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After Microsoft's recent news of Xbox Game Pass membership changes, featuring a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $30 monthly, numerous members are seeking new methods to get the most from their subscription. If you holding onto their subscription or thinking about signing up, we present our latest picks.

This weekend's games feature a beloved JRPG, a charming independent journey, and a superb puzzle game scheduled to leave the platform soon.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

One of the best ways to get your money's worth from your subscription is by immersing yourself in a extensive, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4 Golden fits that bill exactly. Players step into the role of a teenager who has just moved to the sleepy countryside of Inaba. During the day, your objectives include making new friends, working part-time jobs, and managing studies. By night, you investigate a disturbing string of murders by venturing into strange locations based on your companions' deepest insecurities.

With a memorable cast of characters, tactical battle system, impeccable art design, and a storyline packed with twists, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is regarded as a classic for many reasons. It also features a highly engrossing cycle that will have you playing late into the night, repeatedly.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although big releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a key selling point for the service, the subscription also showcases smaller indie gems. A perfect example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by the animated classic, this enchanting indie adventure is a magical realist tale rooted in South American culture. Players follow Miho, who, after helping his grandmother prepare soup, is transported to a colorful realm filled with potato-nabbing frogs and various quirky animals.

Sopa unfolds like an educational computer title from the 90s, as Miho tackles challenges and aids the realm's inhabitants by gathering an inventory of objects. Even if it's a bit 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 leave Game Pass on Oct. 15, leaving only a few days to experience it via your membership — and you definitely must. Studio Geometric Interactive designed one of the finest puzzlers of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon. Its central gameplay element revolves around moving between worlds inside other dimensions, and often you'll transport those worlds, in the form of vibrant spheres, alongside you.

While it doesn't have explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a highly intuitive manner, though they can test you as well. 2023 was a massive period for video games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was a bit overlooked by the masses. We should rectify that while we can.