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Following Microsoft's recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass subscription updates, including a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $30 monthly, many subscribers are looking for new methods to get the most from their membership. If you holding onto their subscription or considering signing up, we present this week's recommendations.

Our selected titles feature a acclaimed Japanese role-playing game, a charming indie journey, and a brilliant puzzler set to depart from the service soon.

Persona 4 Golden

One of the top ways to get your money's worth from your subscription is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that description perfectly. Players step into the part of a teenager who has relocated to the sleepy countryside of Inaba. During the day, your goals include making new friends, working employment, and keeping up with schoolwork. At night, you work to solve a chilling serial murder case by venturing into unique locations themed around your friends' deepest insecurities.

With a memorable cast of characters, tactical turn-based combat, flawless art design, and a plot full of surprises, Persona 4 Golden is considered a classic for good reason. It also boasts a highly addictive cycle that will keep you up late into the night, night after night.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although major titles like Ninja Gaiden IV are a primary selling point for Game Pass, the platform also showcases lesser-known games. A great example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from the animated classic, this charming independent adventure is a magical realist tale rooted in South American traditions. Players follow Miho, who, after assisting his grandmother make soup, is transported to a colorful world populated by potato-nabbing frogs and other eccentric animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out like an educational computer title from the 1990s, as Miho tackles puzzles and aids the world's inhabitants by collecting an inventory of items. Even if it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet little experience that proudly showcases its love for South America.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure

Cocoon is scheduled to leave Game Pass on October 15, leaving only a short time to experience it via subscription — and you definitely must. Studio Geometric Interactive crafted one of the best puzzlers of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its core gameplay element revolves around moving among worlds inside other worlds, and frequently you'll transport those worlds, in the shape of vibrant spheres, alongside you.

Although it lacks explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is designed in a very natural manner, though they can challenge you as well. 2023 was a massive period for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was somewhat overlooked by the masses. We should correct that while we can.