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Following Microsoft's recent news of Game Pass membership updates, including a cost hike for the top tier to $30 per month, many subscribers are seeking fresh ways to get the most from their subscription. For those keeping their subscription or considering signing up, here are this week's picks.

Our selected titles include a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a charming independent journey, and a brilliant puzzle game set to depart from the platform shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the top methods to get your money's worth from Game Pass is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, captivating RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition fits that description exactly. You step into the part of a teenager who has relocated to the sleepy countryside of Inaba. By day, your objectives include making new friends, working employment, and keeping up with schoolwork. At night, you work to solve a chilling string of murders by venturing into unique dungeons themed around your companions' inner fears.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, strategic turn-based combat, impeccable visuals, and a storyline packed with twists, Persona 4 Golden is regarded as a masterpiece for many reasons. It also features a incredibly engrossing gameplay loop that will keep you up past bedtime, repeatedly.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although major releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a key selling point for the service, the subscription also highlights lesser-known indie gems. A great example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by Spirited Away, this enchanting indie adventure is a magical realist journey steeped in South American traditions. You follow Miho, who, after helping his grandmother prepare soup, is pulled into a vibrant realm populated by potato-nabbing frogs and various quirky animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out similar to an educational PC game from the 1990s, as Miho tackles challenges and helps the world's residents by gathering an assortment of items. Even if it's a little rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet little game that openly showcases its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon is scheduled to leave Game Pass on Oct. 15, leaving only a short time to play it via your membership — and you absolutely should. Developer Geometric Interactive crafted one of the best puzzlers of recent years in the 2023 release Cocoon. Its core gameplay element revolves around moving between worlds within additional dimensions, and often you'll transport those realms, in the form of colorful spheres, with you.

While it doesn't have explicit instructions, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a very natural manner, though they can test you as well. The year 2023 proved a big period for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon was a bit missed by the masses. Let's correct that while we can.