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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it might not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current picks include a therapeutic action game, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi forces. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's impact in gory, explicit detail. It's a violent thrill for any pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, along with memories of her school and family life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game does begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling 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 masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, also available). But, with a break in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, each representing a distinct genre. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant aiming to solve destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.