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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. Although it might not be considered the top offer in gaming now, the service has welcomed several big-name launch day releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a vast library of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

This week's picks include a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players ultraviolent mayhem against enemy forces. Recently, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative touching on post-pandemic existence, generational 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 sole survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the original game, also available). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one embodying a different story style. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since every good RPGs require a character with an unknown background, naturally). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.