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After Microsoft's recent announcement of Game Pass membership updates, including a cost hike for the top tier to $30 monthly, many subscribers are seeking fresh methods to get the most from their membership. For those holding onto their subscription or thinking about signing up, here are this week's recommendations.

Our selected games include a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a charming indie journey, and a superb puzzler set to leave the platform shortly.

Persona 4 Golden

One of the best ways to maximize value from your subscription is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that description perfectly. You step into the part of a teenager who has just moved to the quiet countryside of Inaba. During the day, your goals involve making friendships, working part-time jobs, and keeping up with schoolwork. By night, you work to solve a chilling string of murders by exploring unique locations based on your friends' inner fears.

With a memorable cast of characters, tactical turn-based combat, flawless visuals, and a storyline packed with twists, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is regarded as a classic for good reason. It also boasts a incredibly addictive cycle that will have you playing late into the night, night after night.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although major titles like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a key attraction for Game Pass, the platform also showcases lesser-known indie gems. A great instance of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by Spirited Away, this enchanting independent game is a fantasy journey rooted in South American culture. You join Miho, who, after helping his grandmother make soup, is pulled into a vibrant world populated by potato-nabbing frogs and other eccentric animals.

Sopa unfolds similar to an educational computer title from the 90s, as Miho solves puzzles and aids the world's inhabitants by collecting an inventory of objects. Though it's a little unpolished, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming small game that proudly celebrates its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure is set to exit Game Pass on Oct. 15, giving you only a short time to experience it via your membership — and you absolutely must. Studio Geometric Interactive designed one of the finest puzzlers of recent years in 2023's Cocoon. Its core gameplay element revolves around transitioning between worlds inside additional worlds, and often you'll carry those realms, in the form of vibrant spheres, alongside you.

While it doesn't have explicit instructions, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's puzzles is designed in a highly intuitive way, though they can test you as well. 2023 was a massive year for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was a bit overlooked by many players. We should correct that now.