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Following the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has introduced a number of high-profile launch day releases lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic action game, an prize-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as always, with the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover wanting to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative exploring life after a pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, along with memories of her school and home life, both of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story develops from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. What could be a more compelling start 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 trying the effort 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). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each embodying a different genre. You'll find a investigative tale about a priest investigating the murder of his cathedral's archbishop. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce headlines a western-themed narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a character with an unknown past, naturally). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.