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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of big-name launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's recommendations feature a cathartic action game, an award-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players ultraviolent mayhem against enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on life after a pandemic life, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, along with memories of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. Should all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the grind 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 first game, also available). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one representing a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative story about a priest looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce headlines a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.