The Xbox One X is the most powerful game console on the market right now, and when it comes to multiplatform games, it’s my favorite. Yes, the Xbox Series X arrived last year, but it’s still hard to get your hands on and the existence of a new Xbox won’t help you if you’ve been spending more time than usual at home and need to be entertained right now. But there’s no real urgency for most gamers looking to grab a Series X, because if you invest in any of these games, they’ll be backwards compatible with that video game console.
So, if you’re an Xbox gamer looking to make the most of your Xbox One X, either by joining friends for a multiplayer battle royale, diving into a strategy or adventure game, or mowing down zombies, this list has got you covered. Read on for the best Xbox One games.
Before you buy, however, consider the following:
- We’ve included links to the digital version of each game at the Xbox online store, if you don’t want the disc version (sold at linked retailers via the red buttons).
- Some titles, like Inside, Cuphead and The Witness, are digital-only titles. If you buy them at a retailer, you’re just getting a download code.
- Apex Legends and the baseline version of Destiny 2 are free to play (for Xbox Live subscribers), just use that digital link to download them.
- In addition to those freebies, subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can currently get Outer Worlds, Red Dead Redemption 2, Ori and the Blind Forest, Monster Hunter World, Gears 5, Halo 5, Metal Gear Solid V, The Witcher III, What Remains of Edith Finch and Rocket League at no extra charge. (Note that many of those titles will likely rotate out of the Game Pass system at some point in the future.)
With those caveats in place, let’s move on to the best Xbox One games.
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Activision
See digital version at Microsoft
Endless online discourse about its difficulty aside, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is another masterpiece from Dark Souls creator From Software.
Sekiro shares a little of the DNA that made Dark Souls so compelling, but it’s absolutely a brand new beast, even more distinct from the Souls series than Bloodborne. It requires learning a whole new skillset (mainly parrying) but it’s worth the initial pain.
An early contender for game of the year.
Mobius Digital
See digital version at Microsoft
Outer Wilds is just… insane. A strange sci-fi mystery to be uncovered, Outer Wilds is set in a living breathing solar system that’s simultaneously small, but also tremendous in its ambition and execution.
It’s a game packed with jaw-dropping moments that feel organic in a way few games can compete with. I cannot emphasize this enough: play this video game.
Respawn Entertainment
See digital version at Microsoft
Apex Legends is the game no-one saw coming. In 2018 Fortnite literally ruled our cultural universe, but now its position atop the Battle Royale genre has been challenged by Apex Legends and with good reason. Designed by the core team responsible for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and, more recently, the excellent Titanfall series, Apex Legends just feels so good minute to minute. Look for this game to stick around.
Screenshot by CNET
See digital version at Microsoft
Tremendous in scope, you’re gonna want to give Assassin’s Creed Odyssey a bit of breathing space. The opening credits roll after 5 hours for goodness sake! But once the game gets going, it really gets going. This is what a game made by hundreds of people looks like. Gorgeous, massive, polished. A supremely well made open world video game.
See digital version at Microsoft
There’s a Resident Evil cycle. It does something bold and innovative (see Resident Evil 1 or Resident Evil 4) and then it coasts on that achievement for a couple of sequels before getting its act together again.
Thankfully, Resident Evil 7 is what it looks like when the series gets its act together. It’s the first relevant and essential Resident Evil game in over a decade. It’s very good indeed.
See digital version at Microsoft
Monster Hunter: World is the latest entry into the “big in Japan” Monster World series and it’s a humdinger. Best of all, it’s relatively accessible to new audiences.
It’s a great starting point: previous games in the series have been on the Wii or on handheld consoles. This is the first time in a while Monster Hunter has appeared on a cutting-edge console and Monster Hunter: World takes full advantage of that computational grunt.
Celeste
See digital version at Microsoft
Celeste is an early contender for game of 2018. It’s a brutal platformer in the style of Super Meat Boy, but innovates in a number of interesting ways. It messes with your expectation of what jumping in a video game looks like.
It’s also incredibly tight in terms of its design, and features one of the most delicately balanced learning curves. Extremely good stuff.
NetherRealm Studios
See digital version at Microsoft
Mortal Kombat is still kicking and, some might say, is better than ever. Ignore. Once upon a time Mortal Kombat was a gimmicky ultra-violent competitor to the sublime Street Fighter II. Now it’s a spectacular fighting game in its own right, with its own set of strengths. This is the best Mortal Kombat game to date.
See digital version at Microsoft
You can’t get Bloodborne on the Xbox One, but Dark Souls 3 is the next best thing.
From Software haven’t made a bad game yet and in the pantheon of the “Souls” genre, Dark Souls 3 ranks pretty high. That means it’s up there with the best of an already exceptional bunch.
Souls games aren’t for everyone, but you owe it to yourself to give Dark Souls 3 a try.
The Witness
See digital version at Microsoft
From the creator of Braid comes a video game unlike anything you’ve ever played before.
The Witness is like a Super Metroid puzzle game.
It’s a universe waiting to be unlocked, only you don’t require power-ups to proceed, you need to power-up your garbage brain. That sounds boring but it’s really not. It’s a fascinating design exercise and one of the most unique video games I’ve ever played.
Blizzard Entertainment
See digital version at Microsoft
Overwatch may be in the process of being bludgeoned to death by Fortnite and PUBG in terms of mainstream appeal, but it’s still got a gargantuan audience returning night after night.
Mainly because Blizzard has literally no idea how to make a game that isn’t compelling on every possible level.
If you were into Team Fortress back in the day, this is your new jam. If you like online shooters in any form, this is also your new jam.
Get on it.
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Originally published earlier and updated periodically.
