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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced several high-profile launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current picks include a cathartic shooter, an award-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth 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, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, each embodying a different story style. There's a procedural tale about a priest investigating the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.