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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. While it might not be seen as the top offer in gaming anymore, the service has welcomed a number of big-name day-one releases recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

This week's picks feature a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie gem, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Every so often, we all require a bit of catharsis. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line presents players ultraviolent carnage against enemy forces. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes filled with enemy objectives. The sniping is as visceral and gratifying as ever, with the game's trademark killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a bloody thrill for every peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic life, family pain, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a pandemic that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris isn't all that she seems, and the story develops from there. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). But, with a break in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight protagonists, each embodying a different genre. You'll find a investigative story about a cleric investigating the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to eradicate poverty through the force of commerce stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs require a character with an mysterious background, of course). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is superb — “number go up” distilled to its purest form.