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After Microsoft's recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass subscription updates, including a price increase for the Ultimate Tier to $30 per month, numerous subscribers are seeking new methods to maximize their membership. If you holding onto their membership or thinking about joining, here are our latest recommendations.

This weekend's games include a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a delightful independent journey, and a superb puzzler scheduled to leave the platform shortly.

Persona 4 Golden

Among the best ways to maximize value from your subscription is by diving into a lengthy, engaging RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that description perfectly. You take on the role of a high school student who has just moved to the quiet countryside of Inaba. During the day, your goals include making new friends, taking on employment, and keeping up with studies. At night, you investigate a chilling serial murder case by exploring strange locations based on your companions' deepest insecurities.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, tactical battle system, flawless visuals, and a plot packed with twists, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is regarded as a classic for good reason. It also features a incredibly addictive cycle that will keep you up past bedtime, night after night.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although major releases like Ninja Gaiden IV are a key attraction for the service, the subscription also showcases lesser-known indie gems. A great instance of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from Spirited Away, this charming indie adventure is a magical realist journey rooted in South American traditions. Players join Miho, who, after assisting his grandmother prepare soup, is pulled into a colorful realm filled with potato-nabbing frogs and various eccentric creatures.

Sopa plays out like an learning-focused PC game from the 90s, as Miho solves challenges and helps the world's inhabitants by gathering an assortment of objects. Even if it's a little unpolished, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet small experience that proudly showcases its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure

Cocoon is scheduled to leave Game Pass on Oct. 15, giving you only a short time to experience it via your membership — and you absolutely should. Developer Geometric Interactive designed one of the finest puzzle games of recent years in the 2023 release Cocoon. Its central gameplay element focuses on moving between realms within additional dimensions, and often you'll transport those realms, in the form of vibrant spheres, alongside you.

Although it lacks explicit instructions, everything about Cocoon's challenges is designed in a highly intuitive way, yet they will challenge you as well. 2023 was a massive year for games, so it's understandable if Cocoon was a bit missed by many players. We should correct that while we can.