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Following Microsoft's latest announcement of Game Pass subscription changes, including a price increase for the Ultimate Tier to $30 monthly, many members are seeking new ways to maximize their subscription. For those holding onto their membership or thinking about signing up, here are our latest picks.

This weekend's titles include a beloved JRPG, a delightful independent adventure, and a brilliant puzzler set to leave the service shortly.

Persona 4 Golden

One of the top methods to get your money's worth from Game Pass is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, engaging RPG — and Persona 4 Golden matches that description exactly. You take on the part of a high school student who has just moved to the quiet rural town of Inaba. By day, your goals include making new friends, taking on employment, and managing studies. By night, you investigate a chilling string of murders by exploring unique dungeons themed around your companions' deepest insecurities.

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

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although major releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a primary attraction for Game Pass, the platform also highlights lesser-known indie gems. A perfect example of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from the animated classic, this charming indie game is a fantasy journey rooted in South American traditions. You join Miho, who, after assisting his grandmother make soup, is pulled into a vibrant world filled with potato-nabbing frogs and various quirky creatures.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out similar to an learning-focused computer title from the 1990s, as Miho tackles challenges and aids the world's inhabitants by gathering an inventory of objects. Though it's a little unpolished, Sopa is a sweet little game that openly showcases its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon

Cocoon is scheduled to exit the service on Oct. 15, giving you only a few days to play it via your membership — and you definitely must. Developer Geometric Interactive crafted one of the best puzzlers of this generation in 2023's Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its central gameplay element revolves around moving between realms within additional worlds, and often you'll carry those realms, in the shape of vibrant orbs, alongside you.

Although it doesn't have explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's puzzles is designed in a highly natural manner, though they can challenge you as well. The year 2023 proved a massive period for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon was a bit overlooked by the masses. Let's correct that now.