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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 top deal in gaming now, the service has introduced several high-profile day-one games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage targeting Nazi targets. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative touching on post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, along with experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story develops from that point. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a murder. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a character with an mysterious background, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.