The 32 Best Xbox 360 Games
- September 18, 2008 16:09 PM PST
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#8: Assassin's 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.
#7: 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.
#6: Mass Effect
Why It's Great: It's a magnum opus for the ages, a space opera of galactic proportions. Mass Effect will find you conquering unexplored planets, rescuing hapless innocents, and digging into the lives of a wide and rich cast of characters. It will grant you carte blanche to rediscover a forgotten civilization and save existence from the onslaught of a soulless menace. Plus, you can have hot lesbian sex along the way! Thank the gaming gods that BioWare is working on at least one sequel; we could stay in this universe forever.
#5: 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.
#4: Braid
Why It's Great: Because there's never, ever been anything like it. From the moment Braid loads, there's no menu to push through or cutscene to watch. You simply enter a world that exists somewhere between a dream and a painting. It's the Super Mario of the night, a bright and merry and dark and brooding platformer that isn't really a platformer at all. It's just a series of puzzling scenes that leave you awestruck over and over. Once you've beaten it, you might never pick it up again, but while you're playing it, you know it's something special.
#3: 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.
#2: 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.
#1: 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.More Top GamePro Stories
Comments [108]
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While I agree with the games on the list, I strongly disagree with the order. Especially the top ten.
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Toneman wrote:
Not enough reason to put up with the crappy hardware... sorry... Nintendo and Sony offer enough games to keep me PLENTY busy.
to each his own.
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I would have like to have seen Castle Crashers on that list but to each his own.
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VivaLeResistance wrote:
damn, all the tittles I own are on this list.
Yeah, I own alot of them on that list. I still play Crackdown and Saints Row, more than GTA4.
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My top 10:
1) Bioshock
2) Call of Duty 4
3) Gears of War
4) Oblivion
5) Grand Theft Auto 4
6) Mass Effect
7) Braid
8) Orange Box
9) Rainbow 6: Vegas
10) Halo 3
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NFS:Carbon picked instead of Forza 2? N+, Blue Dragon and C&C3? There are far better 360 exclusive choices than these games.
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My Top 10:
10) Guitar Hero III
9) Rock Band 2
8) Dead or Alive 4
7) Soul Calibur IV
6) Crackdown
5) Castle Crashers
4) Dead Rising
3) Halo 3
2) The Orange Box
1) Mass Effect
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