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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. Although it may not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed a number of big-name launch day releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a vast collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players intensely graphic carnage targeting enemy forces. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative touching on life after a pandemic life, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from there. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, 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 original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, 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 priest investigating the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to solve destitution through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.