The Xbox 360 was the console where online console gaming became normal, where Xbox Live Arcade gave independent developers a real audience, and where many of the biggest multiplatform games of the generation were played. The list therefore mixes Microsoft exclusives such as Halo 3 and Gears of War with multiplatform greats like Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2 and Skyrim, plus downloadable classics like Braid and Limbo. No franchise appears more than three times, so the write-ups also point to strong siblings that just missed the cut.
1. Grand Theft Auto IV#
Rockstar North released Grand Theft Auto IV in April 2008, and it remains the highest-scoring Xbox 360 game on Metacritic, with a score of 98. Liberty City feels heavier and more lived-in than any earlier open world, and Niko Bellic's immigrant story, backed by strong voice work, gives the crime saga a serious tone. Ten out of ten reviews came from outlets such as Edge, Eurogamer, GameSpot, IGN and Game Informer, and it took Game of the Year honours from a long list of publications. The trade-offs are a deliberately weighty movement and driving model, a mission structure that repeats a familiar pattern of driving and shooting, and a tone that some felt drifted from the series' satire. Even so, it stands as the peak of critical acclaim on the platform.
2. Grand Theft Auto V#
Rockstar North released Grand Theft Auto V in September 2013, late in the console's life, and the Xbox 360 version still holds a Metacritic score of 97. Three playable protagonists, Michael, Franklin and Trevor, let heists play out from different angles, and the Los Santos and Blaine County map is dense with detail. It was named Game of the Year by Edge, Time and the Golden Joystick Awards among others. Running such a large world on hardware from 2005 meant compromises in draw distance and texture quality that later versions on newer consoles improved. Critics also objected to the torture sequence and to the portrayal of women, which remain part of the game's legacy. As a technical feat for the generation, it is among the most impressive releases on the console.
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim#
Bethesda Game Studios released Skyrim in November 2011, and its Xbox 360 version holds a Metacritic score of 96. The open world of snowy mountains, dragon shouts and endless side quests gave players the freedom to become almost anyone, and it won Game of the Year from Spike, IGN, X-Play, GameSpot and the Interactive Achievement Awards among others. It also became one of the best-selling games of its era. Combat is described as flat and floaty, dragon behaviour is predictable, and the launch was marked by bugs, most severely on the PlayStation 3 once save files grew large. Its sheer scale and the pleasure of wandering keep it near the top of any list for the platform.
4. BioShock#
2K Boston and 2K Australia released BioShock in August 2007, and it still stands as a landmark in atmospheric first-person storytelling. The underwater city of Rapture, its Art Deco design and the moral choice about the Little Sisters make a place that players remember long after the credits. It holds a Metacritic score of 96 on Xbox 360, won Game of the Year and Best Xbox 360 Game at the Spike Video Game Awards, and took Best Game at the British Academy Games Awards. The Vita-Chamber respawn system removes tension, the enemy variety is limited and the ethical choice is a simple binary one. Even so, the opening descent and the writing remain among the most memorable moments of the generation.
5. Mass Effect 2#
BioWare released Mass Effect 2 in January 2010, and it is the game most often named as the best sci-fi role-playing game of its generation. Commander Shepard assembles a crew for a suicide mission, and each companion has a loyalty quest that makes the team feel like people instead of stat sheets. The final mission is the payoff for every decision made along the way. It holds a Metacritic score of 96 on Xbox 360, won Game of the Year at the Interactive Achievement Awards, took Best Game at the British Academy Games Awards, and won Best Writing at the Game Developers Choice Awards. The role-playing systems were simplified compared with the first game, planet scanning is tedious, and the main plot is thinner than the character work. Its strength is how the whole cast comes together.
