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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. While it might not be seen as the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile day-one games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long marathon sessions.

This week's recommendations include a cathartic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as ever, with the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist wanting to let off steam in the safety of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic life, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the sole person left of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story develops from there. Should all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game does begin with a murder. What could be a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (along with the original game, also available). However, with a holiday in the midst, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one embodying a distinct genre. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A trader aiming to solve poverty through the force of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.