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Following Microsoft's recent news of Game Pass membership changes, featuring a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $thirty monthly, numerous subscribers are seeking new methods to maximize their subscription. If you holding onto their subscription or thinking about joining, we present this week's recommendations.

This weekend's games feature a acclaimed JRPG, a charming independent adventure, and a brilliant puzzler scheduled to depart from the platform shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the top ways to get your money's worth from Game Pass is by diving into a lengthy, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that bill perfectly. Players step into the role of a high school student who has relocated to the sleepy rural town of Inaba. By day, your objectives involve forming friendships, taking on employment, and managing schoolwork. By night, you investigate a chilling serial murder case by venturing into unique dungeons themed around your friends' inner fears.

With a memorable group of heroes, strategic turn-based combat, flawless visuals, and a plot full of twists, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is considered a masterpiece for good reason. It also features a incredibly addictive gameplay loop that will have you playing past bedtime, repeatedly.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

While major titles like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a key selling point for Game Pass, the platform also highlights smaller indie gems. A great example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by the animated classic, this charming indie game is a fantasy tale steeped in South American traditions. You join Miho, who, after assisting his grandma prepare soup, is transported to a vibrant realm filled with potato-nabbing frogs and various eccentric animals.

Sopa plays out similar to an learning-focused PC game from the 1990s, as Miho tackles puzzles and helps the realm's residents by gathering an assortment of objects. Even if it's a little unpolished, Sopa is a heartwarming small experience that openly celebrates its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure is set to exit the service on Oct. 15, leaving only a few days to play it via your membership — and you absolutely must. Developer Geometric Interactive crafted one of the finest puzzle games of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon. Its central gameplay element revolves around moving between realms within other dimensions, and often you'll carry those realms, in the shape of vibrant orbs, with you.

While it doesn't have explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon's challenges is built in a highly natural way, though they can challenge you as well. 2023 was a big period for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was somewhat overlooked by many players. We should rectify that while we can.