6. Half-Life 2#
Valve's Half-Life 2 reached the Xbox 360 as part of The Orange Box in October 2007, and it is one of the most decorated shooters ever made. The Xbox 360 edition of the compilation holds a Metacritic score of 96 and picked up 17 Game of the Year awards from various publications. Half-Life 2 itself brought physics puzzles with the Gravity Gun, a tightly directed journey through City 17 and vehicle sections that changed the pacing of a shooter campaign. The bundle also includes Episode One, Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2, making it one of the best-value packages on the console. The core game dates from 2004, and its animation and some chapters show their age, while the Xbox 360 version was regarded as the better console port than the PlayStation 3 one.
7. Portal#
Valve's Portal reached the Xbox 360 in October 2007 as part of The Orange Box, which holds a Metacritic score of 96 on the console. It began as a small experiment and turned into a hit thanks to its portal gun, the deadpan menace of GLaDOS and the closing song "Still Alive". It won Game of the Year, Innovation and Best Game Design at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2008, and IGN named it the Best Puzzle Game and Most Innovative Design of 2007. Its length is the main criticism, as the campaign can be finished in a few hours, and the environments are sparse. Even so, the game is still counted among the most tightly designed of its generation.
8. Red Dead Redemption#
Rockstar San Diego released Red Dead Redemption in May 2010, and it turned the tale of a reformed outlaw hunted by the government into the most fully realised Western in games. The frontier of New Austin, Nuevo Paraiso and West Elizabeth is a living space of hold-ups, duels and wildlife, and John Marston's story ends in one of the most discussed finales of the generation. It holds a Metacritic score of 95 on Xbox 360 and won Game of the Year at the Spike Video Game Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards. Its weak points are a Mexico chapter that many critics found overlong, cover mechanics described as sticky, and a multiplayer mode with limited customisation. The Undead Nightmare expansion is a strong extra, but the base game is the one that earns the top spot.
9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare#
Infinity Ward released Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in November 2007, moving the series from the Second World War to the present day and changing online shooters for the next decade. Its perk system, unlockable weapons and prestige ranks built a progression loop copied across the industry, and the campaign includes set pieces such as the nuclear detonation and the sniper mission in Pripyat. It holds a Metacritic score of 94 on Xbox 360, won the Overall Game of the Year prize at the D.I.C.E. Awards and the BAFTA Award for Gameplay, and took the Golden Joystick Award for Ultimate Game of the Year. Critics noted the short and linear campaign, and later entries in the series have blurred its impact. Its influence on the genre is hard to overstate.
10. Halo 3#
Bungie released Halo 3 in September 2007 as the conclusion of the original Master Chief trilogy, and it was the defining event of the console's first years. The campaign brings the war against the Covenant to a close with large vehicle battles and a new arsenal, while the multiplayer suite added Forge, Saved Films and a matchmaking system that kept players online for years. It holds a Metacritic score of 94, was named Game of the Year by Time, and received an Edge Award for Interactive Innovation in 2008. Critics found the campaign short on easier difficulties, the story thin and the eighth mission weak, and some character models looked dated even then. As the game that carried the Xbox 360 in the eyes of the public during its peak, it remains an essential title.
11. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion#
Bethesda Game Studios released Oblivion in March 2006, a few months after the Xbox 360 launched, and it became one of the first games that showed the value of the new hardware. The huge province of Cyrodiil, the radiant AI that gave characters daily routines and the freedom of the guilds were a step beyond earlier console role-playing games. Its Xbox 360 version holds a Metacritic score of 94, and it won Game of the Year at the Spike Video Game Awards and the G-Phoria Video Game Awards, along with the Xbox Game of the Year prize at the Golden Joystick Awards. Dialogue repeats heavily, loading stutters interrupt exploration, and the level scaling can unbalance a character. It laid the ground for Skyrim and stays a landmark of the early Xbox 360 years.
12. Gears of War#
Epic Games released Gears of War in November 2006, and it defined the cover-based third-person shooter for the generation. The chunky armour, the Active Reload mechanic and the chainsaw bayonet gave every firefight weight, while the co-op campaign made it a game for two players on one couch. It holds a Metacritic score of 94, won eight awards at the Interactive Achievement Awards including Overall Game of the Year, and collected Game of the Year titles from outlets such as GameSpot and IGN. Critics noted that it did not reinvent the core mechanics and that the story was thin. As the game that showed what Unreal Engine 3 could do on the console, it was a key early showcase for the Xbox 360.
