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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced several high-profile launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). But, due to a break in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a different genre. You'll find a investigative story about a priest looking into the death of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a character with an unknown past, of course). A few of these stories connect in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its essence.