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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. Although it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of big-name day-one games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations include a cathartic shooter, an award-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished serving of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as ever, with the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, also available). However, with a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one embodying a distinct story style. You'll find a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to solve poverty through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.