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Following Microsoft's recent announcement of Game Pass membership updates, featuring a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $thirty monthly, numerous members are looking for fresh ways to maximize their membership. For those holding onto their membership or considering signing up, here are this week's picks.

Our selected titles feature a acclaimed Japanese role-playing game, a charming independent adventure, and a brilliant puzzle game scheduled to leave the platform shortly.

Persona 4 Golden

One of the top ways to maximize value from Game Pass is by diving into a extensive, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that bill exactly. You step into the role of a high school student who has relocated to the quiet rural town of Inaba. By day, your objectives involve making friendships, taking on employment, and keeping up with schoolwork. By night, you work to solve a chilling serial murder case by exploring unique locations based on your companions' inner fears.

With a unforgettable cast of characters, strategic battle system, impeccable visuals, and a storyline packed with twists, Persona 4 Golden is considered a masterpiece for many reasons. It also boasts a incredibly addictive cycle that will have you playing past bedtime, night after night.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although big titles like Ninja Gaiden IV are a primary attraction for Game Pass, the platform also showcases lesser-known indie gems. A perfect instance of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from the animated classic, this enchanting indie adventure is a magical realist tale steeped in South American traditions. You follow Miho, who, after helping his grandmother make soup, is transported to a colorful realm populated by potato-stealing frogs and other eccentric animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out like an learning-focused computer title from the 90s, as Miho solves challenges and helps the realm's inhabitants by collecting an inventory of objects. Though it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa is a heartwarming little game that proudly showcases its love for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon is set to exit Game Pass on Oct. 15, giving you only a few days to experience it via subscription — and you definitely should. Studio Geometric Interactive crafted one of the best puzzlers of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon. Its central gameplay element focuses on moving among realms inside other dimensions, and often you'll carry those realms, in the form of vibrant orbs, alongside you.

While it lacks explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's challenges is built in a highly natural manner, though they will test you as well. The year 2023 proved a big year for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was somewhat missed by many players. Let's rectify that while we can.