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After the recent price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the platform has introduced several high-profile launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend gaming binges.

This week's picks include a cathartic shooter, an award-winning indie masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

Every so often, we all require a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite franchise has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players ultraviolent carnage targeting Nazi forces. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II open environments packed with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as brutal and gratifying as ever, featuring the series' trademark killcam showing each shot's effect in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic life, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It examines these themes through a sci-fi perspective; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones delve into Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, along with memories of her school and home life, neither of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the story unfolds from that point. If all that intrigue isn't enough to hook you, the game does begin with a killing. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if any game deserving trying the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (along with the first game, which is also included). However, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, each embodying a distinct genre. You'll find a procedural tale about a priest looking into the murder of his church's archbishop. A trader aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an mysterious past, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.