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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of big-name launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current picks include a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players ultraviolent mayhem against enemy forces. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, with the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on life after a pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole 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, along with experiences of her school and home life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one representing a different story style. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” boiled to its purest form.