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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it might not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming now, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's recommendations feature a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage against enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, 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 gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, which is also included). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one embodying a different genre. There's a investigative story about a cleric investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to solve destitution through the force of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.