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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be considered the top offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced several high-profile day-one games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic life, family pain, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, along with experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. Is there a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one embodying a different story style. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.