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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. While it might not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the platform has welcomed several big-name day-one games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series presents players ultraviolent carnage against Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished serving of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, featuring the game's trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the safety of a digital world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic life, generational trauma, and much more. It examines these themes through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, along with experiences of her education and family life, both of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a murder. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving attempting the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the States, it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each representing a different story style. There's a procedural tale about a cleric investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A trader striving to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. Additionally, there's a mystery about an apothecary with memory loss (because every good RPGs need a character with an unknown background, naturally). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a gorgeous 19th-century themed world. And the combat is excellent — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.