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After the company's recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass membership updates, featuring a cost hike for the top tier to $thirty per month, many members are looking for new methods to maximize their membership. For those holding onto their membership or thinking about joining, here are this week's picks.

This weekend's titles include a acclaimed JRPG, a charming independent adventure, and a superb puzzle game scheduled to leave the service shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the best ways to get your money's worth from your subscription is by diving into a lengthy, engaging RPG — and Persona 4 Golden matches that description perfectly. You step into the part of a high school student who has relocated to the quiet countryside of Inaba. By day, your objectives include making new friends, taking on employment, and managing studies. At night, you investigate a disturbing string of murders by venturing into strange locations based on your friends' inner fears.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, tactical battle system, flawless visuals, and a plot packed with surprises, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is considered a masterpiece for good reason. It also features a highly engrossing gameplay loop that will have you playing late into the night, night after night.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

While major releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a primary attraction for the service, the subscription also highlights smaller indie gems. A great example of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by the animated classic, this enchanting independent adventure is a magical realist tale steeped in Latin American traditions. Players follow Miho, who, after assisting his grandma prepare soup, is pulled into a colorful world populated by potato-nabbing frogs and other quirky animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out similar to an learning-focused computer title from the 1990s, as Miho solves puzzles and helps the world's inhabitants by gathering an inventory of objects. Though it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet small experience that proudly celebrates its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon

Cocoon is set to exit Game Pass on Oct. 15, leaving only a few days to play it via your membership — and you absolutely should. Studio the creators designed one of the finest puzzle games of recent years in 2023's Cocoon. Its core gameplay element revolves around moving among worlds inside other dimensions, and often you'll carry those worlds, in the shape of vibrant spheres, alongside you.

While it lacks direct instructions, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a very intuitive way, though they can test you as well. 2023 was a big year for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was somewhat missed by the masses. We should rectify that while we can.