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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of big-name day-one games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a vast library of numerous games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic 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. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a violent thrill for any peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a digital space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that terrible plague, along with experiences of her school and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the story unfolds from there. If all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does begin with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, which is also included). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, every one embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative tale about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (because all great RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these stories connect in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.