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After the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial uproar has subsided. While it might not be considered the absolute best offer in gaming anymore, the service has introduced a number of big-name launch day games recently, including Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. Those additions only enhance a massive library of numerous games ideal for weekend marathon sessions.

This week's picks include a cathartic shooter, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a bit of release. Over two decades, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' long-running shooter line presents players ultraviolent mayhem against Nazi targets. Recently, Rebellion launched Sniper Elite: Resistance, a timely new entry to the series. Although it doesn't reinvent the gameplay, Resistance is a polished dose of simulation World War II open environments filled with enemy objectives. The sniping is as brutal and gratifying as always, with the game's signature killcam displaying every bullet's effect in graphic, testicle-crunching detail. It's a violent thrill for any peace-lover looking to let off steam in the safety of a virtual space.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist presents an critically acclaimed narrative touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and much more. It approaches these subjects through a sci-fi lens; you play as Watcher, a member of several clones of Iris, the sole person left of a global outbreak that eradicated humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific disease, as well as memories of her school and family life, neither of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher discovers Iris is not all that she seems, and the story unfolds from that point. Should all that mystery fails to hook you, the game does start with a murder. Is there a more gripping opening than this?

Octopath Traveler II

Admittedly, completing a extremely long RPG in just 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 masterpiece is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). But, with a break in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's theoretically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows 8 protagonists, every one representing a distinct story style. There's a procedural story about a cleric looking into the murder of his church's archbishop. A merchant striving to solve poverty through the power of capitalism headlines a frontier-inspired narrative. There's even a mystery about an herbalist with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a hero with an unknown background, naturally). Some of these stories connect in unexpected, fascinating ways, while you progress through a stunning Industrial Revolution inspired world. And the combat is superb — stat-focused gameplay boiled to its essence.