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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile day-one games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a massive collection of numerous games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from that point. If all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. Is there a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if there's any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). However, due to a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, each representing a distinct story style. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious background, naturally). Some of these stories connect in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its purest form.