The Xbox One X is super powerful; if you weren’t aware Microsoft will tell you all about it. Unfortunately, as you probably know if you bought one, that focus on building super juiced hardware has come at the expense of games worthy of your time.
For obvious reasons, software would seem to be the biggest factor in who wins the console wars. At the beginning of 2018, there had been an estimated total of 30-35 million Xbox Ones sold, while consumers had purchased nearly 70 million PS4s. Just over a week ago, Sony bumped that number up to 76 million. Meanwhile, Microsoft still appears to be searching for direction.
I say all of this not to rub it in; I could care less which inanimate box has better games. But at this moment, the PS4 certainly seems to have the upper hand; we even published a list of the top 20 PS4 games at the beginning of 2018.
This is important to note because a number of games on that list are also available on Xbox One. For example, *takes deep breath*: Batman: Arkham Knight, Rocket League, Wolfenstein II, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Sonic Mania, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Hitman, The Witness, Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid 5, Resident Evil 7, Overwatch, and Grand Theft Auto 5.
Seven or eight of those games could definitely be on this list, but we don’t have a whole lot left to say about them, and they’d all just be in the same order as they were over there anyway.
For the sake of not making practically identical lists, we only included games that weren’t on the PS4 list. Here are the top 10 Xbox One X games out there right now.
10. Gears of War 4
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Release Date: Oct. 11, 2016
Developer: The Coalition
Console Exclusive: Yes
This series doesn’t have nearly the juice it once did, but the fourth installment is still worth getting because, like we said, the Xbox One isn’t exactly overflowing with games worth getting. Gears of War hasn’t changed a whole lot, so you know what to expect, which to some reviewers is part of the problem. You get over-the-top mindless action and great multiplayer. As a bonus, Gears 4 is also one of the few AAA games that still gives a shit about couch co-op, which is, for our money, the biggest element missing from modern gaming. Today’s kids have precious few choices that will allow them to know what it’s like to own waves of computer enemies alongside a buddy.
For the love of god everyone but Nintendo, make games where you can play in the same room with your friends again!
9. Dark Souls III
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Release Date: April 12, 2016
Developer: FromSoftware
Console Exclusive: No
In an era where you can pretty much beat any game you have time to play, Dark Souls III really stands out. Like the rest of the titles in the Souls series, the difficulty can be a turn-off to people who don’t wish to be patient with their entertainment, have high blood pressure, or both. Those who dig a challenge, though, will be rewarded with the closest thing the Xbox has to Bloodborne (which makes sense, since the same developer made both). That means cool/creepy environments and tremendous boss fights. Plus, if you beat it, you can become one of those people who trolls message boards by telling others that it’s not the difficulty, they just suck at video games. Kings among men they are.
8. Titanfall 2
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Release Date: Oct. 28, 2016
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Console Exclusive: No
Titanfall 2 expanded nicely upon the foundation established by its predecessor by adding a far superior (though super short) Half-Life-esque single-player campaign, in addition to building on the original’s comparatively meek multiplayer. You might think a first-person shooter built around jumping in and out of weaponized mechs would be frenetic as hell, and you would be correct. Wild ass shooters are popular for a reason, and having fantastically designed maps (which Titanfall 2 has in spades) only heightens that popularity.
However, despite doing a great job keeping it updated (shout-out to free DLC), the game’s player base has probably dwindled significantly by now. But a third edition to the series seems likely, so if you’re interested in killer robots and lack the technical know-how or resources to build your own in your garage, this is your best bet.
7. The Evil Within 2
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Release Date: Oct. 13, 2017
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Console Exclusive: No
Like Titanfall 2, The Evil Within 2 is a sequel (yes, that’s what the “2” means). Like Titanfall 2, it improves heavily upon the game before it. That’s about where the similarities end.
The Evil Within 2 has more of a focus on combat than its series forerunner, and delivers
survival horror that allows you to proceed how you want while also doing its best to scare the hell out of you. While Resident Evil 7 is a preferable experience in the same genre, Evil Within 2 also added an optional first-person mode this past February, which is a worthy novelty if you prefer your scares through the eyes of the protagonist instead of a few feet behind them.
