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Following Microsoft's recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass subscription changes, including a cost hike for the top tier to $30 per month, numerous members are looking for fresh ways to maximize their subscription. For those holding onto their membership or thinking about joining, we present this week's picks.

Our selected titles feature a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a charming indie journey, and a superb puzzle game scheduled to leave the platform shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the top methods to maximize value from Game Pass is by diving into a extensive, captivating RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that bill exactly. Players take on the role of a teenager who has relocated to the quiet countryside of Inaba. During the day, your goals include forming friendships, taking on employment, and managing studies. By night, you work to solve a chilling string of murders by venturing into strange dungeons themed around your companions' inner fears.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, strategic turn-based combat, flawless visuals, and a storyline packed with surprises, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is considered a masterpiece for many reasons. It also boasts a highly addictive gameplay loop that will keep you up late into the night, night after night.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

While big titles like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a primary selling point for Game Pass, the platform also highlights smaller games. A perfect 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. You follow Miho, who, after helping his grandmother prepare soup, is transported to a vibrant realm filled with potato-nabbing frogs and other eccentric creatures.

Sopa plays out like an educational PC game from the 1990s, as Miho tackles challenges and helps the realm's inhabitants by gathering an assortment of items. Even if it's a little unpolished, Sopa is a heartwarming little experience that proudly celebrates its love for the region's culture.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure

Cocoon is scheduled to leave Game Pass on Oct. 15, giving you only a short time to play it via your membership — and you absolutely must. Studio the creators crafted one of the finest puzzlers of this generation in 2023's Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its core puzzle mechanic revolves around transitioning among worlds inside other worlds, and frequently you'll carry those worlds, in the shape of vibrant spheres, alongside you.

While it doesn't have explicit instructions, everything about Cocoon's challenges is built in a highly natural manner, though they will challenge you as well. The year 2023 proved a big period for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon was somewhat overlooked by many players. We should correct that while we can.