12 Yrs♥F$✓#
I recently signed up to Xbox All Access so will be receiving my very first Xbox any day now (Xbox One X). As I've never owned one before, I've missed a lot (if not all) of the Xbox exclusives so I'm looking for recommendations of the best ones!
Keep it to exclusives though - I have a PC and PS4 for multi-platform stuff - bonus points if you suggest something that's included in Xbox Game Pass, as I'll be picking from there initially.
So tell me.. what's your favourite/must-check-out Xbox exclusive? =)
Keep it to exclusives though - I have a PC and PS4 for multi-platform stuff - bonus points if you suggest something that's included in Xbox Game Pass, as I'll be picking from there initially.
So tell me.. what's your favourite/must-check-out Xbox exclusive? =)
11 Yrs♥✓#
I don't know if it's playable under the conditions necessary for you, but I would 10,000% recommend Lost Odyssey. I bought a 360 largely for that specific game and I wasn't disappointed. It's phenomenal.
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
had a look and it's not on game-pass, but will add it to the list to see if it can be played somehow - looks good thanks!
Edit - not too familiar with the Xbox store either so am ignorant on whether older games are available digitally or if things are backwards compatible, but keen to play older stuff as well if possible !
11 Yrs♥✓#
According to this, it's available on Xbox One as a digital download for $24.99, so... get on that. ;)
6 Yrs♥$✓#
TheAutisticGamer
6 Yrs♥$✓#
The Forza series (Motorsport and Horizon) are all amazing games. Motorsport 7 is awesome and Forza Horizon 3 and 4 are some of the best games this console generation. Ryse: Son of Rome is also a decent action hack n slash set in Rome. If you're looking for backwards compatible exclusives, Gears of War is always a good choice from what I heard and also people really like Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga. There is also some interesting games like Deep Rock Galactic (on Steam as well but Xbox version is enhanced) and Ashen is a Dark Souls type game if you're into that kind of genre. Fable 1-3 are also enhanced for the system as well and most people like them.
Those are some of my personal and audience recommendations. Oh, and Halo MCC as well. Great stuff.
Those are some of my personal and audience recommendations. Oh, and Halo MCC as well. Great stuff.
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
Nice thank you - I actually get Forza Horizon 4 with the console so will be playing that one without a doubt =)
Will probably check out Gears, but not sure if it's my kind of thing, same with Halo - will give them a shot (because why not!) and will check out the others you mentioned as well !
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
awesome - definitely have it on the list then!! thanks =)
10 Yrs♥✓#
TheOro44
10 Yrs♥✓#
Fable II
Gears of War 2
Kameo: Elements of Power
That's about all exclusives I've seen on the Game Pass list worth playing =)
Gears of War 2
Kameo: Elements of Power
That's about all exclusives I've seen on the Game Pass list worth playing =)
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
awesome thanks =)
haven't heard of Kameo before - looks interesting!
9 Yrs♥✓#
Eries
9 Yrs♥✓#
Because of Xbox play anywhere most if of not all of the newer games are also on PC.
Xbox gamepasss hidden gems
Operencia: The Stolen Sun
Outer Wilds
Void Bastards
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Sunset Overdrive
Xbox gamepasss hidden gems
Operencia: The Stolen Sun
Outer Wilds
Void Bastards
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Sunset Overdrive
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
The added bonus of getting the Xbox for me is that I don't use Windows 10 on PC - and most of the 'play anywhere' titles require Win10 as a minimum =) this way I can stick to Win7 and still play new stuff on the console!
Ooh and some good suggestions as well thanks! I've been playing Outer Wilds already and it's excellent - keen to check out the others too!
13 Yrs♥F✓#
Majority of these are on game pass... a lot of them can be had on PC but none are on PS4. I didn't pay for any of them directly (besides Cuphead), either they were Games with Gold or Game Pass.
Ashen
A nice, shorter Souls game. (Game Pass)
Blair Witch
Short horror game. (Game Pass)
Clustertruck
Super fun platformer where you jump from semi-truck to semi-truck, gets progressively wackier. (Game Pass)
Cuphead
Awesome art style, tough but rewarding "scrolling shooter".
