Three Xbox Game Pass Games We Are Playing This Weekend (October 10-12)

Following the company's recent announcement of Game Pass subscription updates, including a price increase for the Ultimate Tier to $30 per month, many members are looking for new ways to get the most from their subscription. For those keeping their subscription or thinking about joining, here are this week's recommendations.

Our selected games feature a beloved Japanese role-playing game, a delightful independent adventure, and a brilliant puzzle game set to depart from the service shortly.

Persona 4: The Golden Edition

One of the top ways to get your money's worth from your subscription is by immersing yourself in a extensive, captivating role-playing game — and Persona 4 Golden matches that bill perfectly. You step into the part of a high school student who has relocated to the quiet rural town of Inaba. By day, your objectives involve forming new friends, working employment, and managing schoolwork. By night, you work to solve a chilling serial murder case by venturing into strange locations based on your friends' deepest insecurities.

With a memorable cast of characters, strategic turn-based combat, impeccable visuals, and a plot packed with surprises, Persona 4: The Golden Edition is regarded as a classic for good reason. It also features a incredibly addictive cycle that will keep you up past bedtime, night after night.

Sopa - Tale of the Stolen Potato

While big titles like Ninja Gaiden IV are a primary attraction 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 Spirited Away, this charming indie adventure is a fantasy tale rooted in Latin American culture. Players join Miho, who, after helping his grandmother make soup, is pulled into a vibrant realm populated by potato-nabbing frogs and various eccentric animals.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato plays out like an educational PC game from the 90s, as Miho solves puzzles and helps the world's residents by gathering an inventory of objects. Though it's a bit unpolished, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato is a heartwarming small experience that openly celebrates its appreciation for the region's culture.

Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure

Cocoon is scheduled to exit Game Pass on Oct. 15, leaving only a short time to play it via subscription — and you definitely must. Studio Geometric Interactive crafted one of the best puzzlers of this generation in the 2023 release Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure. Its central puzzle mechanic revolves around moving between worlds inside other worlds, and frequently you'll carry those worlds, in the shape of colorful spheres, with you.

While it doesn't have direct guidance, everything about Cocoon's challenges is designed in a highly intuitive manner, yet they will test you as well. 2023 was a big year for video games, so it's no surprise if Cocoon: A Puzzle Adventure was somewhat overlooked by the masses. We should correct that while we can.