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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. While it might not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile day-one releases recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as ever, featuring the game's signature killcam showing each shot's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a violent thrill for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's recollections from when Earth was beset by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her education and home life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris isn't what she appears, and the story develops from there. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). However, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, every one embodying a different story style. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's archbishop. A trader aiming to solve destitution through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs require a character with an unknown past, naturally). Some of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.