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After the recent cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has calmed down. Although it might not be considered the absolute best deal in gaming anymore, the service has introduced several big-name launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those titles further enrich a massive library of numerous games perfect for weekend-long gaming binges.

Our current recommendations feature a cathartic shooter, an award-winning independent masterpiece, and a must-play HD-2D RPG.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided exactly that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter series offers players intensely graphic mayhem targeting Nazi forces. Recently, the studio launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the franchise. While it doesn't reinvent the formula, Resistance remains a polished dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes packed with enemy objectives. The long-range combat is as brutal and satisfying as ever, with the series' trademark killcam showing every bullet's effect in gory, testicle-crunching clarity. It's a bloody thrill for any pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a digital space.

1000xResist

1000xResist presents an award-winning narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, family trauma, and much more. It approaches these themes through a science fiction perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only survivor of a pandemic that wiped out human life. Watcher and her fellow clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was beset by that terrible disease, as well as 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 plot develops from there. If all that mystery isn't enough to grab your interest, the game does start with a killing. What could be a more compelling opening than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just over a week is a challenging task, but if any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the original game, which is also included). But, with a holiday in the middle, at least for those in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 features 8 characters, every one embodying a different genre. There's a investigative story about a priest looking into the murder of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate poverty through the force of capitalism stars in a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a enigma about an herbalist with amnesia (since all great RPGs need a hero with an unknown background, of course). A few of these stories intertwine in unexpected, intriguing ways, as you play through a gorgeous Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its purest form.