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Following the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has calmed down. Although it might not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed several high-profile day-one games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic action game, an award-winning independent gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi targets. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody excitement for every peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the story unfolds from there. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game indeed begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, finishing a extremely long RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one embodying a distinct story style. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric investigating the death of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate poverty through the force of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, naturally). Some of these plots connect in surprising, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous 19th-century inspired setting. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.