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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it may not be considered the top deal in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile day-one games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story exploring life after a pandemic life, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, along with memories of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot develops from there. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a tall order, 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, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, each embodying a different story style. You'll find a investigative story about a priest investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a character with an unknown background, naturally). Some of these stories connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.