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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. While it may not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several big-name launch day releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a vast library of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem against enemy targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for any pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative touching on post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member 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 terrible disease, along with memories of her education and family life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. What could be a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, every one representing a different genre. There's a investigative tale about a priest investigating the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant aiming to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.