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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. Although it may not be seen as the top deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

Our current recommendations include a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play 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 precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the security of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; 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 memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game does begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in just 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 visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, which is also included). But, with a break in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a different story style. There's a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the death of his church's head priest. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these stories connect in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.