After the company's recent news of Xbox Game Pass membership changes, featuring a price increase for the top tier to $30 per month, many members are seeking new methods to maximize their membership. For those holding onto their subscription or thinking about signing up, here are this week's picks.
This weekend's titles include a beloved JRPG, a charming indie journey, and a brilliant puzzler scheduled to depart from the platform shortly.
Persona 4: The Golden Edition
Among the best methods to get your money's worth from your subscription is by diving into a extensive, captivating RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that description exactly. You take on the part of a teenager who has relocated to the sleepy rural town of Inaba. By day, your goals involve forming friendships, working employment, and managing schoolwork. At night, you work to solve a chilling serial murder case by exploring unique locations themed around your companions' deepest insecurities.
With a unforgettable cast of characters, tactical turn-based combat, impeccable art design, and a plot packed with surprises, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is considered a classic for good reason. It also features a incredibly addictive gameplay loop that will keep you up late into the night, repeatedly.
Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato
While big titles like Ninja Gaiden IV are a key selling point for the service, the subscription also highlights lesser-known games. A perfect example of this is Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by the animated classic, this enchanting indie adventure is a magical realist tale steeped in Latin American culture. You join Miho, who, after assisting his grandma make soup, is transported to a vibrant realm populated by potato-nabbing frogs and various quirky creatures.
Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato unfolds similar to an educational computer title from the 90s, as Miho solves puzzles and helps the world's inhabitants by collecting an assortment of objects. Even if it's a little unpolished, Sopa is a heartwarming little experience that proudly celebrates its appreciation for South America.
Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure
Cocoon is set to exit Game Pass on October 15, leaving only a few days to play it via your membership — and you absolutely must. Developer the creators designed one of the best puzzlers of recent years in the 2023 release Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its core gameplay element focuses on moving between realms within other dimensions, and frequently you'll transport those realms, in the shape of colorful spheres, with you.
Although it doesn't have direct instructions, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's puzzles is designed in a very intuitive manner, though they will test you as well. The year 2023 proved a massive period for video games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was a bit missed by the masses. We should rectify that now.
