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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed several big-name launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current picks include a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent mayhem against enemy forces. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with memories of her school and home life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the story develops from that point. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. What could be a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if any game deserving 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 original game, also available). However, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a distinct story style. There's a procedural story about a cleric investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a character with an unknown past, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.