The 21 best Xbox games of all time, according to critics

“Halo 3. “Bungie Insider turned to review-aggregation site Metacritic’s list of the greatest video games ever to determine the best games on Xbox that were Metacritic’s top 100. The games didn’t necessarily have to be Xbox exclusives; the critic scores are for the version of the game on an Xbox console.

But we didn’t include repeats — if the same game was on Metacritic’s list for multiple Xbox consoles, such as “Grand Theft Auto V,” we only included the version with the highest grade. 21. “Ninja Gaiden Black” (2005) — XboxTecmoMetacritic score: 94″Even if you already have a copy of the original game in your library, Black is an absolute necessity.

” — Game Informer20. “Halo 3” (2007) — Xbox 360BungieMetacritic score: 94″Still, judging a game like Halo 3 on the single-player campaign is like taking a movie to task for its opening credits. Halo 3’s multiplayer is its reason for existence.

” — AV Club19. “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” (2007) — Xbox 360ActivisionMetacritic score: 94″The game is short. While that may be an illusionary side effect of the intense plot, you’ll be wishing for more when it finally comes to its thrilling conclusion.

Also, the title is incredibly linear. It offers the spectre of choice in some missions, but when compared to the recent BioShock, you realize you will have seen the entire thing in one play through. ” — Destructoid18.

“The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” (2006) — Xbox 360BethesdaMetacritic score: 94″The most captivating first-person role-playing game yet. This is essential gaming. ” — Sydney Morning Herald17.

“Gears of War” (2006) — Xbox 360Epic GamesMetacritic score: 94″Gears of War is truly a breakthrough: The absolute finest game of its kind. The bar has definitely been raised. What Halo did for first-person shooters, Gears does for third person — it’s that good.

” — Play Magazine16. “Celeste” (2018) — Xbox One”Celeste”/Matt Makes Games Inc. Metacritic score: 94″The greatest triumph of Celeste is that its best-in-class jumping and dashing is blended beautifully with an important and sincere story and an incredible soundtrack that make it a genuinely emotional game, even when your feet are planted firmly on the ground.

” — IGN15. “Batman: Arkham City” (2011) — Xbox 360RocksteadyMetacritic score: 94″The richness of the world is helped by the fact that Arkham City is a stunning looking game. This is one of the most detailed, rich and vibrant open worlds ever created, whether you are gliding over its skyline or striding down the broken-down streets.

Considering the size of the world, the rich detail of the interiors is incredible, putting many more linear games to shame. ” — Digital Spy14. “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” (2015) — Xbox OneKonamiMetacritic score: 95″Metal Gear Solid V is a game-changing triumph.

It is comfortably the best stealth game yet made. But that accolade sells the game short. This is the final evolution of a video game director’s singular vision, one first painted in the crude pixels of the 1980s and now fully realized, fully resplendent.

” — Guardian13. “Portal 2” (2011) — Xbox 360Valve SoftwareMetacritic score: 95″Despite being so much bigger than the original, I actually felt a little melancholy once Portal 2 was over, simply because it’s so rare to find a game this smart, this funny, and this rich with detail. It elevates Portal from an odd, memorable experiment to one of the most significant series in Valve’s stable with a unique voice and an incredible level of quality that all developers should aspire to.

” — Giant Bomb12. “Red Dead Redemption” (2010) — Xbox 360Rockstar GamesMetacritic score: 95″An awe-inspiring game. The gameplay and structure may be beginning to show their age a little, but the storytelling, characters and world-building is on a par with the best the medium has to offer.

It’s a sprawling and engrossing experience, epic in scope and size and offering a gigantic amount of playing time. With their latest open-world game, Rockstar have produced nothing less than the finest recreation of the Wild West on a console, and one of the best video games of this year. ” — Telegraph11.

“Halo 2″ (2004) — XboxMicrosoftMetacritic score: 95″Microsoft and Bungie have created a gigantic bell that sounds like thunder and reverberates with a fury worthy of a gale-force hurricane. It’s not perfect, but get in front of it, and wonderful things — wonderful destructive things — are bound to happen. ” — Xbox Nation Magazine10.

