The Xbox 360 was released back in 2005 and was the first console to kick off the seventh generation, which also included the PS3 and Nintendo Wii. During its 11 year lifecycle, there were over 2,000 games released for the system. But, which ones were the best? Here are the top 10 best Xbox 360 games of all time.
10. Left 4 Dead 2
Valve’s Left 4 Dead series became one of the most popular on Steam in the late-2000s, but the second entry also saw a console release too, with it launching on Xbox 360 alongside PC. While it is certainly better played on PC with a keyboard and mouse, the Xbox 360 port was very solid and played as well as its PC counterpart. In an era where PC ports were often afterthoughts, it is great to see a game designed for PCs get the care and attention it deserves when it is ported to consoles.
9. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Modern Warfare 2 was the pinnacle of 2000s FPS games, with the game releasing in November 2009. Many fans point to the game as being the highlight of the Call of Duty series, with many players having fond memories of the game and its online gameplay. The campaign is also a contender for the best in the series, with solid gameplay and a gripping storyline, which also featured the very controversial No Russian mission, which was skippable without affecting the story due to its graphic nature.
8. Gears Of War 2
For 15 years, Gears of War has been a flagship series for Microsoft and the Xbox brand, with Gear of Wars 2 being the cream of the crop. Released in 208, the third-person tactical cover shooter is fondly remembered by fans, with many regarding it as the top game in the series, with the quality taking a dip in future entries, especially once Epic Games stopped developing it. Gears of War 2 has one of the highest Metacritic scores of any Xbox exclusive title with a score of 93, only losing out to the first Gears of War game and Halo 3.
7. Batman: Arkham City
For many years, superhero-themed games were typically not very good. Of course, there were exceptions, but for the most part, when superheroes or movies crossed over with video games, the results were typically not that great. The Batman Arkham series changed that with Rocksteady Studios delivering not only one of the best superhero games of all time but one of the best action games. Arkham City is the second entry in the series and certainly the highlight of it. Released in 2011, Arkham City won many awards and is the fourth-best ranking PS3 game on Metacritic with 96.
6. Fable 2
After a decade of the series being dormant, with many fans coming to terms with the possibility of never seeing a new Fable game released, the series is finally being rebooted and will be coming back in the coming years. While we wait for the next entry in the series, now is a perfect time to revisit the original trilogy, with Fable 2 being the best of the three. Fable 2 was released in 2008 and was the first entry to release on the Xbox 360. The game won many awards upon release and is certainly worth your time if you want to revisit it again on Xbox Game Pass.
5. Mass Effect 2
In a strange coincidence, every game on this list so far has been the second entry in its series, and this next one isn’t any different. EA’s Mass Effect series was a highlight of the seventh generation of consoles, with the original trilogy releasing during this time. Mass Effect 2 is one of the highest-rated games of all time on Metacritic, with a score of 96.
4. Bioshock
Bioshock is a game that became an instant smash hit, with the new IP taking the gaming world by storm. 2K’s new IP earned critical acclaim upon release and spawned two more games in the series before disappearing following the release of Bioshock Infinite. It is unclear whether we will see any new entries in the series, but if not then at least we have this masterpiece to go back to time and time again.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls has always been a relatively popular series, but 2011’s Skyrim pushed the series to new heights. To date, the game has sold over 30 million copies and has seen numerous ports and re-releases, with the latest release due to launch in November 2011 to celebrate its 10 year anniversary, which is a remaster of the existing remaster, Bethesda seem to be milking the game for everything it is worth.
2. Halo 3
Halo has been the flagship series of the Xbox ever since the launch date of the original Xbox when Halo: Combat Evolved was released alongside the brand new console. Halo 3 was released in 2007 on the Xbox 360 and is seen as many as the last great Halo game, with Bungie leaving Microsoft a few years later and the series being handed to 343 Industries. Many gamers have fond memories playing Halo 3 online, making the Xbox 360 a legendary console that is still talked about today.
1. Grand Theft Auto V
GTA V is the second best-selling game of all time, with over 158 million units sold, earning it numerous records, including the record for grossing over $1 billion within the first three days of its release. Since the game launched in 2013, GTA V has seen numerous ports, with it releasing on PS4 and Xbox One, as well as PC. 2022 will see the game ported to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, which will only further grow its sales figures. With GTA 6 looking like it’ll still be a few years away, I guess we might as well buy GTA V for the third or fourth time and play through it again.
