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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it might not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming now, the service has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of numerous games ideal for weekend gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for any peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member 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 when Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if any game worth trying the grind 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 original game, which is also included). However, with a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one representing a distinct story style. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the force of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, of course). A few of these stories connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.