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After Microsoft's latest news of Xbox Game Pass subscription changes, featuring a cost hike for the top tier to $30 monthly, many members are seeking new ways to maximize their subscription. For those holding onto their membership or considering signing up, here are our latest recommendations.

This weekend's games feature a acclaimed JRPG, a charming indie adventure, and a brilliant puzzle game scheduled to leave the service soon.

Persona 4 Golden

One of the best methods to maximize value from your subscription is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, engaging RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that description perfectly. Players step into the part of a teenager who has relocated to the quiet rural town of Inaba. By day, your goals include forming new friends, taking on part-time jobs, and managing schoolwork. By night, you work to solve a disturbing serial murder case by venturing into unique locations based on your friends' inner fears.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, strategic turn-based combat, flawless art design, and a plot packed with twists, Persona 4 Golden is regarded as a classic for many reasons. It also features a incredibly engrossing cycle that will have you playing late into the night, repeatedly.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

While major titles like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a primary selling point for the service, the subscription also showcases lesser-known indie gems. 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 Latin American culture. You follow Miho, who, after assisting his grandmother make soup, is pulled into a colorful world populated by potato-nabbing frogs and various quirky creatures.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato unfolds similar to an learning-focused computer title from the 1990s, as Miho tackles challenges and aids the world's inhabitants by collecting an assortment of items. Though it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet small experience that proudly celebrates its love for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon is set to leave Game Pass on October 15, giving you only a few days to play it via subscription — and you definitely should. Studio Geometric Interactive designed one of the finest puzzlers of recent years in the 2023 release Cocoon. Its core puzzle mechanic revolves around moving between realms inside additional worlds, and often you'll carry those realms, in the form of vibrant orbs, with you.

While it doesn't have explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a highly intuitive manner, though they will test you as well. 2023 was a big period for games, so it's understandable if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was somewhat overlooked by many players. We should rectify that now.