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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. Although it might not be considered the top offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of big-name day-one releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature 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 bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the series' trademark killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for any pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only 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 plague, along with experiences of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each representing a different story style. There's a investigative story about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the power of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.