The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site. Microsoft's Xbox had so many great games--here are our favorites. The Xbox is fondly remembered by many as one of the best game consoles of all time, and it had a vast library of excellent games to choose from. Indeed, the console welcomed more than 2, games, and while they were not all excellent, many were.
We're looking back at the Xbox 's glory days and listing off the 15 best Xbox games--in alphabetical order--from the second-ever Xbox that Microsoft made. Many of the games listed below are still playable today on Xbox One and Xbox Series X--some of them were even remastered with updated visuals and mechanics. The game's combat was also one of its most praised elements, with players able to chain attacks together in a free-flowing system that felt satisfying, rewarding, powerful, and fair.
It's no surprise that the game spawned multiple sequels and a wider universe of comic book games. Read our Batman: Arkham Asylum review.
BioShock is often cited on lists of the greatest games of all time. Written and directed by Ken Levine, BioShock tells a period story set in the underwater world of Rapture. The story evoked themes of Ayn Rand and George Orwell, and apart from its gripping story and big twists, it's memorable for spawning Big Daddies and Little Sisters. The game really nailed its style and tone, which made it a truly unique experience. Read our BioShock review.
Remembered as one of the most influential and best Call of Duty games ever, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was part of the incredible that saw many other great games release. Developed by Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare took the Call of Duty franchise out of a historical setting and into modern times.
The globe-trotting story took players to many different conflict zones and served up one of the most memorable Call of Duty missions ever: All Ghillied Up. The multiplayer was a real show-stopper, too, advancing the formula with a long list of now-common multiplayer elements like killstreaks, custom loadouts, and the ability to earn XP toward new weapons and gear. Read our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare review.
From Software's successor to Demon's Souls, Dark Souls released in and was a runaway success that remains beloved by fans today. We praised the game for its gorgeous and frightening world and its excellent combat mechanics that make every attack feel powerful and precise.
Dark Souls is also remembered for its very different bosses that test your skill and determination, while the game's novel online element that allowed players to cooperate and compete became a fixture in future games. The series has remained popular over the years, and From Software is now innovating once again with Elden Ring in Read our Dark Souls review.
Long before Deathloop, Arkane made a name for itself with Dishonored. Released in at the tail-end of the Xbox console cycle, Dishonored was praised at the time for its impeccable and striking design that helps bring its setting to life. Read our Dishonored review. The game was released in November and few could have predicted the bonafide phenomenon that it would become.
Directed by Todd Howard and the winner of many Game of the Year awards, Skyrim was praised in part for its open-ended structure that allowed players to venture through a fantastical world full of monsters and magic.
Many believe Skyrim remains Bethesda's best RPG ever, and as for why Bethesda keeps releasing it on more and more platforms, well, we only have ourselves to blame. Read our Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review. Long before Epic Games was known for Fortnite, the studio created the Gears of War franchise, with Cliff Bleszinski as its designer and director.
Released one year into the Xbox 's lifecycle in November , Gears of War was a stunner with its cover combat, co-op support, and completely over-the-top action involving fighting giant enemies. Gears of War also introduced the world to the gun-with-a-chainsaw, the Lancer, which would go on to become iconic for the series and shooter games overall. Epic eventually sold Gears of War to Microsoft, which is now developing the series via The Coalition studio.
Read our Gears of War review. The game's journey actually began back in , when it was released on Xbox A stunning display of creative and technical achievement, GTA V is remembered by many as one of the great games of all time--and certainly one of the most commercially successful, too. In addition to the wonderful open-world campaign, GTA V has remained relevant thanks to Grand Theft Auto Online, the massive multiplayer playground that is essentially its own game at this point.
Read our Grand Theft Auto V review. Another one of the great games of , Bungie's Halo 3 is revered for its multiplayer mode that many still see as the high watermark for the series. The single-player campaign was also one of the best in franchise history. Even though Castle Crashers had some issues initially, which included delays and spotty online play at launch, it's still one of the best co-op video games available on Xbox Live Arcade.
A fast-paced, beat-em-up with fantastic art direction, hilarious characters and settings, The Behemoth's Castle Crashers is one of the most played titles on Xbox Live for good reasons. It's also a surprisingly long experience for a downloadable title, making the Microsoft Point price much easier to digest. While some might argue that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is little more than a slightly made-over version of a year-old title, it truly is one of the most satisfying action games available on Xbox Live Arcade.
Awakened from a self-induced sleep, Alucard, the half-vampire son of Dracula sets off to investigate the entity of chaos that is The Castlevania. Filled with hours of adventure, multiple endings, and a moody musical score, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a steal at this price.
