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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks feature a cathartic action game, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players intensely graphic carnage targeting Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as ever, featuring the series' signature killcam showing each shot's impact in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that terrible disease, as well as memories of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, every one embodying a distinct genre. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.