Fable Anniversary, Fable II, Fable III
Action-adventure RPG, doesn't hold up to most RPGs these days but an Xbox exclusive series that I loved at the time. (Game Pass)
Forza Series
The Horizon series is the best arcade car racing around, just fun. The simulation series is good too, not sure how it compares to Gran Turismo at this point. (Game Pass)
Gears of War series
There are 6 Gears games on Xbox Game pass, I just played through the entire series in the last 2 years. It help up fairly well.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
All the Halo games, play on at least Heroic difficulty. (Game Pass)
Kalimba
A fun puzzle-platformer. (Given away every other month as Japan's Games with Gold, region free and in english).
Kameo: Elements of Power
Rare's best Xbox title. (Game Pass)
Quantum Break
Interesting story, solid visuals, very movie like. (Game Pass)
Rare Replay
Rare's non-Nintendo catelog. (Game Pass)
Screamride
Dumb fun. Throw rollercoasters at buildings to knock them down.
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption
A souls-like where it's only bosses. (Game Pass)
Vigor
Xbox's exclusive "battle royal" game. It's made by DayZ devs, only 12 people in the arena but can have a lot of high intense moments. I was 8th person in the world to obtain all the achievements. (FREE TO PLAY)
Void Bastards
Roguelike first person shooter in space. Ex Bioshock devs. (Game Pass)
We Happy Few
This is the hardest game on this list to recommend. It's a decent game that is simply too long. Had it been half the time, I would have loved it. (Game Pass)
Ashen
A nice, shorter Souls game. (Game Pass)
Blair Witch
Short horror game. (Game Pass)
Clustertruck
Super fun platformer where you jump from semi-truck to semi-truck, gets progressively wackier. (Game Pass)
Cuphead
Awesome art style, tough but rewarding "scrolling shooter".
Fable Anniversary, Fable II, Fable III
Action-adventure RPG, doesn't hold up to most RPGs these days but an Xbox exclusive series that I loved at the time. (Game Pass)
Forza Series
The Horizon series is the best arcade car racing around, just fun. The simulation series is good too, not sure how it compares to Gran Turismo at this point. (Game Pass)
Gears of War series
There are 6 Gears games on Xbox Game pass, I just played through the entire series in the last 2 years. It help up fairly well.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
All the Halo games, play on at least Heroic difficulty. (Game Pass)
Kalimba
A fun puzzle-platformer. (Given away every other month as Japan's Games with Gold, region free and in english).
Kameo: Elements of Power
Rare's best Xbox title. (Game Pass)
Quantum Break
Interesting story, solid visuals, very movie like. (Game Pass)
Rare Replay
Rare's non-Nintendo catelog. (Game Pass)
Screamride
Dumb fun. Throw rollercoasters at buildings to knock them down.
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption
A souls-like where it's only bosses. (Game Pass)
Vigor
Xbox's exclusive "battle royal" game. It's made by DayZ devs, only 12 people in the arena but can have a lot of high intense moments. I was 8th person in the world to obtain all the achievements. (FREE TO PLAY)
Void Bastards
Roguelike first person shooter in space. Ex Bioshock devs. (Game Pass)
We Happy Few
This is the hardest game on this list to recommend. It's a decent game that is simply too long. Had it been half the time, I would have loved it. (Game Pass)
6 Yrs✓#
xxcoolsjxx
6 Yrs✓#
I'll be honest I have had Xbox since the original, and now that I obtained a PS3 within the last year I was severely let down to know how much I missed out by having a 360/One over the PS3/PS4. I guess it really comes down to what games you like though, but I would say PlayStation has way better exclusives than Xbox does. Only real upside to the Xbox is the interface which is extremely easy and user friendly and online. The only thing keeping me on Xbox is all the friends I have met and continued to play games with over the last 10 years, but I will be getting a PS5.
If you want exclusive RPGs the only two I can think of are Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon which are both fantastic games, but are for the 360.
Otherwise you have the Halo series, Gears series, and Forza which I would consider the big 3. I have heard good things about Quantom Break as well which I believe is by the same people who did Max Payne and Alan Wake, (also exclusive I believe).
I know also that the first Mass Effect, Dead Rising, and Saints Row games were exclusive, with the later games going across platforms.
Gears is pretty much the Xbox version of Resistance, or you could say vice versa, Halo has gotten extremely bland for me but still has a place in my heart from the Halo 2 online days, and honestly I am not really into racing games so Forza does nothing for me.
If you want exclusive RPGs the only two I can think of are Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon which are both fantastic games, but are for the 360.
