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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be seen as the top deal in gaming now, the service has introduced a number of high-profile launch day releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players intensely graphic carnage against enemy targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, along with memories of her school and family life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot develops from there. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game deserving attempting the grind 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, also available). But, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, every one representing a distinct genre. You'll find a investigative story about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate poverty through the force of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (since all great RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.