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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

This week's picks include a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy forces. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative touching on post-pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as experiences of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game worth 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 (as is the first game, which is also included). However, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each representing a different genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.