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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. Although it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current picks include a cathartic action game, an prize-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, with the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving trying 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 first game, also available). However, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.