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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the service has welcomed several big-name launch day releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's recommendations feature a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a bloody thrill for every pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, as well as experiences of her education and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). However, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one embodying a different story style. There's a procedural tale about a cleric investigating the death of his church's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate poverty through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these stories connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.