The 32 Best Xbox 360 Games
A comprehensive look at 32 of the greatest video games available on Xbox 360.
- by McKinley Noble
- November 22, 2010 12:00 PM PT
Set in the world of Rapture, a underwater paradise turned into a twisted nightmare, BioShock pits you as a hapless bystander unwittingly delving into the history and politics behind this lost dystopian city. Luckily, the same powers that tore Rapture apart help you survive. Plasmids help you even the odds by supplying you with various interesting powers, like telekinetic fire or the ability to wield electricity. Of course, these only help so much when facing down a Big Daddy, one of several dangerous behemoths prowling the city, so it's a good thing you can also gobble together some lethal-looking guns to boot. BioShock's combat is intuitive and clever -- using pools of water as electricity traps, shattering Splicers after freezing them solid -- but the real hook is the eerie atmosphere that this game invokes.
As a wandering adventurer on a quest for riches, power, and glory, the journey though the world of Pandora is meant to inspire the greedy treasure hunter deep in every gamer's heart. From the dusty peaks of the Arid Badlands to the wastelands of the Rust Commons, Borderlands has loot under every rock, just waiting to be discovered. Even though you can take the role of the lone wolf, running through a game with a few friends is the best way to play. With each new crew member, you'll encounter bigger enemies, harder missions, and mouthwatering rewards. Gaming has something to learn from Borderlands, and we're eager to see the next frontier.
Old Italy looks fantastic in Assassin's Creed 2, and the world is basically a huge jungle gym for main character Ezio, the descendant of the previous game's Altair. Ezio fares just as well as his forefather, thanks to new gameplay elements that allow him to swim, steal an enemy's weapon, and execute flashy moves such as a double-handed face-stab. Assassin's Creed II even gives you alternate ways to maintain a low profile by hiring townsfolk to provide timely distractions and bribing city officials. No matter how you play, Ubisoft Montreal's open world has a lot hidden under the surface, and Assassin's Creed 2 definitely conceals a refreshing take on the video game sandbox.
We still remember the first time we saw the Bubble Shield. Forums lit up like fire when the Recon armor was unveiled to the public. Sometimes, you just can't mention Halo without gamers around the world getting excited, and Halo 3 is arguably the pinnacle of the series. Even we couldn't believe that the multiplayer had gotten even better than Halo 2's glorious run, and we had pretty high expectations. Everything was better, and we still couldn't get enough of it.
Gut-wrenching moments and fast-paced FPS action were the bread and butter of the first Modern Warfare. After taking the Normandy Invasion as far as it could go, Infinity Ward dropped their coveted franchise into the modern era with amazing results. Since then, Modern Warfare 2 has proved to be a more-than-worthy successor to 2007's Game of the Year, upping the ante with an insanely gripping story, multiplayer that rivals the best titles in history, and enough controversial story-bound decisions to jar any player back into reality, if just for a split second. Even if you never go back to the solo missions after the first time around, playing this Call of Duty online is so deep and incredibly well-polished that you'll have little to no excuse to get tired of Modern Warfare 2.
Rockstar San Diego's Red Dead Redemption has everything that you'd expect from a traditional western: a gritty hero, nefarious bandits, and tales of honor and betrayal. But this title brings even more to the table with Rockstar's trademark brand of open-world gameplay. Whether you're roping cattle, tracking down bounties, stopping a robbery, or just playing a round of cards, Red Dead Redemption's open wilderness lies at your fingertips, just waiting for you to saddle up and get dirty. Throughout John Marston's tale, the game is peppered with gunfights, stagecoach races, quick draw shootouts, and just about anything else you'd expect from a modern Western. Depending on how you play the game, other westerners will either run at the sight of Marston or worship the ground he walks on, making everything you do in Red Dead Redemption both lasting and important. In the end, it's up to you whether you want to be a law-abiding hero or a low-down criminal, but the choices are expansive nonetheless.
Mass Effect 2, the blockbuster sequel to Bioware’s previous science fiction epic, can be called the Empire Strikes Back to Mass Effect’s Star Wars. Mass Effect 2 also builds your gaming experience based on your choices in the previous game. Anyone you helped or hindered in Shepard last mission could come into play at various key plot points in the game, further customizing each story for each gamer. There’s many ways this game can end, and Mass Effect 3 will literally be a different game depending on your actions.
Gears of War 2 is bloody, brutal, and possibly the best action game to hit the Xbox 360 yet. Taking the role of Marcus Fenix, you and a troop of elite, alien-killing super marines will shoot, punch, stomp, claw, and tear your way through the Earth itself in a jaw-dropping fight against the Locust Horde that infests the very core of their once peaceful planet. Believe us, this game is a marathon of gore, blood, and titanic explosions that has no peer, and Gears of War 2 remains our top pick among the very best Xbox 360 games around today.
