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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion 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 recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive collection of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic action game, an award-winning independent gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players intensely graphic mayhem against enemy targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as always, with the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic life, generational pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with memories of her school and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story develops from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, which is also included). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each embodying a distinct story style. There's a procedural tale about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.