13. Portal 2#
Valve released Portal 2 in April 2011, and its Xbox 360 version holds a Metacritic score of 94. It takes the short puzzle experiment of the first game and expands it into a full adventure with new gel mechanics, a story set in the decaying Aperture Science facility, and a cooperative campaign that became a model for two-player puzzle design. Stephen Merchant, J. K. Simmons and Ellen McLain give the voice cast a comic edge that carries the whole project. It won awards at the Game Critics Awards before release and was among the most acclaimed games of the year. The puzzles are less austere than in the original, and Ars Technica felt the chatter diminished the sense of loneliness the first game had. It remains one of the best-written games in the medium.
14. Batman: Arkham City#
Rocksteady Studios released Batman: Arkham City in October 2011, and it expanded the tight corridors of Arkham Asylum into an open prison district in Gotham. The Freeflow combat system, the gadgets and the glide across the rooftops make Batman feel exactly as powerful as he should, and Mark Hamill's Joker is a highlight. Its Xbox 360 version holds a Metacritic score of 94, tying Skyrim as the best-reviewed game of 2011, and it won Best Xbox 360 Game and Best Action Adventure Game at the Spike Video Game Awards. Joystiq found the narrative mainly an excuse to meet villains, Riddler challenges can be frustrating without the right gadget, and some reviewers missed the surprise of the first game. It is still a benchmark for licensed superhero games.
15. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2#
Infinity Ward released Modern Warfare 2 in November 2009, and it took the successful formula of the previous game and pushed it into blockbuster territory. Its Xbox 360 version holds a Metacritic score of 94, and it won Action Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay at the D.I.C.E. Awards, plus Best Shooter and Best Multiplayer at the Spike Video Game Awards. It was reported to have earned about 310 million dollars on its first day, a record for an entertainment launch at that time. The airport level "No Russian" caused wide controversy, and the multiplayer suffered from balance problems around the tactical nuke and grenade launchers. The game shaped the online shooter for years.
16. Fallout 3#
Bethesda Game Studios released Fallout 3 in October 2008, and it rebuilt the post-apocalyptic series as a first-person role-playing game set in the ruins of Washington, D.C. The V.A.T.S. targeting system, the Vault-Tec humour and the moral choices in the Capital Wasteland gave it a distinct identity. It holds a Metacritic score of 93 on Xbox 360, was named Game of the Year by IGN, GameSpy and other outlets, and won Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards and Role-Playing Game of the Year at the Interactive Achievement Awards. Physics glitches, crashes and stiff animation are well documented, Edge called it cumbersome in its details, and the ending is seen as weak. Even so, its atmosphere and sense of discovery keep it among the best-loved role-playing games of the generation.
17. Street Fighter IV#
Capcom and Dimps released Street Fighter IV in arcades in July 2008 and on consoles in February 2009 in Japan, and it brought the one-on-one fighting genre back after years of decline. Its 3D visuals kept the 2D gameplay, the Focus Attack and Ultra Combos added new layers, and online matches turned a niche genre into a mass-market one again. It holds a Metacritic score of 93 on Xbox 360, won Fighting Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards and Best Fighting Game at the Game Critics Awards, and was praised by critics as the revival of the genre. IGN criticised the poorly animated anime cutscenes, which say little about the story. Later updates improved the balance, but the original started the revival.
18. Gears of War 2#
Epic Games released Gears of War 2 in November 2008, and it expanded the original with a bigger campaign, more varied environments and the new Horde mode, which became a template for wave-based co-op in shooters. It holds a Metacritic score of 93, was named Best Shooter and Best Xbox 360 Game at the Spike Video Game Awards, and earned Best Action Game at the Game Critics Awards. IGN noted that the final boss was a joke and the ending abrupt, Official Xbox Magazine felt the middle acts fell flat, and the online play suffered from bugs and lag at launch. Its spectacle and the strength of the co-op campaign kept it in the conversation as the peak of the trilogy for many fans.
