Microsoft’s Xbox was reshaping the gaming industry long before Game Pass cropped up in 2017. Those of us old enough to pine and yearn for Blockbuster rentals, however, are well-acquainted with the early consoles as well as the classics.
The original home console, a Velocity green behemoth, its similarly sturdy Duke controller like a henchman to its boss. The system just had a cool factor, akin to turn-of-the-millennium MTV, energy drinks, and Limewire.
Feeling nostalgic? Join me in waxing poetic about my favorite first-party Xbox releases.
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
The Halo franchise is virtually synonymous with Microsoft’s Xbox console. The sci-fi shooter first blasted onto the scene in the early aughts with Combat Evolved, and while I’m personally partial to the series’ third entry, the franchise’s first is a certified classic.
Truth be told, I always wanted my own Needler. Still do, really.
Mass Effect (2007)
Story-rich sci-fi RPG Mass Effect, first published by Microsoft in 2007, has since become a sprawling media franchise. With four successful games (feelings about Andromeda aside) and a TV adaptation on the way, more folks will be ready to board the Normandy in no time.
I’m not willing to share my guy Garrus, though.
Jade Empire (2005)
This underdog action RPG first arrived on Microsoft’s flagship console in 2005, and while it was later brought to Windows, it’s a true Xbox hit at its core. Jade Empire quickly took aspiring martial artists from couch to combat in an ethereal tale inspired by Chinese mythology.
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Gears of War (2006)
Swallow your feelings about the Reloaded beta long enough to appreciate what got us here in the first place.
Gears of War brings the heat, both literally and figuratively, pitting players against invasive, humanoid enemies known as Locusts. Massacre the resilient Lovecraftian invaders to save Sera from certain destruction.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
Microsoft Flight Simulator is the genre at its best, and that’s been true since the IP first flew to home computers in 1982 — yes, over 40 years ago!
The 2020 entry is a franchise standout, delivering socially-distanced gamers ultrarealistic visuals and pilot-verified accuracy amid COVID-19 travel bans. Gaming really is a magical medium.
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (2003)
Tabletop game-turned-Xbox IP Crimson Skies sits near the top of Microsoft’s most underrated and underserved franchises. Take flight and take names in a wildly different 1930s America.
Since the spirit of remakes and remasters is alive and well, and the series’ second — and better — entry is available on Xbox Game Pass, I reckon now’s as good a time as any!
Forza Motorsport (2005)
If you’ve touched a game controller at any point in the last two decades, then you’ve likely heard a thing or two about the Forza franchise. The Xbox Game Studios-published hit from the mid-2000s is the first in a line of 15 in total, though the 2012 introduction of street race-forward Horizon games shook it up a bit.
Cool cars, clean cosmetics, crazy customizations, challenging campaigns, AND killer tunes? Yeah, that sounds like SUCH a hard sell. (Feel the sarcasm?)
Fable (2004)
Fable flipped the fantasy game genre on its head. Sure, we’ve got more visually captivating hits like Breath of the Wild and Baldur’s Gate 3 now, but the niche would be radically different without Fable devs’ creative contributions.
The revolutionary fantasy RPG is purportedly getting a new installment sometime next year. I’m crossing my fingers that THIS one doesn’t utilize Kinect.
Zoo Tycoon (2001)
My family gathered ’round our communal computer like a bonfire when it was time to set up a new zoo. Design enclosures, hire and fire, monitor animals’ moods, enhance guests’ experiences, landscape, and so much more. Microsoft’s Zoo Tycoon was an immediate commercial hit, its success leading to two expansion packs.
Nearly one quarter-century later, Zoo Tycoon is a trilogy, the second releasing in 2004, and the third in 2013.
Sea of Thieves (2018)
Explorers at heart, rejoice! You can cruise the seas ’til ‘yer weak in the knees in Sea of Thieves, the swashbuckling pirate-themed hit released in 2018. Collaborate with or crush other travelers, explore the farthest corners of the map, and trade treasures, but prioritize self-preservation above all. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, friend.
Compelling quests, continuous updates, cool environments, and some rewarding grinding for the 100%-ers.
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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