The best Xbox games ever made have been included in one definitive guide. When Microsoft released the Xbox in North America on November 15, 2001, it caused a significant upheaval in the console wars; the rest of the world got their hands on one a few months later.
Success was never assured, even for one of the wealthiest corporations in the world. Still, in the last two decades, groundbreaking inventions and iconic franchises have solidified the company’s position at the forefront of the gaming industry.
The original Xbox’s foresight in incorporating broadband and a hard drive helped pave the way for online gaming as we know it today, and the Xbox 360 is widely regarded as one of the most successful and longest-running console generations ever released.
The platform holder would rather forget that Kinect existed and that Xbox One had a terrible launch strategy that the company is still trying to recover from. However, it has matured due to its experiences, becoming a more formidable competitor due to its Game Pass service and portfolio expansion via significant acquisitions such as Mojang and Bethesda.
So, we figured we do a good-fashioned ranking of the 20 most significant Xbox games, which is highly unlikely to be contested—absolute top-tier quality. Even if you disagree, you must admit they all shed light on some of the most special exclusives and landmark moments in the platform’s development.
Ninja Gaiden (Xbox, 2004)
While the Japanese studio Team Ninja’s Dark Souls is widely regarded as one of the most challenging games ever made, the original Xbox exclusive Ninja Gaiden, a 3D recreation of the iconic 8-bit action side-scroller, might make an equally strong case.
Its improved release, Ninja Gaiden Black, was an outstanding display of how the Xbox backward compatibility technology could bring back old Xbox titles looking almost like fresh releases, despite being extraordinarily violent and harsh for their time.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox One, 2020)
The Ori series is one of the most aesthetically pleasing Metroidvanias of recent memory. It’s an emotional roller coaster as well as a challenging video game.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is one of the best instances of next-gen, rendering on Series X at an eye-watering 6K, and it achieves what every great sequel should do by improving and expanding on its systems, such as new combat.
Below is a list of additional articles that we have written about previously-
Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox, 2002)
Microsoft’s entry into the console wars coincided with Sega’s exit; however, some have argued that the Xbox was a spiritual successor to the Dreamcast, and the Japanese company produced some exclusives for the Xbox, including a sequel to a game widely regarded as having some of the most striking visuals and aural hooks ever created.
The fact that Jet Set Radio Future is the only game on this list that can’t be played on a current-gen console adds to its cult reputation.
Below you’ll find a preview video from the upcoming Jet Set Radio film-
Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360, 2007)
Mistwalker, founded by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, produced its masterpiece, Lost Odyssey, with financial backing from Microsoft. Despite being a pretty traditional turn-based role-playing game, it boasts one of the best storylines ever told in the genre thanks to its exploration of themes of immortality, including emotionally rich writing, incredible voice acting, and probably the most charming (or least obnoxious) child characters ever.
Lost Odyssey is free on Xbox One and Xbox 360 this month, according to a tweet posted by Eurogamer-
Lost Odyssey is free this month on Xbox One / 360. https://t.co/7UAM0Znivt pic.twitter.com/PuSjQuZkmn
— Eurogamer (@eurogamer) December 14, 2016
Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Xbox One, 2014)
The Xbox 360’s flagship shooter is Halo, and this definitive collection of the first three games is the most excellent way to experience it.
Some of the best games ever released on a home console include Combat Evolved, one of the all-time greats, Halo 2, which introduced millions of console gamers to online play for the first time through Xbox Live; and Halo 3, which concluded the conflict on a scale few games in any other medium could hope to achieve. All honour to the Chief Executive!
The official trailers for Halo: The Master Chief Collection can be viewed down below-
Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One, 2018)
Forza Motorsport was Microsoft’s answer to Gran Turismo on the original Xbox. Still, Playground Games’ spin-off sub-series Forza Horizon is where the series shines, eschewing realistic simulation in favor of beautiful open-world driving mayhem.
Every Horizon game is fantastic, but the fourth installment, which introduced a revolutionary weather system and made Britain seem better than it has in a long time, is our pick.
The Forza Horizon 4 Official Launch Trailer may be seen in the video snippets that are provided down below-