19. Mass Effect 3#
BioWare released Mass Effect 3 in March 2012, and it delivered the war against the Reapers with the most refined combat of the trilogy, a cooperative multiplayer mode and many returning characters. It holds a Metacritic score of 93 on Xbox 360, won Best RPG at the Spike Video Game Awards and the D.I.C.E. Award for Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year, and was named Game of the Year by Game Informer. The ending caused a large backlash, with a fan campaign called Retake Mass Effect, and BioWare released the free Extended Cut in June 2012 to add epilogues and clarifying scenes, although the response to it was mixed. Even with that controversy, the road to the finale contains some of the best moments of the whole series.
20. BioShock Infinite#
Irrational Games released BioShock Infinite in March 2013, moving the series from the ocean floor to the floating city of Columbia in 1912. The relationship between Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth, the Sky-Line rail combat and a twist that provoked years of discussion made it one of the most talked-about games of its year. It holds a Metacritic score of 93 on Xbox 360 and won Action Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards, along with Game of the Year from outlets such as the Associated Press and CNN. Some reviewers found the shooting monotonous and the two-weapon limit restrictive, the violence was debated as out of step with the story, and the ending has plot holes according to some critics. Its setting is still among the most striking in the medium.
21. Braid#
Jonathan Blow's Braid, developed by Number None and released through Xbox Live Arcade in August 2008, was the game that showed that a downloadable title could be a serious work of art. Its time-manipulation puzzles are built so that each world has its own rule, and the story about regret and obsession is revealed only in the last world. It holds a Metacritic score of 93 on Xbox 360, and GameSpot named it the Best Original Downloadable Console Game of 2008, while Official Xbox Magazine picked it as Xbox Live Arcade Game of the Year. It is short, it was considered expensive for its length at launch, and the story was called self-consciously obscure by some critics. It remains a reference point for indie games.
22. Batman: Arkham Asylum#
Rocksteady Studios released Batman: Arkham Asylum in August 2009, and it changed the reputation of superhero games. Freeflow combat, Detective Mode and a stealth system that makes players feel like a predator in the dark rooms of the asylum were combined with a strong script and voice cast featuring Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. It holds a Metacritic score of 92 on Xbox 360 and earned a Guinness World Record as the most critically acclaimed superhero game ever, a record later passed by its sequel. The boss fights are the biggest weakness, with the Killer Croc encounter and the final Joker battle often called repetitive, and the enemy AI is easy to escape. The tight island setting still has a focus that the open sequel could not match.
23. Forza Motorsport 3#
Turn 10 Studios released Forza Motorsport 3 in October 2009, and it made serious simulation racing approachable with a rewind function, a driving line and a wide range of assists. With a large car list, a livery editor that created a community of designers, and a strong career mode, it became the most complete racing game on the console. It holds a Metacritic score of 92, and it won Best Driving Game at the Spike Video Game Awards and Racing Game of the Year at the Interactive Achievement Awards. It was also honoured with an accessibility award from AbleGamers. Criticisms include a small grid of only eight cars in races and the lack of tuning in public multiplayer lobbies at launch. Later entries added more, but this one set the standard.
24. Rock Band 2#
Harmonix released Rock Band 2 in September 2008, and it refined the four-player band game with a No Fail mode, a stronger setlist and a large library of downloadable songs. Playing drums, guitar, bass and vocals together turned living rooms into stages, and the game defined the peak of the music game boom. It holds a Metacritic score of 92 on Xbox 360, and it won Best Music Game and Best Soundtrack at the Spike Video Game Awards, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack at the Interactive Achievement Awards. One review described it as a collection of interface tweaks and modest new features rather than a revolution. It needs plastic instruments and space to enjoy fully, so it is dated as a solo experience.
