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After the latest price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. Although it may not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming now, the service has welcomed several high-profile launch day games lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles only enhance a vast collection of hundreds games ideal for weekend-long marathon sessions.

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

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has delivered exactly that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter series presents players ultraviolent mayhem targeting enemy forces. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the formula, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II sandboxes packed with enemy targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the game's signature killcam displaying each shot's impact in gory, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent excitement for every pacifist looking to let off steam in the security of a virtual space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed story touching on post-pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you play as Watcher, one 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 the time Earth was beset by that horrific disease, along with experiences of her education and family life, both of which were bearable for a young person. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot develops from that point. If all that mystery fails to grab your interest, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in only nine days is a tall order, but if there's any game deserving trying the effort for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's visually striking gem is leaving Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, also available). But, with a holiday in the midst, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, every one embodying a different genre. There's a investigative story about a priest investigating the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to solve destitution through the force of commerce stars in a western-themed adventure. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with memory loss (because all great RPGs require a hero with an unknown past, of course). Some of these stories intertwine in surprising, intriguing ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired setting. And the battle system is superb — stat-focused gameplay distilled to its essence.