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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming now, 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 massive collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's recommendations feature a therapeutic shooter, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage targeting Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, with the series' trademark killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, explicit detail. It's a violent excitement for any pacifist looking to unwind in the safety of a digital world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was ravaged by that terrible disease, as well as experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not what she appears, and the story develops from that point. If all that intrigue fails to hook you, the game indeed begin with a killing. What could be a more compelling start than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). However, due to a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 characters, every one representing a different genre. There's a investigative tale about a priest looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown background, naturally). Some of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a stunning 19th-century themed world. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.