Top 10 Games for the Xbox 360
Wednesday, October 8, 2008Posted by
Josh
0 Comments
The Xbox 360 is known for it's large selection of games, but which ones are the best? From the casual platformer to the hardcore shooter, there's something for everyone on this system, and we've listed the very best right here, these are the best games money can buy.
10. Grand Theft Auto IV
Why It's Great: You already know what Grand Theft Auto IV is. You know, your friends know, your family knows, and that random guy walking down the street knows. For better or worse, GTA4 ranked among the most eagerly-anticipated games of all time, and when it finally came out, it did so with a bang that singed mainstream media's eyebrows. Some call it the Godfather of gaming, others call it trash. Most who have played it can agree that it's a seminal experience. Put your hands together for Rockstar, because it doesn't matter what you have or haven't heard: This game simply must be played.
9. Assassians Creed
Why It's Great: Yes, yes, we know it can get repetitive. We just don't care. Assassin's Creed's gameplay is just too damned fun. Altair cemented his place in the heroic hall of fame the moment we stepped into his soft-soled shoes. No other character has gone through such a profound transformation of self between the beginning and end of a game, has interacted with such memorable friends and foes, has walked such a wide world, and has done it all with such oozing style. From perching atop the highest parapet in Acre to dashing down the bustling streets of Jerusalem, there are simply too many epic "holy hell" moments in Assassin's Creed to name.
8. Burnout Paradise
Why It's Great: It lives by its name. Burnout Paradise has everything a Burnout should: perfect crashes, slow-mo destruction, more crashes, and much more destruction. But the Paradise City setting is what raises this game a step above the competition. It's a load-free, perfectly seamless world that you can fling yourself across to your heart's content, blowing apart just about everything (including you), and earning loot for yourself all the while. No game taps into the primal desire to see Big Things Go Boom better than this one.
7. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Why It's Great: It's the best Rainbow Six that's ever existed, bar none. The visuals are powered by Unreal Engine 3, which means the neon lights pop, the slot machines sing, and the characters move with the strength and grace that Team Rainbow always deserved. The controls and cover system are smooth as a bullet casing and completely intuitive. And the co-op game is as polished as the single player experience and twice as thrilling. Accept no substitutes: Vegas 2 is the definitive Rainbow.
Why It's Great: It's the best Rainbow Six that's ever existed, bar none. The visuals are powered by Unreal Engine 3, which means the neon lights pop, the slot machines sing, and the characters move with the strength and grace that Team Rainbow always deserved. The controls and cover system are smooth as a bullet casing and completely intuitive. And the co-op game is as polished as the single player experience and twice as thrilling. Accept no substitutes: Vegas 2 is the definitive Rainbow.
Why It's Great: Never in gaming has there been a better bang-for-the-buck deal than the Orange Box. You get Half Life 2 and its episodic sequels, a single-player rollercoaster of rich storytelling and multi-award-winning gameplay. You get Team Fortress 2, a multiplayer classic polished to absolute perfection. And you get Portal, three hours of what is perhaps the most innovative first-person puzzle gaming you'll ever play. It's a must-own compilation if ever there was one.
5. BioShock
Why It's Great: Turn down the lights and pull on the wetsuit -- it's mighty moist in Rapture. 2K Boston constructed a marvel of storytelling, morality, and environmental suspense with BioShock, diving its players far beneath the Atlantic and sealing them into a submerged dystopia. Beautiful water effects and devilishly fun weapons lured us in, but it was the brutal Big Daddies and twisted Little Sisters that had us holding our breath down every leaking passage. BioShock is a must-buy if you love shooters, horror, RPG elements, or any combination thereof.
3. Halo 3
Why It's Great: You don't really need to be told, do you? Halo 3 is the crescendo to a majestic orchestral trilogy, the single finest example of gameplay perfection as it can be experienced on the Xbox 360. Its story is soaring and timeless; its single-player campaign a symphony of exhilaration and suspense, of heroism and redemption. Its multiplayer has defined what it means to be a shooter on Xbox Live, from the customizable matchmaking to the smack-talking preteens. Other games may steal the crown now and then, but Halo 3 will always have rightful claim to the throne.
