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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it may not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has introduced a number of high-profile day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players ultraviolent mayhem targeting enemy targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, with the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody thrill for any pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, generational pain, and much more. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with memories of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one embodying a distinct story style. You'll find a procedural story about a priest investigating the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to solve poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, of course). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.