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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it may not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring life after a pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the effort 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 first game, also available). However, with a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, each representing a distinct genre. There's a procedural tale about a priest investigating the death of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these stories connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.