25. Mass Effect#
BioWare released the first Mass Effect in November 2007, and it launched one of the most admired sci-fi role-playing series with a new universe, a conversation wheel and a strong sense of galactic scale. Exploring the Citadel, choosing Shepard's background and making decisions that carried into later games were all new for console players. It holds a Metacritic score of 91 on Xbox 360, won Best RPG at the Spike Video Game Awards and Role-Playing Game of the Year at the Interactive Achievement Awards, and was named a game of the year by The New York Times. The combat is unbalanced, the Mako vehicle sections are clumsy, the inventory is tedious, and the frame rate and loading times were inconsistent. The sequels refined all of that, but the original set the tone.
26. Halo: Reach#
Bungie's last Halo game, released in September 2010, is a prequel that follows Noble Team through the fall of the planet Reach. It holds a Metacritic score of 91 and won Best Multiplayer at the Spike Video Game Awards and Shooter Game of the Year from GameSpy. The campaign has a heavier, more tragic tone than the trilogy, the armour abilities changed the way firefights play, and the Firefight and Forge modes gave the multiplayer suite lasting depth. Critics found the friendly AI weaker than that of the enemies, especially when driving, and some of the characters were described as one-dimensional. As a farewell from the studio that created the series, it was a fitting and well-received conclusion to Bungie's time with the franchise.
27. Gears of War 3#
Epic Games released Gears of War 3 in September 2011, and it closed the trilogy with a campaign that supported four-player co-op and a Beast mode that turned the player into the Locust. It holds a Metacritic score of 91 and was named Best Action and Shooter Game by IGN and Best Xbox 360 Game by G4, and Game Informer gave it the prize for Best Cooperative Mode. It was nominated for Action Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards. Critics accepted that it did not move the formula forward much, and a public dispute over an 8 out of 10 review drew attention to how developers respond to criticism. It is a confident finale for one of the strongest exclusive series of the console's life.
28. Far Cry 3#
Ubisoft Montreal released Far Cry 3 in late 2012, and it set the template of the modern open-world shooter with outposts, hunting and crafting on a tropical island. The villain Vaas Montenegro, played by Michael Mando, gave the game a memorable antagonist, and its sandbox rewarded stealth and improvisation. It holds a Metacritic score of 91 on Xbox 360 and won Best Action Game at the British Academy Games Awards and Best Technology at the Game Developers Choice Awards. Critics noted a forgettable multiplayer mode, a linear main quest, respawning enemies and a story that handles themes such as the white-saviour trope poorly. The open-world formula it created was reused by Ubisoft for years, so its influence is easy to see.
29. Assassin's Creed II#
Ubisoft Montreal released Assassin's Creed II in November 2009, and it turned an interesting but repetitive first game into a full adventure across Renaissance Italy. Ezio Auditore's story from noble son to master assassin, the cities of Florence and Venice, and gadgets inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's inventions made the series into a phenomenon. It holds a Metacritic score of 90 on Xbox 360, won Best Action Adventure Game at the Spike Video Game Awards and was named Xbox 360 Game of the Year by IGN and Game Informer. The PC version's always-online copy protection was heavily criticised, and the combat is easy compared with later action games. Brotherhood and Revelations continued the story, but this is the entry that most critics still hold as the best.
30. Bayonetta#
PlatinumGames released Bayonetta in Japan in 2009 and in the West in January 2010, and it took the fast and stylish action of Devil May Cry to an even higher level. The witch's combos, the Witch Time dodge slow-motion and the outrageous boss fights make it one of the most technically deep action games of its era. The Xbox 360 version holds a Metacritic score of 90, while the PlayStation 3 port scored lower at 87. The game shipped more than 1.35 million copies, but its developer said it was disappointed with the sales. The story is confusing and the tone is deliberately excessive, which not all players enjoyed. The Xbox 360 version is still regarded as the better of the original two.
