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Following the company's recent news of Xbox Game Pass subscription updates, including a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $30 monthly, numerous subscribers are seeking new ways to maximize their membership. For those keeping their membership or considering joining, here are our latest picks.

This weekend's games feature a beloved JRPG, a delightful independent adventure, and a superb puzzler set to leave the service shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the best ways to get your money's worth from Game Pass is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition fits that bill perfectly. You step into the role of a high school student who has relocated to the quiet countryside of Inaba. During the day, your goals involve forming friendships, taking on employment, and keeping up with studies. At night, you investigate a disturbing serial murder case by venturing into strange dungeons based on your friends' inner fears.

With a unforgettable group of heroes, strategic turn-based combat, impeccable art design, and a plot packed with surprises, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is considered a masterpiece for many reasons. It also features a incredibly addictive gameplay loop that will have you playing past bedtime, repeatedly.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

While big releases like Ninja Gaiden IV are a key attraction for the service, the subscription also highlights smaller games. A great example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from Spirited Away, this enchanting indie adventure is a fantasy journey steeped in South American culture. You follow Miho, who, after assisting his grandma make soup, is transported to a vibrant world filled with potato-nabbing frogs and other quirky creatures.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato unfolds like an learning-focused PC game from the 90s, as Miho solves puzzles and aids the realm's inhabitants by collecting an assortment of items. Even if it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa is a heartwarming little experience that proudly showcases its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon

Cocoon is scheduled to exit Game Pass on Oct. 15, giving you only a short time to experience it via subscription — and you absolutely must. Studio Geometric Interactive crafted one of the finest puzzle games of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon. Its core gameplay element focuses on transitioning between worlds within additional worlds, and often you'll transport those realms, in the form of colorful orbs, with you.

While it doesn't have direct guidance, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's puzzles is designed in a very natural way, though they can challenge you as well. The year 2023 proved a massive year for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was a bit missed by the masses. Let's rectify that while we can.