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Following Microsoft's recent news of Xbox Game Pass membership updates, including a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $thirty monthly, many members are seeking fresh methods to get the most from their membership. For those holding onto their subscription or considering joining, we present this week's recommendations.

This weekend's titles include a beloved JRPG, a delightful independent adventure, and a brilliant puzzle game scheduled to depart from the service shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the top methods to maximize value from your subscription is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, captivating RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition fits that description perfectly. Players take on the role of a high school student who has relocated to the quiet rural town of Inaba. By day, your objectives involve making friendships, taking on part-time jobs, and keeping up with schoolwork. At night, you investigate a chilling string of murders by exploring unique dungeons based on your friends' inner fears.

With a memorable cast of characters, strategic turn-based combat, flawless visuals, and a storyline packed with twists, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is regarded as a masterpiece for many reasons. It also features a incredibly engrossing gameplay loop that will keep you up late into the night, night after night.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

While big releases like Ninja Gaiden IV are a primary selling point for Game Pass, the platform also showcases smaller games. A great instance of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from Spirited Away, this enchanting indie game is a fantasy tale rooted in Latin American traditions. You follow Miho, who, after helping his grandmother make soup, is transported to a vibrant world filled with potato-nabbing frogs and other quirky animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out similar to an learning-focused computer title from the 90s, as Miho solves challenges and aids the realm's residents by gathering an assortment of items. Though it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet small experience that openly showcases its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon is scheduled to exit Game Pass on October 15, giving you only a short time to experience it via subscription — and you absolutely should. Studio Geometric Interactive designed one of the finest puzzle games of recent years in the 2023 release Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its core puzzle mechanic focuses on moving among realms within additional worlds, and often you'll carry those worlds, in the form of colorful spheres, with you.

Although it doesn't have direct instructions, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a highly intuitive manner, yet they can test you as well. 2023 was a massive year for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was somewhat missed by the masses. We should correct that now.