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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it may not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced several big-name day-one releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring post-pandemic life, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her education and family life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one embodying a different genre. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate poverty through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious past, naturally). A few of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.