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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it might not be considered the top deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations include a cathartic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. While 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 brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, generational pain, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate poverty through the power of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.