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Following the recent 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 introduced a number of high-profile launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting Nazi forces. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody thrill for any pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, every one embodying a distinct genre. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A trader striving to solve destitution through the force of capitalism headlines a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, of course). A few of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.