Otherwise you have the Halo series, Gears series, and Forza which I would consider the big 3. I have heard good things about Quantom Break as well which I believe is by the same people who did Max Payne and Alan Wake, (also exclusive I believe).
I know also that the first Mass Effect, Dead Rising, and Saints Row games were exclusive, with the later games going across platforms.
Gears is pretty much the Xbox version of Resistance, or you could say vice versa, Halo has gotten extremely bland for me but still has a place in my heart from the Halo 2 online days, and honestly I am not really into racing games so Forza does nothing for me.
6 Yrs✓
QuiteSlowGamer
6 Yrs✓
You probably didn't get an Xbox One X to play old stuff, but I want to point out that its backwards compatibility program is really neat. Hundreds of compatible X360 games, a couple dozen from the OG Xbox, and lots of them are upscaled on the X. Even better: if you have the old discs (or buy used copies of them for literal pennies), that also lets you play them and any upscaling is done for free.
From the original Xbox era I would recommend:
- Panzer Dragoon Orta. Railshooter with dragons from Sega, prior to this only on the original Xbox. Upscaled to 4K on the Xbox One X & great music.
- Jade Empire is an older BioWare RPG set in a mystical Chinese setting. Was exclusive to original Xbox, there's also a PC version I think.
- Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge is a fun flight combat game, one of the earliest big hits on Xbox Live.
- SSX 3 admittedly wasn't a system exclusive, but it's probably the best SSX snowboarding game. Runs in 4k on the Xbox One X.
Sorry if this isn't what you're looking for. For modern games, the one that I would play first on Game Pass would be The Outer Wilds. Got a feeling that one is destined for cult hit status, and will be overlooked amidst big hitters like Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4.
From the original Xbox era I would recommend:
- Panzer Dragoon Orta. Railshooter with dragons from Sega, prior to this only on the original Xbox. Upscaled to 4K on the Xbox One X & great music.
- Jade Empire is an older BioWare RPG set in a mystical Chinese setting. Was exclusive to original Xbox, there's also a PC version I think.
- Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge is a fun flight combat game, one of the earliest big hits on Xbox Live.
- SSX 3 admittedly wasn't a system exclusive, but it's probably the best SSX snowboarding game. Runs in 4k on the Xbox One X.
Sorry if this isn't what you're looking for. For modern games, the one that I would play first on Game Pass would be The Outer Wilds. Got a feeling that one is destined for cult hit status, and will be overlooked amidst big hitters like Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4.
9 Yrs♥✓#
Xbox is a great console if you like PC games. It has no particularly worthwhile exclusives, barring some exceptions like Quantum Break or Halo's multiplayer. I've some perhaps unorthodox suggestions:
NOT AVAILABLE ON PC OR PS4 IN ANY FORM:
Army of Two: The 40th Day, waaaaay better than Gears of War. The Devil's Cartel is also decent.
NOT AVAILABLE ON PC WITHOUT EMULATION:
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, great GTA-like game.
AVAILABLE ON PC WITHOUT CONTROLLER SUPPORT:
Star Wars: Republic Commando, great but short FPS.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, great CRPG without mods.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, another great CRPG.
NOT AVAILABLE ON PC OR PS4 IN ANY FORM:
Army of Two: The 40th Day, waaaaay better than Gears of War. The Devil's Cartel is also decent.
NOT AVAILABLE ON PC WITHOUT EMULATION:
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, great GTA-like game.
AVAILABLE ON PC WITHOUT CONTROLLER SUPPORT:
Star Wars: Republic Commando, great but short FPS.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, great CRPG without mods.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, another great CRPG.
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
Great list - thanks!
Although, I've seen enough of Blair Witch to know I will miss that one =) lol I got scared watching parts on YouTube!
Good to see some crossover with what others are recommending as well...
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
Yeah I know what you mean - I've always stuck with playstation and PC up until now mostly because I prefer their exclusives and none of my friends play on xbox - but with the rent-to-own nature of Xbox All Access this is the perfect way for me to get into those games I missed along the way - and thankfully even the old stuff is still available =)
Lost Odyssey does look cool and I'll check out Blue Dragon... and will definitely have a go at "the big 3" and others =) thanks!
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
That's definitely what I'm looking for as well - I'll probably start with game-pass games, but I'm keen to have a go at some of the older exclusives I missed as well - part of the reason that sold me on getting the xbox is that there's the backwards compatibility - so I can pick up cheap older titles and check them out =)
so yeah - thanks for your list!
