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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several high-profile launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning independent gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage against Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, with the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in gory, explicit detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with memories of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story develops from there. Should all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, also available). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each embodying a different genre. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (because all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.