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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current picks include a therapeutic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a little catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players ultraviolent mayhem targeting Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a polished serving of simulation World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover looking to unwind in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither 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 mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed begin with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, also available). However, with a break in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, each embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.