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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile day-one releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a massive library of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with experiences of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, 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). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight protagonists, each embodying a distinct genre. There's a procedural story about a priest looking into the death of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve destitution through the power of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a character with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.