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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 per month, numerous members are seeking fresh ways to get the most from their membership. If you keeping their subscription or thinking about joining, here are our latest recommendations.

This weekend's titles include a beloved JRPG, a charming independent adventure, and a superb puzzler set to leave the platform soon.

Persona 4 Golden

Among the top ways to get your money's worth from Game Pass is by diving into a extensive, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4 Golden matches that bill perfectly. Players take on the part of a high school student who has relocated to the sleepy countryside of Inaba. By day, your objectives include making friendships, taking on part-time jobs, and keeping up with schoolwork. By night, you investigate a chilling string of murders by exploring unique dungeons themed around your friends' inner fears.

With a memorable cast of characters, strategic battle system, flawless visuals, and a plot packed with twists, Persona 4 Golden is considered a classic for good reason. It also boasts a highly addictive gameplay loop that will keep you up late into the night, repeatedly.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

While big releases like Ninja Gaiden IV are a primary attraction for Game Pass, the platform also showcases smaller indie gems. A perfect example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from the animated classic, this charming indie adventure is a magical realist tale steeped in Latin American traditions. You join Miho, who, after helping his grandmother prepare soup, is pulled into a colorful realm populated by potato-stealing frogs and various eccentric animals.

Sopa plays out similar to an educational PC game from the 90s, as Miho solves puzzles and aids the realm's residents by gathering an assortment of items. Even if it's a bit unpolished, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming little game that proudly celebrates its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon

Cocoon is set to exit Game Pass on Oct. 15, giving you only a few days to play it via subscription — and you definitely should. Studio Geometric Interactive crafted one of the best puzzle games of recent years in 2023's Cocoon. Its core gameplay element focuses on moving between realms within other dimensions, and often you'll carry those realms, in the form of colorful spheres, with you.

Although it doesn't have direct guidance, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a very natural manner, yet they can test you as well. 2023 was a massive year for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon was somewhat missed by many players. Let's rectify that now.