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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has introduced several big-name launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

This week's recommendations include a therapeutic shooter, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage against enemy targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic life, family trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, which is also included). However, with a break in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, every one representing a different genre. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader striving to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (because all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious past, naturally). A few of these plots intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is excellent — “number go up” boiled to its essence.