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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current recommendations include 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 bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent mayhem targeting enemy forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, featuring the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic existence, family pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot develops from there. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, each embodying a different genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric investigating the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the force of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.