6. DOOM
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Release Date: May 13, 2016
Developer: id Software
Console Exclusive: No
DOOM may not be as innovative or edgy as it once was *looks at calendar* 25 years ago, but it’s still a series with clout. This is due in part to nostalgia and in part to the fact that they’re still pumping out kick-ass offerings like this 2016 version, which (frankly) should be good, since it was announced eight freakin’ years before its release.
DOOM (the newest one) goes back to the roots of the early to mid-’90s versions, with far faster-paced action than we saw from the third installment, which was released in 2004. That is to say that it stays true to the original concept, while also including modern innovations. The visuals are great (not shocking on the mighty powerful Xbox One) and so too is the soundtrack. About the only thing lacking is the multiplayer, but it’s not like this system is at a loss for competent online shooters. Consider it a damn good add-on to an already great product.
5. Ori and the Blind Forest
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Release Date: March 11, 2015
Developer: Moon Studios
Console Exclusive: Yes
The Xbox consoles have never been hard up for shooters, but consistently quality titles from pretty much every other genre have been few and far between. On that note, the digital-only Ori and the Blind Forest really stands out as a platforming adventure on a system where it shares few peers. It draws inspiration from both The Lion King and Metroid (two excellent choices), and is fun from start to finish. Just about everything in it, from the exploration, to the controls, to the hand-drawn art style, to the music, is executed flawlessly. The only gripes are that the combat system doesn’t quite stack up to the platforming (*shrugs*) and also some levels might make you pull your hair out.
4. Cuphead
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Release Date: Sept. 29, 2017
Developer: StudioMDHR
Console Exclusive: Yes
The old school 1930s cartoon-y look of Cuphead grabs your attention, and then the gameplay, combined with the way out-there story, holds it. The game has you running errands for the devil in order to save the souls of yourself and your bro; that means you have to run-and-gun your way through a side scroller with tons of bosses trying to derail your quest. In the year 2017, it’s hard to come up with unique gaming ideas. This game (the first ever by its Canadian indie developer) is undoubtedly original, fun, challenging, has a big-band soundtrack, and oh yeah, it also has couch co-op. If you have a friend, sibling, or stranger lurking in your house, and you’re both bored, consider playing it. Lots of people already have.
3. Fallout 4
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Release Date: Nov. 10, 2015
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Console Exclusive: No
Odds are if you’re interested in Fallout, you’ve already played this game by now. Of the titles on this list, it’s the highest seller. This version allows you to trek through post-apocalyptic Boston in a world filled with genuine depth. Sometimes open worlds are boring, but this one is not. Like many sandbox games of this generation, it’s also in that category of series’ with stuff to do forever (see: develop settlements, do side quests, set out in one direction and just explore—you know the drill). Depending on how busy your life is, that might not always be the greatest thing. But if you’re into those games where you can just zone out for hours and collect resources, while leveling up with no end in sight, then this game is right up your alley.
2. Forza Horizon 3
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Release Date: Sept. 27, 2016
Developer: Playground Games
Console Exclusive: Yes
Save for Mario Kart and maybe Gran Turismo, it’s rare to see a racing game so high up on a “Best of” console list. But like those two series’, just about everyone who plays Forza insists that it kicks booty. The open-world racer takes place in a fictional but still super picturesque Australia, which (of course) provides a backdrop for you to drive around down under in an utterly beautiful setting, listening to custom radio stations while tearing up the outback.
1. INSIDE
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Release Date: July 7, 2016
Developer: Playdead
Console Exclusive: No
It’s kind of weird to pick a game that you can finish off in a night as the “best” for a system but, well, here we are (also note those rules from the intro again, especially if you didn’t read them and find yourself currently super pissed off). INSIDE remains one of the best puzzle platformers on the market, and though it took a half dozen years to make, you could probably complete it in three or four hours. Imagine it like a really good movie; it only takes an evening to get through, but you’ll think about it for days or weeks afterward (depending on how obsessive you are).
