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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several high-profile launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive library of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic shooter, an prize-winning independent 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 series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi 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 serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow 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 easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, which is also included). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one representing a different story style. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (because all great RPGs need a character with an unknown background, naturally). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.