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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has introduced several high-profile day-one games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a vast library of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's recommendations include a cathartic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition 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 Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning story exploring post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as experiences of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, also available). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one representing a distinct story style. There's a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs require a character with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.