31. Limbo#
Playdead released Limbo through Xbox Live Arcade in July 2010, and its monochrome forest of traps, spiders and industrial ruins became a signature of the indie boom. The nameless boy's journey is told without words, and the physics puzzles are built so that failure is part of the lesson. It holds a Metacritic score of 90 on Xbox 360, won Best Indie Game at the Spike Video Game Awards, Adventure Game of the Year at the Interactive Achievement Awards and Best Visual Art at the Game Developers Choice Awards. Critics pointed to the short length compared to the price, an obscure story and a second half that becomes more like a conventional platformer. Its atmosphere and art direction remain among the most imitated of the era.
32. Super Meat Boy#
Team Meat released Super Meat Boy through Xbox Live Arcade in October 2010, and it made a tough platformer that respects the player's time with instant restarts and levels that last only seconds. The controls are precise, and the replays of every failed attempt shown at once at the end of each level are a clever touch. It holds a Metacritic score of 90 on Xbox 360, and it was named Best Downloadable Console Game of 2010 by GameSpot and the most challenging game of the year by IGN. The difficulty is a barrier for casual players, some levels rely on trial and error, and the cutscenes are of lower quality than the rest. It passed one million sales across platforms by January 2012.
33. Dark Souls#
FromSoftware released Dark Souls in September 2011, and it carried the demanding design of Demon's Souls into an interlinked world where shortcuts, bonfires and careful positioning matter more than reflexes. Lordran, in which areas loop back onto each other, is praised as one of the best-constructed maps in games, and the cryptic story told through item descriptions built a large community. Its Xbox 360 version holds a Metacritic score of 89, and it is often cited as one of the greatest games of all time. The difficulty was a barrier for many players, and the later areas feel less finished than the first half. It started the genre that later became known as Soulslike, and a remastered version followed in 2018.
34. Dead Space#
EA Redwood Shores released Dead Space in October 2008, and it set a new standard for survival horror with strategic dismemberment, an interface built into the world without a heads-up display and the derelict ship Ishimura. Sound design is the main strength, and the game won the D.I.C.E. Award for Action Game of the Year along with audio awards from the British Academy and the Game Audio Network Guild. It holds a Metacritic score of 89 on Xbox 360. The level and mission structure is repetitive, the story is derivative for many reviewers, and there are no additional modes beyond the single-player campaign. Dead Space 2 is a strong follow-up, but the original has the cleaner and more frightening design.
35. Left 4 Dead 2#
Valve released Left 4 Dead 2 in November 2009, and it improved the four-player zombie co-op formula with new special infected, melee weapons and five campaigns. The AI Director shapes each run by changing the pacing and item placement, which keeps replays fresh. It holds a Metacritic score of 89 on Xbox 360 and won Best Xbox 360 Game at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards. It was released only a year after the first game, which led to a community boycott, and its violence caused it to be refused classification in Australia at the time and indexed in Germany. Playing with friends is still the best way to enjoy it, and it remains a co-op benchmark.
36. Borderlands 2#
Gearbox Software released Borderlands 2 in September 2012, and it improved the loot-driven shooter with better writing, a sharper villain in Handsome Jack and a huge range of weapons. Its Xbox 360 version holds a Metacritic score of 89, and it won Best Shooter and Best Multiplayer Game at the Spike Video Game Awards and Action Game of the Year at the D.I.C.E. Awards. Critics noted conservative mission design, some filler quests and reused dungeons, and one reviewer described the quest design as being of the worst MMORPG kind. It is at its best as a four-player co-op game, where the loot chase and the humour carry it, and it still counts as a defining example of the looter shooter.
37. Fable II#
Lionhead Studios released Fable II in October 2008, a fairy-tale role-playing game in which a dog companion, a simple three-button combat system and life-simulation features such as marriage and property investment were the main hooks. It holds a Metacritic score of 89 and was named the best game of 2008 by X-Play and Joystiq, and it won Best Action and Adventure Game at the British Academy Games Awards. It sold about 3.5 million copies by March 2010, making it one of the console's best-selling role-playing games. It was released with freezing and progression bugs, combat was called irritating when losing, and the Knothole Island DLC was a disappointment. The charm of its world and its moral choices still make it one of the best-loved Microsoft exclusives.
