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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast library of hundreds games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players intensely graphic carnage targeting enemy forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative exploring life after a pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. Is there a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, which is also included). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each representing a different story style. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.