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After the company's recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass membership updates, including a price increase for the top tier to $thirty per month, many members are seeking fresh methods to maximize their membership. For those keeping their membership or considering joining, here are this week's recommendations.

This weekend's titles feature a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a delightful independent journey, and a superb puzzler set to depart from the service soon.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the best ways to get your money's worth from Game Pass is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4 Golden fits that bill perfectly. You take on the part of a high school student who has just moved to the quiet countryside of Inaba. During the day, your objectives include making friendships, working part-time jobs, and managing schoolwork. At night, you investigate a chilling serial murder case by exploring unique locations based on your companions' inner fears.

With a memorable group of heroes, tactical turn-based combat, impeccable visuals, and a plot packed with surprises, Persona 4 Golden is regarded as a masterpiece for good reason. It also features a incredibly engrossing gameplay loop that will have you playing past bedtime, repeatedly.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

While major titles like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a key attraction for the service, the platform also highlights smaller games. A great example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from the animated classic, this enchanting indie game is a magical realist journey steeped in Latin American culture. You join Miho, who, after assisting his grandmother make soup, is pulled into a vibrant realm populated by potato-nabbing frogs and various eccentric animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out similar to an educational computer title from the 1990s, as Miho tackles challenges and aids the world's residents by gathering an assortment of objects. Even if it's a little unpolished, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming little experience that proudly showcases its love for South America.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure is scheduled to exit Game Pass on October 15, giving you only a few days to play it via your membership — and you absolutely must. Studio Geometric Interactive crafted one of the finest puzzle games of recent years in 2023's Cocoon. Its core gameplay element revolves around transitioning between worlds within additional dimensions, and often you'll transport those realms, in the shape of colorful spheres, alongside you.

While it doesn't have explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a very natural way, yet they will challenge you as well. The year 2023 proved a big year for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was somewhat overlooked by many players. We should correct that while we can.