38. Fez#
Polytron released Fez through Xbox Live Arcade in April 2012, after a development that lasted several years, and it lets the player rotate a 3D world to reveal new paths in a 2D platformer. The puzzles, the hidden language and the layers of secrets that occupied online communities made it one of the most talked-about indie games of the year. It holds a Metacritic score of 89 on Xbox 360 and won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 2012 Independent Games Festival. Reviewers pointed to frame rate problems and glitches, and to tedious backtracking in the endgame. Even so, its unique design and its sense of mystery have kept it a talking point ever since.
39. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings#
CD Projekt Red released the Xbox 360 Enhanced Edition of The Witcher 2 in April 2012, a year after the PC original, and it brought a dense and politically charged fantasy role-playing game to consoles. Geralt's story of the assassinations of kings and its branching structure, where a major choice in the first act changes large parts of the game, made it a favourite of story-driven players. It holds a Metacritic score of 88 on Xbox 360 and won more than 50 awards. Early combat was contentious for its difficulty, some criticised the gratuitous nudity, and PC Gamer named the ending a weak point. It paved the way for the success of the third game.
40. Burnout Paradise#
Criterion Games released Burnout Paradise in January 2008, and it removed the menus of earlier games in favour of a single open city, Paradise City, where races, takedowns and stunt jumps can be started at any junction. The mix of speed, destruction and the online freeburn mode gave it a relaxed and endlessly replayable feel. It holds a Metacritic score of 88 on Xbox 360, and it won Best Racing/Driving Game at the Spike Video Game Awards and Racing Game of the Year at the Interactive Achievement Awards. At launch there was no option to restart a race, which was added later through an update, the DJ Atomika character annoyed many players, and the open map was daunting at first. It stands as the peak of arcade racing on the console.
41. Dishonored#
Arkane Studios released Dishonored in October 2012, and it gave the immersive sim tradition a modern form in the plague-ridden city of Dunwall. Teleportation with Blink, possession and time-stopping powers, combined with levels that can be solved by stealth, violence or a mix of both, reward creativity. It holds a Metacritic score of 88 on Xbox 360, won Best Action Adventure Game at the Spike Video Game Awards and Best Game at the British Academy Games Awards in 2013, and several outlets, including Edge and The Guardian, named it their game of 2012. Critics found the overall plot uneven, the enemy AI inconsistent and the ending abrupt. It stands as a modern classic of player choice.
42. Shadow Complex#
Chair Entertainment, working with Epic Games, released Shadow Complex through Xbox Live Arcade in August 2009, and it brought the Metroidvania formula to a modern 3D-rendered side-scroller. Its fast exploration, unlockable gear and the hidden rooms of a large underground base gave a rewarding sense of progress. It holds a Metacritic score of 88 on Xbox 360 and won Best Downloadable Game at the Spike Video Game Awards. It sold more than 200,000 copies in its first week, a record for Xbox Live Arcade at the time. The story, tied to an Orson Scott Card novel, is the weaker part of the package. It is a high-water mark for downloadable action.
43. Bastion#
Supergiant Games released Bastion through Xbox Live Arcade in July 2011, and its debut is defined by a gravelly narrator who comments on the player's actions in real time. The hand-painted floating world, the varied weapons and the soundtrack gave it a unique identity. It holds a Metacritic score of 86 on Xbox 360, won Best Downloadable Game at the Game Critics Awards and the Spike Video Game Awards, and Downloadable Game of the Year at the Interactive Achievement Awards. Some reviewers called the story underwhelming and the combat less deep than a true action game, since its focus is on variety rather than challenge. It sold over three million copies by 2015 and marked a strong start for the studio.
44. The Walking Dead#
Telltale Games released the five episodes of The Walking Dead between April and November 2012, and the choice-driven story of Lee Everett and the young girl Clementine became a landmark of interactive drama. Its strength is decisions that carry consequences and characters who respond to how the player treats them. The Xbox 360 episodes scored between 78 and 89 on Metacritic, and the game won Game of the Year at the Spike Video Game Awards, with several outlets such as USA Today, Wired and GamesRadar+ naming it their game of the year. The technical side is weak, with glitches and performance problems on the console, and the puzzles are simple. It set the model for narrative adventures for a decade.