“Grand Theft Auto Double Pack” (2003) — XboxRockstar GamesMetacritic score: 96″In a complete reversal of modern trends, these are games whose visuals play second fiddle to the sheer wealth, diversity and involvement of tasks on offer, all the while playing on some very tongue in cheek moments and dark humour that even Hollywood’s finest would have a tough time trying to rival. ” — TotalGames9. “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” (2011) — Xbox 360Bethesda SoftworksMetacritic score: 96″Skyrim lets these rough edges show, because the element of chaos lets players feel like the game is happening to them, and they are alive in it-not just cogs in a pre-fab Game Experience.

That’s what sets Skyrim apart from some of its contemporaries. Where many games with lavish production values seek to direct players’ imaginations, Skyrim seeks to ignite them. ” — AV Club8.

“Mass Effect 2″ (2010) — Xbox 360EAMetacritic score: 96″Mass Effect 2 strikes a perfect balance between intense shooter action and gut-wrenching drama, set in a richly textured world on the brink of destruction. It’s a must-own for science fiction fans, who will love exploring the depths of the galaxy and fighting to save humanity. ” — GamesRadar7.

“Elden Ring” (2022) — Xbox Series XElden Ring / FromSoftwareMetacritic score: 96″Elden Ring is a crowning achievement for FromSoftware and undoubtedly the very best gameplay experience they’ve yet delivered — and that’s really saying something given this developer’s incredible back catalogue. The Lands Between deftly combine breathless open world exploration, stunning artistry, immaculate world-building and wondrous adventure with classic Dark Souls combat and dungeon-crawling, resulting in not just the best Souls game to date, but a candidate for one of the very best video games ever made. ” — Pure Xbox6.

“The Orange Box” (2007) — Xbox 360ValveMetacritic score: 96″The Orange Box reminds me of those knife sets sold on late-night TV, where if you act now you get a vegetable chopper and a cutting board. Besides Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2, the package includes the original Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1. But no cake.

If someone tells you the Orange Box comes with cake, remember that whatever else you choose to believe, the cake is most definitely a lie. ” — New York Times5. “BioShock” (2007) — Xbox 3602K GamesMetacritic score: 96″There is art here, despite what many would say isn’t possible with games, from Roger Ebert to game designers like Hideo Kojima .

. . BioShock stands as a monolithic example of the convergence of entertaining gameplay and an irresistibly sinister, engrossing storyline that encompasses a host of multifaceted characters.

This is an essential gaming experience. ” — IGN4. “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001) — XboxMicrosoftMetacritic score: 97″Its graphical prowess is truly unprecedented, lighting up the screen with a flurry of chaotic effects that can best be described as glorious.

The sheer depth of gameplay, and the countless innovations within it, are equally impressive. ” — Game Informer3. “Grand Theft Auto V” (2014) — Xbox OneRockstar / GTA VMetacritic score: 97″I’m glad to have had a reason to revisit it, and am happy to find it even more impressive than it was before.

” — IGN2. “Red Dead Redemption 2” (2018) — Xbox OneRockstarMetacritic score: 97″Red Dead Redemption 2’s missteps are few. The autosaving system is a little bit cruel, leading you to replay failed missions not from a pivotal point, but often from the very beginning of the mission or the section; the game should have taken cues from Ubisoft’s Far Cry and implemented far more friendly checkpoint saves.

And while horseback riding in this game is largely fantastic, it’s odd to spend so much time tapping a button just to create your horse’s pace. This is intuitive — but it feels unnecessary at times, too. The entire Red Dead experience, though, feels fantastic overall.

” — New York Daily News1. “Grand Theft Auto IV” (2008) — Xbox 360Rockstar GamesMetacritic score: 98″I now know how film critics felt after screening ‘The Godfather. ‘ It’s been days since Grand Theft Auto IV’s credits rolled, yet I can’t seem to construct a coherent thought without my mind wandering off into a daydream about the game.

I just want to drop everything in my life so I can play it again. Experience it again. Live it again .

. . Grand Theft Auto IV doesn’t just raise the bar for the storied franchise; it completely changes the landscape of gaming.

” — Game InformerRead the original article on Insider.