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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has calmed down. Although it may not be considered the top deal in gaming anymore, the service has introduced several high-profile day-one games recently, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles only enhance a massive collection of hundreds games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

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

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, we all require a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi forces. This year, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. While it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II open environments filled with Nazi targets. The sniping is as brutal and satisfying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's impact in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist wanting to let off steam in the safety of a virtual world.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning story exploring life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and other deep themes. It approaches these subjects through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that eradicated human life. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's recollections from the time Earth was beset by that terrible plague, as well as memories of her education and family life, neither of which were bearable for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't what she appears, and the plot unfolds from there. Should all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than that?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a gazillion-hour RPG in just nine days is a tall order, but if any game deserving attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking masterpiece is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, which is also included). However, due to a break in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically doable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 protagonists, every one representing a different genre. There's a investigative story about a cleric looking into the death of his cathedral's head priest. A trader aiming to eradicate poverty through the power of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired adventure. There's even a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs require a character with an unknown background, naturally). A few of these plots intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning 19th-century inspired setting. And the battle system is excellent — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.