Three Xbox Game Pass Games We're Playing This Weekend (Oct. 10-12)
After Microsoft's recent announcement of Game Pass subscription changes, including a cost hike for the Ultimate Tier to $30 monthly, many subscribers are looking for new methods to get the most from their membership. For those keeping their subscription or considering joining, here are our latest recommendations.
This weekend's titles feature a acclaimed Japanese role-playing game, a delightful indie journey, and a brilliant puzzle game scheduled to leave the service shortly.
Persona 4: The Golden Edition
One of the best ways to maximize value from Game Pass is by diving into a extensive, captivating RPG — and Persona 4: The Golden Edition matches that description exactly. You take on the role of a teenager who has relocated to the quiet countryside of Inaba. By day, your goals involve forming friendships, working part-time jobs, and keeping up with studies. At night, you work to solve a disturbing serial murder case by venturing into unique locations themed around your friends' deepest insecurities.
With a memorable group of heroes, tactical turn-based combat, flawless visuals, and a plot packed with twists, Persona 4 Golden is considered a masterpiece for good reason. It also features a highly addictive gameplay loop that will keep you up past bedtime, night after night.
Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato
While major releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 are a key selling point for Game Pass, the subscription also highlights lesser-known games. A perfect instance of this is Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato. Drawing from Spirited Away, this charming indie adventure is a magical realist tale steeped in Latin American traditions. Players follow Miho, who, after helping his grandmother make soup, is transported to a vibrant realm filled with potato-nabbing frogs and other quirky 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 realm's residents by gathering an assortment of items. Even if it's a little rough around the edges, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a sweet little experience that openly showcases its appreciation for the region's culture.
Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure
Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure is set to leave the service on October 15, giving you only a few days to play it via subscription — and you definitely must. Studio the creators designed one of the finest puzzlers of this generation in 2023's Cocoon. Its central puzzle mechanic revolves around transitioning between worlds inside additional dimensions, and often you'll transport those realms, in the shape of colorful orbs, with you.
While it lacks explicit guidance, everything about Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure's puzzles is designed in a highly natural manner, though they can challenge you as well. 2023 was a big period for games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon was somewhat missed by many players. We should rectify that now.
