Three Game Pass Titles We're Enjoying Over the Weekend (Oct. 10-12)

Following the company's latest news of Xbox Game Pass membership changes, including a cost hike for the top tier to $30 monthly, many subscribers are looking for new methods to get the most from their subscription. For those holding onto their membership or considering joining, we present our latest picks.

This weekend's titles feature a beloved JRPG, a charming independent adventure, and a brilliant puzzle game set to leave the platform shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

Among the top ways to maximize value from Game Pass is by immersing yourself in a lengthy, captivating RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that description perfectly. You take on the part of a teenager who has just moved to the quiet countryside of Inaba. During the day, your objectives include making friendships, working employment, and keeping up with studies. By night, you work to solve a disturbing string of murders by exploring strange locations themed around your friends' deepest insecurities.

With a unforgettable group of heroes, strategic battle system, flawless visuals, and a plot full of surprises, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is considered a masterpiece for good reason. It also features a highly addictive gameplay loop that will have you playing past bedtime, night after night.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

Although big releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a primary attraction for the service, the subscription also showcases smaller indie gems. A perfect example of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Inspired by the animated classic, this charming indie game is a magical realist journey steeped in Latin American traditions. Players join Miho, who, after helping his grandmother make soup, is transported to a colorful world populated by potato-nabbing frogs and various eccentric creatures.

Sopa plays out like an educational computer title from the 90s, as Miho tackles puzzles and helps the world's inhabitants by collecting an assortment of items. Even if it's a bit rough around the edges, Sopa is a sweet small experience that openly celebrates its appreciation for South America.

Cocoon

Cocoon is scheduled to leave the service on October 15, giving you only a short time to experience it via your membership — and you definitely should. Developer Geometric Interactive designed one of the finest puzzle games of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon. Its central puzzle mechanic revolves around moving among realms within other dimensions, and often you'll transport those worlds, in the shape of colorful orbs, alongside you.

Although it doesn't have direct instructions, everything about Cocoon's puzzles is built in a very intuitive manner, yet they will test you as well. The year 2023 proved a massive year for video games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was a bit overlooked by many players. Let's correct that while we can.