It's not only an incredible journey throughout, Castlevania: SoTN influenced countless other titles -- including Shadow Complex -- and is hands-down one of the finest entries in the Castlevania series. Who knew that a classic German board game could look so good and offer as much fun as Catan does on the Xbox ? While Catan can be incredibly fun, it can also get quite challenging.
Big Huge Games founder Brian Reynolds has said that "you can teach someone to play [Catan] in minutes and then spend years trying to master it. You can play it against the finely tuned computer A. It won't offer you the same high level of action as other strategy games, but Catan is still highly recommended for strategy game fans. Widely believed to be the franchise that kick-started the popularity of Xbox Live Arcade, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 takes a near-perfect formula and somehow improves it.
At its core, Geometry Wars 2 is the simplest of games: Survive intense waves of attacking enemies--that's it. The Xbox Live Arcade platform has a seemingly endless supply of dual-joystick shooters under its belt, and even if you're tired of the genre, Geometry Wars 2 does a fantastic job of making the genre feel fresh again.
Rather than remake this classic side-scrolling shooter for the HD age, Sega thankfully released Gunstar Heroes as fans remembered it. Other shooters sometimes try to emulate its non-stop, frantic action, but Gunstar Heroes still maintains a place in our heart.
Just make sure to pad your controller because you might end up throwing it on more than one occasion; completing Gunstar Heroes is no piece of cake. Perhaps one of the most intense Dreamcast games ever made, Ikaruga has found its way on many platforms including GameCube, arcades, and Xbox Live Arcade. Ikaruga defines the phrase "Bullet Hell," and while it's viciously difficult, it also offers a ton of replay value.
It might sound silly to hear that a game with only five levels deserves your hard earned Microsoft Space Bucks, but you'll actually end up spending a lot of time replaying those levels over and over again in order to survive. And when you do, the hell you just went through makes Ikaruga's completion that much more satisfying. While original versions of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 encouraged players to unlock a host of new characters, the Xbox Live Arcade version's focus is on competitive play.
While we're still fans of the original Marvel vs. Capcom 2, this new version affords players the possibility to play a game that is no longer readily available, unless you're willing to pay an arm and a leg for a Dreamcast, PS2 or Xbox version of it.
It may not scratch that progression reward itch, but it's one of the fastest and most fun fighting experiences available today. Winterbottom is a stocky man with a penchant for delicious baked goods. After chasing a pastry through his town, Winterbottom accidentally jumps through space and time, replicating himself ad infinitum. Unabashed by his misfortune, the top-hat sporting gentleman -- along with his seemingly never-ending stream of clones -- set off on an adventure to collect all the stray pies in the land to whet his insatiable appetite.
Winterbottom is a stylish, black and white game inspired by silent films and developed by a team befitting of their moniker, The Odd Gentlemen. It's also one of the most charming, challenging and quirky puzzle games available on Xbox Live Arcade. But the game is hardly simplistic. Pixel-sized enemies haunt you at every corner waiting to decimate your stick-figure character and drive you insane with frustration.
Some have compared Peggle addiction to that of substance abuse. Of course, real substance abuse is no laughing matter, but Peggle does have the ability to melt away hours, leaving relationships ruined in its wake. Inspired by the Japanese game pachinko, Peggle is a casual game that has burst through the classification and latched onto every group of gamers.
There's something to be said for a title that can draw in hardcore gamers and grandmothers alike, but Peggle does just that. The XBLA version also includes various multiplayer modes where those aforementioned hardcore gamers and grandmothers can throw down in epic online battles.
Still Alive comes with the original mind-bending first-person puzzle game with a heaping serving of additional content: fourteen new challenges that were based on Portal: The Flash Version. With the recent announcement of Portal 2 coming later this year, now's a good time to prepare for the sequel.
When it first hit stores in Japan, Rez was released with one of the most bizarre peripherals we've seen: The "trance vibrator. Q Entertainment's XBLA version ditches the extra and delivers what shooter fans really want: a gorgeous remake of its addicting shooter.
Rez still holds up today with its distinct visuals and pulsating electronic music that the player manipulates by playing the game and destroying enemies. The game features six episodes that follow the adventures of two private investigators who also happen to be a pair of anthropomorphic animals: Sam is a canine who wears a suit and fedora and Max is an unidentifiable relative of the rabbit family who wears absolutely nothing.
The Microsoft Point price tag might seem steep, but the bundle includes hours of content, and once you complete this series, season two is also available for purchase on Xbox Live Arcade.
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