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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it might not be considered the top deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced several high-profile launch day releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's picks feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the game's trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of 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 delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, as well as experiences of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting 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 first game, which is also included). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, each embodying a different story style. There's a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs require a hero with an mysterious background, naturally). Some of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.