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Following Microsoft's latest news of Xbox Game Pass subscription changes, including a price increase for the Ultimate Tier to $30 per month, many members are seeking new ways to maximize their subscription. For those holding onto their subscription or considering signing up, we present our latest picks.

This weekend's titles feature a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a delightful indie adventure, and a brilliant puzzler scheduled to leave the service shortly.

Persona 4 Golden

One of the top ways to get your money's worth from your subscription is by immersing yourself in a extensive, captivating role-playing game — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition fits that description perfectly. You take on the role of a high school student who has relocated to the sleepy rural town of Inaba. By day, your objectives include making new friends, working employment, and managing studies. At night, you work to solve a disturbing string of murders by venturing into strange dungeons based on your companions' deepest insecurities.

With a memorable group of heroes, strategic turn-based combat, flawless visuals, and a plot packed with twists, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is regarded as a masterpiece for many reasons. It also boasts a highly engrossing gameplay loop that will have you playing late into the night, repeatedly.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although major titles like Ninja Gaiden IV are a key attraction for Game Pass, the subscription also showcases lesser-known games. A great instance of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by Spirited Away, this enchanting indie adventure is a magical realist tale rooted in South American traditions. You join Miho, who, after assisting his grandma prepare soup, is transported to a colorful world populated by potato-stealing frogs and various eccentric animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out similar to an educational PC game from the 90s, as Miho tackles puzzles and helps the world's residents by gathering an assortment of objects. Even if it's a little unpolished, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming little game that openly showcases its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure is set to leave Game Pass on October 15, giving you only a few days to play it via subscription — and you absolutely should. Developer the creators crafted one of the best puzzlers of this generation in 2023's Cocoon. Its central puzzle mechanic focuses on moving between worlds within additional dimensions, and often you'll transport those worlds, in the shape of colorful orbs, with you.

While it lacks explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's puzzles is built in a highly natural way, yet they can test you as well. The year 2023 proved a massive year for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was somewhat missed by the masses. Let's rectify that now.