🔗 Share this article

Following Microsoft's latest announcement of Xbox Game Pass subscription updates, including a cost hike for the top tier to $30 monthly, many members are seeking fresh methods to get the most from their subscription. For those keeping their membership or considering joining, here are this week's picks.

This weekend's games feature a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a charming independent journey, and a brilliant puzzle game set to depart from the platform shortly.

Persona 4 Golden

Among the top ways to get your money's worth from your subscription is by diving into a extensive, captivating RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that bill exactly. You take on the part of a teenager who has just moved to the sleepy countryside of Inaba. By day, your objectives involve forming friendships, taking on part-time jobs, and keeping up with schoolwork. At night, you investigate a chilling string of murders by venturing into unique dungeons themed around your friends' deepest insecurities.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, tactical turn-based combat, flawless visuals, and a plot full of twists, Persona 4 Golden is considered a masterpiece for good reason. It also features a incredibly engrossing cycle that will have you playing late into the night, repeatedly.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

While big titles like Ninja Gaiden IV are a primary attraction for the service, the subscription also highlights 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 journey steeped in South American culture. Players 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 computer title from the 1990s, as Miho tackles puzzles 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 game that proudly celebrates its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon

Cocoon is scheduled to exit Game Pass on Oct. 15, leaving only a short time to play it via your membership — and you absolutely should. Developer Geometric Interactive designed one of the best puzzle games of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its core puzzle mechanic revolves around moving among worlds inside additional dimensions, and frequently you'll carry those realms, in the form of colorful spheres, with you.

Although it doesn't have direct instructions, everything about Cocoon's challenges is built in a very intuitive manner, yet they can challenge you as well. The year 2023 proved a massive year for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon was somewhat missed by the masses. We should correct that while we can.