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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it may not be considered the top deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's picks include a cathartic action game, an award-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit detail. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, as well as experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one representing a distinct story style. You'll find a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to solve destitution through the force of commerce headlines a western-themed adventure. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.