of his church's head priest. A trader striving to solve poverty through the power of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its essence.