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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one games lately, including 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 feature a cathartic action game, an prize-winning independent masterpiece, 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 presents players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for any pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring life after a pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her school and family 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 intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing 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 those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each representing a different story style. There's a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to eradicate poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.