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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. Although it may not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the service has introduced a number of big-name day-one games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, each representing a different genre. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the power of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). A few of these stories connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.