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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced several high-profile launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's recommendations include a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players intensely graphic carnage against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor 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 disease, along with memories of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each embodying a different story style. You'll find a procedural story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs require a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.