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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the earlier commotion has calmed down. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming anymore, the platform has welcomed a number of big-name launch day games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a vast library of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long gaming binges.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a bit of catharsis. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite franchise has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed new entry to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a well-constructed serving of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with Nazi objectives. The long-range combat is as visceral and satisfying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam displaying each shot's impact in graphic, explicit clarity. It's a violent excitement for any pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on post-pandemic existence, generational trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, a member of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from when Earth was beset by that terrible disease, as well as experiences of her education and home life, neither of which were easy for a young person. Watcher discovers Iris is not what she appears, and the plot develops from that point. Should all that mystery isn't enough to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. What could be a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, completing a extremely long RPG in just nine days is a challenging task, but if there's 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 (along with the original game, also available). However, with a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, each embodying a distinct story style. There's a procedural story about a priest investigating the death 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 mystery about an apothecary with amnesia (since every good RPGs need a character with an mysterious past, of course). A few of these plots connect in unexpected, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.