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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it may not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed several big-name day-one games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the game's trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her school and home life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, which is also included). However, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one embodying a different genre. There's a procedural tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.