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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced several high-profile day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for any pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with memories of her school and family life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth 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). But, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader aiming to solve poverty through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these stories connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.