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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. Although it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name day-one games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current recommendations include a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy targets. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic life, generational pain, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with memories of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only 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, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. There's a investigative story about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate poverty through the power of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.