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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. Although it might not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several high-profile day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations include a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage targeting enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative touching on post-pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, as well as experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the story develops from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, also available). But, with a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one representing a different genre. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.