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Following the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed several high-profile launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These additions further enrich a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

This week's recommendations feature a cathartic action game, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic mayhem against enemy forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the series' signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody excitement for any pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that terrible disease, along with experiences of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot develops from there. Should all that intrigue fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a challenging task, but if any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the end of November (along with the first game, also available). But, due to a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, each representing a distinct story style. You'll find a investigative story about a priest investigating the murder of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to eradicate destitution through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown past, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.