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Following Microsoft's latest news of Game Pass membership changes, including a cost hike for the top tier to $30 per month, many members are seeking fresh ways to maximize their membership. If you keeping their subscription or considering signing up, we present this week's recommendations.

This weekend's titles feature a acclaimed JRPG, a charming independent journey, and a brilliant puzzler scheduled to leave the platform shortly.

Persona 4 Golden

Among the best ways to maximize value from Game Pass is by diving into a lengthy, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4 Golden fits that bill perfectly. Players take on the part of a teenager who has just moved to the sleepy rural town of Inaba. By day, your goals involve making new friends, taking on employment, and managing studies. By night, you investigate a chilling string of murders by venturing into strange dungeons based on your friends' inner fears.

With a unforgettable group of heroes, tactical battle system, impeccable visuals, and a plot packed with surprises, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is considered a masterpiece for many reasons. It also features a incredibly addictive cycle that will have you playing 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 the service, the subscription also highlights lesser-known indie gems. A great instance of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from the animated classic, this charming indie game is a fantasy journey steeped in South American culture. You join Miho, who, after helping his grandmother make soup, is pulled into a colorful realm populated by potato-stealing frogs and other quirky animals.

Sopa plays out like an educational PC game from the 1990s, as Miho tackles puzzles and helps the realm's inhabitants by gathering an inventory of objects. Even if it's a bit unpolished, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming little game that openly celebrates its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure

Cocoon is scheduled to exit Game Pass on October 15, leaving only a few days to play it via your membership — and you definitely must. Studio Geometric Interactive crafted one of the finest puzzle games of recent years in the 2023 release Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its core puzzle mechanic focuses on transitioning between worlds inside other worlds, and frequently you'll transport those worlds, in the form of colorful orbs, with you.

Although it doesn't have explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is built in a highly intuitive manner, though they can challenge you as well. The year 2023 proved a big year for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was a bit missed by the masses. Let's correct that now.