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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. Although it may not be seen as the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has introduced several high-profile day-one releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy forces. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a well-constructed serving of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the game's signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic life, family pain, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from there. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). But, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a different genre. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to solve poverty through the force of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.