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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced several high-profile launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks include a cathartic action game, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play 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' long-running shooter line presents players intensely graphic carnage targeting Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, 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, with the series' signature killcam showing each shot's effect in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a bloody excitement for any peace-lover wanting to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic life, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, along with experiences of her school and home life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game does start with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features eight characters, every one embodying a different genre. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a character with an unknown background, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its essence.