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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it might not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile launch day games lately, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

This week's picks include a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, we all require a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting enemy targets. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the series. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as ever, with the series' signature killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning narrative exploring post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific disease, as well as experiences of her school and family life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, every one representing a different genre. There's a procedural story about a cleric investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these plots connect in surprising, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed setting. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.