Why It's Great: Turn down the lights and pull on the wetsuit -- it's mighty moist in Rapture. 2K Boston constructed a marvel of storytelling, morality, and environmental suspense with BioShock, diving its players far beneath the Atlantic and sealing them into a submerged dystopia. Beautiful water effects and devilishly fun weapons lured us in, but it was the brutal Big Daddies and twisted Little Sisters that had us holding our breath down every leaking passage. BioShock is a must-buy if you love shooters, horror, RPG elements, or any combination thereof.
4. Gears of War
Why It's Great: It's a masterpiece. That, and you've got a chainsaw on your gun. Sure, the combat is visceral and mercilessly bloody. Sure, the cover system's excellent and the world is rough and tangible. Sure, the set pieces are brilliant and undeniably memorable. And yes, it's true that Epic Games went from being "the studio that made Unreal Tournament" to "the guys that gave us Gears of War." But all that pales in comparison to one simple fact: You've got a chainsaw on your gun.
Why It's Great: It's a masterpiece. That, and you've got a chainsaw on your gun. Sure, the combat is visceral and mercilessly bloody. Sure, the cover system's excellent and the world is rough and tangible. Sure, the set pieces are brilliant and undeniably memorable. And yes, it's true that Epic Games went from being "the studio that made Unreal Tournament" to "the guys that gave us Gears of War." But all that pales in comparison to one simple fact: You've got a chainsaw on your gun.
3. Halo 3
Why It's Great: You don't really need to be told, do you? Halo 3 is the crescendo to a majestic orchestral trilogy, the single finest example of gameplay perfection as it can be experienced on the Xbox 360. Its story is soaring and timeless; its single-player campaign a symphony of exhilaration and suspense, of heroism and redemption. Its multiplayer has defined what it means to be a shooter on Xbox Live, from the customizable matchmaking to the smack-talking preteens. Other games may steal the crown now and then, but Halo 3 will always have rightful claim to the throne.
2. Rock Band 2
Why It's Great: They took one look at Guitar Hero and said, "we can do it better." They did. Great as Guitar Hero is, Rock Band's addition of a drum set saw gaming bands pop up from coast to coast. Innovations in the controller's design turned soloing into an art form. New tracks are added onto Rock Band's song list almost before you've finished downloading old ones. And there's no danger in buying them, because they're all backwards-compatible with Rock Band 2. The game's not much fun without friends, but if you've got them, you're golden.
1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Why It's Great: The moment we realized how sick and tired we were of WWII clones, Infinity Ward stepped up with Call of Duty 4. Modern Warfare got knocked early on for telling a too-linear story with too-linear level design, but we'd forgotten just how much we missed living in a story as it unfolds. Thanks to an engine with everything from depth of field to bullet penetration and freaky-accurate physics, CoD4 is the closest we've come to actually stepping out onto the battlefield. And when you consider that the multiplayer game is so good, it's actually giving Halo 3 a run for its money, it's no wonder we count CoD4 among the very best. This is the definitive modern shooter: accept no substitutes.
There you have it, the Top 10 Games for the Xbox 360, now go spend some money!
Why It's Great: They took one look at Guitar Hero and said, "we can do it better." They did. Great as Guitar Hero is, Rock Band's addition of a drum set saw gaming bands pop up from coast to coast. Innovations in the controller's design turned soloing into an art form. New tracks are added onto Rock Band's song list almost before you've finished downloading old ones. And there's no danger in buying them, because they're all backwards-compatible with Rock Band 2. The game's not much fun without friends, but if you've got them, you're golden.
1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Why It's Great: The moment we realized how sick and tired we were of WWII clones, Infinity Ward stepped up with Call of Duty 4. Modern Warfare got knocked early on for telling a too-linear story with too-linear level design, but we'd forgotten just how much we missed living in a story as it unfolds. Thanks to an engine with everything from depth of field to bullet penetration and freaky-accurate physics, CoD4 is the closest we've come to actually stepping out onto the battlefield. And when you consider that the multiplayer game is so good, it's actually giving Halo 3 a run for its money, it's no wonder we count CoD4 among the very best. This is the definitive modern shooter: accept no substitutes.
There you have it, the Top 10 Games for the Xbox 360, now go spend some money!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)