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Following the company's recent news of Xbox Game Pass membership updates, including a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $30 per month, numerous members are seeking fresh methods to get the most from their membership. For those keeping their membership or thinking about joining, we present this week's recommendations.

This weekend's games feature a beloved JRPG, a delightful indie journey, and a brilliant puzzler set to leave the service shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the top ways to maximize value from Game Pass is by diving into a extensive, captivating role-playing game — and Persona 4 Golden matches that bill exactly. Players step into the role of a teenager who has relocated to the sleepy rural town of Inaba. By day, your objectives include making new friends, working employment, and keeping up with schoolwork. At night, you investigate a chilling serial murder case by venturing into unique locations themed around your friends' deepest insecurities.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, strategic battle system, impeccable visuals, and a storyline packed with surprises, Persona 4 Golden is regarded as a classic for many reasons. It also features a highly engrossing cycle that will keep you up past bedtime, night after night.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

While big releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a primary attraction for the service, the platform also highlights lesser-known games. A perfect example of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by Spirited Away, this charming indie game is a fantasy tale rooted in South American culture. Players join Miho, who, after helping his grandma make soup, is pulled into a colorful world populated by potato-nabbing frogs and other eccentric animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out similar to an educational computer title from the 90s, as Miho tackles challenges and aids the realm's inhabitants by gathering an assortment of items. Even if it's a bit unpolished, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming small experience that proudly celebrates its love for South America.

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 puzzle games of this generation in 2023's Cocoon. Its core puzzle mechanic focuses on transitioning among worlds within additional worlds, and often you'll carry those realms, in the shape of colorful spheres, alongside you.

Although it doesn't have direct 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 overlooked by many players. Let's correct that while we can.