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After Microsoft's recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass subscription updates, including a price increase for the top tier to $30 per month, numerous members are seeking new methods to get the most from their membership. For those holding onto their subscription or thinking about signing up, here are our latest picks.

This weekend's games feature a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a delightful indie adventure, and a superb puzzler set to leave the platform soon.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

One of the top methods to maximize value from your subscription is by diving into a extensive, engaging RPG — and Persona 4 Golden fits that bill exactly. You step into the role of a high school student who has just moved to the sleepy rural town of Inaba. During the day, your objectives involve making new friends, working part-time jobs, and keeping up with schoolwork. By night, you work to solve a disturbing serial murder case by venturing into strange locations themed around your friends' inner fears.

With a memorable group of heroes, tactical turn-based combat, flawless visuals, and a storyline full of twists, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is regarded as a classic for many reasons. It also boasts a highly addictive cycle that will have you playing past bedtime, repeatedly.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

While major titles like Ninja Gaiden IV are a key selling point for the service, the platform also showcases smaller indie gems. A perfect example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from Spirited Away, this enchanting independent game is a magical realist tale rooted in South American traditions. You join Miho, who, after assisting his grandma make soup, is pulled into a vibrant world filled with potato-stealing frogs and various quirky creatures.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato unfolds like an learning-focused computer title from the 90s, as Miho solves puzzles and aids the realm's residents by collecting an inventory of objects. Though it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet little experience that proudly showcases its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon

Cocoon is scheduled to leave the service on October 15, leaving only a short time to play it via subscription — and you absolutely should. Studio the creators crafted one of the best puzzlers of recent years in 2023's Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its central puzzle mechanic revolves around moving between worlds within other worlds, and frequently you'll transport those realms, in the shape of vibrant spheres, alongside you.

Although it doesn't have direct instructions, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is built in a very natural manner, though they will challenge you as well. 2023 was a big year for video games, so it's understandable if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was somewhat overlooked by the masses. We should correct that while we can.