The seventh generation ushered in a new age, with more detailed graphics and online play becoming the norm.
Microsoft released the Xbox 360 and hit the ground running. Shooters and RPGs were taken to new heights with better storytelling and gameplay enabled by the new hardware. Players were seeing games come to life that they never thought possible. Classics across many genres found their home on the 360.
While not all of them are exclusive, here are twelve of the best titles that you can find and play on your Xbox 360.
Gears of War 3
The end of the trilogy takes everything great about Gears of War and cranks it to 11.
The campaign gives a satisfying end to the trilogy, and the game is packed with a bunch of multiplayer or co-op modes that ensure you will never get bored. A new mode called Beast Mode was added, a reverse version of Horde Mode, where you and your friends play as the locusts. After the dismal multiplayer of the second game, the third came back with a vengeance.
Gears of War 3 set a standard for all third-person shooters moving forward. It is a state-of-the-art shooter that is exclusive to the Xbox 360.
Halo 3
I could drone on and on about how special Halo 3 was to me and the community. Matches always felt fun and fresh.
Halo 3 was the king of multiplayer on the Xbox 360. It felt like everyone you knew was playing. It featured an epic campaign with one of the most memorable final levels. With the Forge, players can make their own maps and create unique versions of game types. Seeing the conclusion of the trilogy is worth the price of admission.
The Halo 3 craze is one of the first big multiplayer crazes I can remember. The only game that can have a close comparison is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
For many, this was the introduction to Geralt of Rivia and the world of monster hunting. It’s a great introduction that is rough around the edges but still worth a play.
Geralt falls victim to the wrong place at the wrong time. He is arrested for the assassination of King Foltest but breaks out of prison to find the true culprit. Thankfully, The Witcher 2 completely changed the combat and leveling system from the first game for the better. There are some big choices to be made that can change the outcome of the story and even change small parts of The Witcher 3.
This dark fantasy romp feels unique and features one of the most complicated but beloved characters in the genre. If you have a 360, The Witcher 2 is a game you must have in your collection.
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Alan Wake
Are you afraid of the dark or shadows? Well after playing Alan Wake, you should be.
Alan Wake’s story feels like a fever dream, with a story influenced by shows like Twin Peaks or The X-Files. Trying to uncover the mystery of your missing wife is hard when you are living out the plot of a novel you have written, thanks to the power of a supernatural typewriter you used the story has come to life. Your strongest weapon is light. Using light to expose the shadow enemies allows you to finally do damage to them.
This psychological thriller seamlessly combines elements of survival horror to make a great game that seems too crazy to be real.
Fable 2
I could never imagine that Fable could be outdone or that it would get a sequel. We got a sequel that was bigger and better in every way.
Fable 2 offered players the freedom to shape their hero’s destiny through moral choices, combat, and relationships while working your way through an engaging story and world. The game had its own unique sense of humor that felt like it was in a lane of its own. The real-time combat was satisfying and fun, with a decent amount of power at your disposal. Fable 2 featured a real-time economy that would change throughout your journey.
There is no doubt that Fable 2 belongs on this list of best Xbox 360 games. This witty RPG feels like no gaming experience you have had before, and remarkably, it’s an Xbox exclusive.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Oblivion was like nothing we had ever seen before with its scale and massive amount of quests. The RPG landscape was forever changed.
Traveling the massive world of Tamriel was never boring, with random events cropping up out of nowhere. You could multi-class and mold your character to exactly how you wanted to play. The guild quests are what make Oblivion stand out. Quests like, Whodunit?, present you with several ways to assassinate NPCs with a freedom never seen before in a game during this time.
The quests of Oblivion are why it is chosen over Skyrim in this list.
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
Most Naruto games are arena fighters and feel lacking. Do you want to feel like you live in the world and actually feel like Naruto? Rise of a Ninja is the game you’ve been looking for.
Ubisoft took a different approach, offering an action-adventure game that made you feel like you were in the world. You follow the story of the first eighty Naruto episodes of the show while also doing side missions in the village that involve a lot of platforming. The big moments in the story felt truly epic with how they played out in game.
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja had a sequel, but seemed to miss the mark by focusing on the wrong aspects and missing out on the things that made Rise of a Ninja special. We will never see another game like this for the Naruto franchise.
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect was one of the games that really felt like it was the next generation of gaming. It wasn’t perfect, but its sequel is.
Mass Effect 2 is everything you could hope for in a Sci-Fi RPG. This game has a lot of dialog to choose from and lets you shape your commander’s morality. The game is packed with unforgettable characters and features some of the best party companions in all of gaming. While trying to solve the problem of the Collectors, you also have companion side quests that deepen your emotions towards your crew. Gunplay and the use of powers are super satisfying in a fun combat system.
Shepard and his crew face impossible odds on an epic that could rival Shakespeare himself. With an incredibly deep story and fun combat, what isn’t there to love about Mass Effect 2?
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
This is where the massively destructible environments started in the Battlefield series. You and your party of ragtag goofballs try to stop a Russian Super-Weapon.
Frostbite 1.5 really brought a level of destruction never before seen in games. Is a sniper giving you trouble in a building? Blow up the supports and topple the whole building. The characters in your outfit are humorous, and it feels like a brotherhood. It also has a great multiplayer mode that showcases carnage as you topple buildings and complete objectives.
With plenty of destruction, guns, and vehicle options, Bad Company 2 makes warfare way more fun than it has any right to be.
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
A bloody, gory, stomp through the world has never felt so good. Ripping pipes and boards off the wall to beat down enemies is still one of the most unique combat systems in an FPS.
Working through abandoned buildings and catching a glimpse of something but not being sure what you saw made the Condemned series terrifying. Enemies running through the dark and hiding behind corners, waiting to jump out and beat you down, were unnerving and brutal. Adding in more supernatural enemies only increased the chaos.
Sega had gold in their hands with a unique FPS experience, and it disappeared without a trace. Picking up what you can and using it as a melee weapon was one of the best first-person combat systems ever.
Left 4 Dead 2
Not only is Left 4 Dead 2 one of the best Xbox 360 titles, but it is one of the best multiplayer games ever made.
Packaging all the content from the first game into the second meant none of the first game’s content was left for dead. L4D2 always seems to find the perfect balance between chaos and fun. The AI Director ensured that no two playthroughs of a campaign were the same. Thirteen different campaigns with parties of four meant a lot of replayability, filled with a lot of unique moments caused by chaos and circumstance.
Packed with a bunch of campaigns, characters, weapons, and modes, Left 4 Dead 2 is a quintessential experience on the Xbox 360.
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Torn between loyalty to the NSA and infiltrating a terrorist group, Sam Fisher struggles with the duality of his loyalty in order to fully infiltrate the enemy.
The dual-mission structure paired with choices impacts the story and character relationships. The dual allegiance really increases the tension in the story. Splinter Cell: Double Agent finds new ways to emphasize strategy over brute force by letting players use gadgets, weapons, and environmental elements to take down or outsmart enemies. The multiplayer elevates the game by creating a 2v2 match-up that creates a cat-and-mouse dynamic that is not only fun but intense.
Splinter Cell: Double Agent is still one of the best stealth based games on the market. Flip on your night vision goggles and get to work on playing one of the best Xbox 360 titles.
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