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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be considered the top offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several big-name launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic life, generational pain, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, along with experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot develops from that point. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one embodying a distinct story style. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the power of capitalism headlines a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.