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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. Although it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of high-profile launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent mayhem targeting Nazi forces. This year, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of simulation World War II open environments packed with enemy targets. The sniping is as visceral and satisfying as always, with the game's trademark killcam showing each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody thrill for every pacifist wanting to unwind in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these themes through a science fiction lens; you play as Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only 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 memories of her education and family life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris is not all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more compelling start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the end of November (as is the first game, also available). However, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one representing a distinct story style. You'll find a procedural story about a priest investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to solve poverty through the power of commerce headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a mystery about an herbalist with amnesia (because every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its essence.