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After Microsoft's recent news of Game Pass membership changes, including a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $30 monthly, many members are looking for fresh methods to maximize their subscription. For those holding onto their membership or thinking about joining, we present this week's recommendations.

Our selected games include a acclaimed JRPG, a delightful indie adventure, and a brilliant puzzler scheduled to depart from the service soon.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

One of the best ways to get your money's worth from your subscription is by diving into a lengthy, captivating RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that description exactly. You take on the role of a high school student who has just moved to the quiet rural town of Inaba. During the day, your objectives include making friendships, taking on employment, and keeping up with studies. At night, you work to solve a disturbing string of murders by exploring unique locations based on your companions' deepest insecurities.

With a unforgettable group of heroes, tactical battle system, impeccable visuals, and a storyline full of surprises, Persona 4 Golden is considered a masterpiece for good reason. It also boasts a highly engrossing 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 IV are a key attraction for Game Pass, the platform also highlights smaller games. A great example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by Spirited Away, this charming independent game is a fantasy journey rooted in South American traditions. You follow Miho, who, after assisting his grandmother prepare soup, is transported to a vibrant realm filled with potato-nabbing frogs and various eccentric creatures.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out similar to an learning-focused computer title from the 1990s, as Miho tackles puzzles and helps the world's residents by gathering an assortment of objects. Even if it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming little game that openly showcases its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure is set to leave Game Pass on Oct. 15, leaving only a few days to experience it via subscription — and you definitely should. Developer the creators crafted one of the finest puzzle games of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its central gameplay element revolves around transitioning between worlds within other dimensions, and often you'll transport those worlds, in the form of vibrant orbs, with you.

While it lacks explicit instructions, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's puzzles is built in a very natural way, though they will test you as well. The year 2023 proved a big year for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon was somewhat overlooked by the masses. Let's rectify that now.