45. Fallout: New Vegas#
Obsidian Entertainment released Fallout: New Vegas in October 2010, building on the engine of Fallout 3 to deliver a role-playing game with deeper faction politics, better quest design and more meaningful choices. The Mojave Wasteland puts the player between the New California Republic, Caesar's Legion and Mr. House, and the writing is widely praised. It holds a Metacritic score of 84 on Xbox 360, and it won Role-Playing Game of the Year at the 2011 Golden Joystick Awards. The launch was marred by crashes, frame rate issues and pathfinding problems, which reviewers called disruptive. The score is lower than for Fallout 3, but the retrospective reputation of the game has grown strongly, and many fans consider it the better Fallout of the two.
46. Alan Wake#
Remedy Entertainment released Alan Wake in May 2010, and it turned a thriller writer's night in a small Pacific Northwest town into a game structured like a television series. Its combat uses light as a weapon against the Taken, and the mix of thriller-novel and mystery-drama atmosphere gives it a strong identity. It holds a Metacritic score of 83 on Xbox 360, was named the number one game of 2010 by Time magazine and received an Editors' Choice award from IGN. The ending was criticised as weak by IGN and Wired, GameSpot missed memorable gameplay moments, and the facial animation is stiff. Sales were modest at first, but the game grew into a cult favourite.
47. Halo 3: ODST#
Bungie released Halo 3: ODST in September 2009, and it shifted the series to a quieter perspective, following a squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers exploring a night-time New Mombasa. The noir-influenced jazz soundtrack, the hub-world structure and the Firefight wave mode made it feel different from the main games. It holds a Metacritic score of 83, won Best Original Score at the Spike Video Game Awards and was ranked eighth among the best games of the year by Time. Reviewers were divided over its value for a full-price release given the short campaign, the night-time segments were slow to navigate, and some found the jazz music an odd fit. It is the smallest of the three Halo games on this list but has a devoted following.
48. Castle Crashers#
The Behemoth released Castle Crashers through Xbox Live Arcade in August 2008, and its hand-drawn brawler with four-player co-op became one of the most beloved games on the service. Its mix of side-scrolling combat, magic and levelling up, along with a comic art style, made it a game to play with friends. It holds a Metacritic score of 82 on Xbox 360 and was the best-selling title on the service in 2008. Over 2.6 million copies were sold on Xbox Live Arcade by 2011. The launch had multiplayer connection problems and a risk of corrupted saves, which were later patched. It defined couch co-op for the platform.
49. Ninja Gaiden II#
Team Ninja released Ninja Gaiden II in June 2008, and it pushed the fast and merciless action of the series to a more extreme level, with dismemberment, a wide arsenal and enemy waves that demand precision. It holds a Metacritic score of 81 on Xbox 360, Edge called it a fascinating and hugely replayable game, and it sold 1.1 million copies worldwide by December 2008. The camera is finicky and the difficulty uneven, and GameSpot nominated it for Least Improved Sequel in its 2008 awards. A PlayStation 3 version, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, followed in 2009 with changes, so the Xbox 360 original is the one with the original balance. It closes this list as a demanding, unapologetic action game.
50. Mirror's Edge#
DICE released Mirror's Edge in November 2008, and it made first-person parkour a central mechanic, with a runner named Faith moving across the bright white rooftops of a sterile city. The sense of momentum, the strong visual style and the electronic soundtrack gave it an identity unlike other shooters of the time. It holds a Metacritic score of 79 on Xbox 360 and won Adventure Game of the Year at the Interactive Achievement Awards in 2009. Reviewers criticised trial-and-error sections, awkward combat, restrictive levels and a confusing story. Its style has kept it in the memory of players and critics, and it is often described as a cult classic among the games of the generation.