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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name day-one releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). However, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each embodying a different story style. You'll find a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a western-themed adventure. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a character with an unknown past, of course). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.