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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. While it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed several high-profile launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast library of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving 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 game's signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring post-pandemic existence, family pain, and much more. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, as well as experiences of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, also available). However, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, each representing a different genre. There's a investigative tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the power of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.