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After Microsoft's recent announcement of Game Pass subscription changes, including a price increase for the Ultimate Tier to $30 monthly, many members are looking for fresh methods to get the most from their membership. If you holding onto their subscription or considering joining, we present this week's picks.

Our selected titles feature a acclaimed Japanese role-playing game, a delightful indie adventure, and a brilliant puzzler scheduled to leave the service soon.

Persona 4 Golden

One of the best ways to maximize value from Game Pass is by diving into a extensive, engaging role-playing game — and Persona 4 Golden fits that bill perfectly. You take on the part of a teenager who has relocated to the sleepy rural town of Inaba. During the day, your goals include making new friends, working part-time jobs, and keeping up with studies. At night, you work to solve a disturbing string of murders by venturing into strange dungeons themed around your companions' deepest insecurities.

With a unforgettable group of heroes, strategic turn-based combat, flawless 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 past bedtime, night after night.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although big releases like Ninja Gaiden IV are a key selling point for the service, the platform also highlights lesser-known indie gems. A perfect instance of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by the animated classic, this enchanting indie game is a fantasy journey rooted in South American traditions. Players follow Miho, who, after helping his grandma make soup, is transported to a vibrant world populated by potato-stealing frogs and other eccentric 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 residents by gathering an assortment of objects. Though it's a little rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming little game that openly showcases its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon

Cocoon is scheduled to leave the service on October 15, giving you only a few days to experience it via subscription — and you absolutely should. Studio Geometric Interactive designed one of the finest puzzlers of this generation in 2023's Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its central puzzle mechanic focuses on moving between worlds within additional dimensions, and often you'll transport those realms, in the shape of vibrant spheres, with you.

Although it doesn't have direct guidance, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's puzzles is designed in a highly natural way, though they can challenge you as well. 2023 was a massive period for video games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was somewhat missed by many players. We should correct that now.