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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has subsided. Although it may not be seen as the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced a number of high-profile launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a massive collection of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players intensely graphic carnage targeting Nazi forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance remains a polished serving of simulation World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as always, featuring the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for any pacifist looking to unwind in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these subjects through a science fiction lens; you assume the role of Watcher, one of several clones of Iris, the sole survivor of a global outbreak that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones delve into Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that horrific plague, along with experiences of her education and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from there. Should all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in only over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the end of November (as is the original game, also available). But, with a break in the midst, at least for those in the States, it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one representing a distinct genre. There's a investigative story about a priest investigating the murder of his cathedral's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed world. And the combat is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.