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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current picks feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning independent gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players intensely graphic carnage against enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic life, family trauma, and much more. It examines these themes 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 human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. If all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, each embodying a different story style. There's a procedural story about a priest investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.