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
One of the interesting things I'm learning is how much crossover there is between Xbox and PC - which makes sense with Microsoft being in charge and all... but many have recommended Quantum Break, but I played it on PC already. Plus, I suppose modding and tweaking games is a very PC thing as well, because something like KOTOR is a game I've played (some of) on PC, but with mods that upscale the graphics and add gamepad support etc....
Don't get me wrong, I love the suggestions and thank you for yours - it's just interesting how different perspectives can shape how we see things! Anyway, I also played the first Amy Of Two on PS3 a long time ago and I enjoyed it for what it was - so that could be fun to check out - thanks for the list!! =)
12 Yrs♥F$✓#
For anyone interested, I thought I'd post a little update on how I've been getting on with the first Xbox I've ever played, as well as some of the recommendations all you kind people put forward!
Turning on the console for the first time felt like jumping from PC to Mac without any instructions! It took me a good while to get used to the menu layouts and how to access everything - it's hard not to feel like it's clunky compared to PS4, but I know that's only because I'm very used to the PS4 interface, so thinking differently is a bit of a challenge at times. Still not sure if I like the Xbox UI, but it does the job so not really bothered tbh.
The one thing I never thought I'd miss from the PS4 has been the 'share' button. Taking screenshots and capturing video is a big hassle on the Xbox compared to the PS4 - plus, I haven't found a way to capture more than 2 minutes of gameplay on the Xbox, while I can capture up to an hour on PS4. It's not a deal-breaker, but I was surprised at how much I like being able to snap screenshots and videos easily... who'd've thunk it?!
However, the main point of getting an Xbox for me was the games - of course - and I like the "all access" model that includes GamePass ultimate, so I currently have a bunch of games on the system that I haven't paid any extra for -
Forza Horizon 4 (came with the console as a code, along with the DLC) - probably the game I've been playing the most because I really like how much there is to do and the variety of events/etc to keep me interested. I also really enjoy that you don't have to win every single race in order to progress - this might have become my favourite racing game of recent times... which is a hard mantle to fill.
The Outer Worlds - Not an exclusive, but it's on GamePass and I really wanted to play it - am enjoying it so far, but it's basically 'new Fallout'
ReCore - I realise this wasn't critically acclaimed at all, but I've always thought it looked interesting and well, it's on GamePass, so I've been playing it a bit and enjoying what it is. Sure it's not amazing, but it's a fun little diversion here and there.
Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night - Again not an exclusive, but I'm really digging everything that's on GamePass right now. I'm not really a big platformer fan, but enough people recommended this one to me so I'm giving it a try. Still haven't made up my mind if I'll finish it or not (about 2 bosses in), but it's definitely a good looking game and I'm happy to have had a chance to try it.
Minecraft - I mean, I haven't played Minecraft since before its full release, so I figured it would be fun to jump in and mess around in a world... I was right (GamePass again).
I have a bunch of other games lined up that are currently on GamePass like the Gears Of War series and the Halo series. Plus some cross platform stuff that's on GamePass like Rare Replay / Life Is Strange 2 / Afterparty / My Friend Pedro .... and there's more....
So the biggest thing I'm digging is GamePass - as I feel like I'll have plenty to play for a long time. It helps that I haven't played any of the exclusives, but I'll probably start playing cross-platform stuff on Xbox as well... rather than paying extra for it elsewhere. I've never really be bothered where I play my games, so having a good service like this one does a lot of the heavy lifting.
Overall though - my initial impressions of owning a Xbox are positive - largely thanks to having a good amount of games to play out of the box and lots of classics to look forward to finally experiencing for the first time. The main things I don't like about the system is stuff that I could probably put down to the fact that I'm used to PS4 and PC a little too much. The interface still feels clunky and odd... even the controllers are weird - the fact they need actual batteries to be wireless is amazing to me - but again I'm used to my wireless DS4 controllers that have their own battery built-in.
Anyway, those are my initial thoughts on the system - but the main take-away should be that the games are good and the system plays them well, so I'm very happy with my first Xbox. Time will tell if I can get used to the differences, but it's all about the games after all !!
Turning on the console for the first time felt like jumping from PC to Mac without any instructions! It took me a good while to get used to the menu layouts and how to access everything - it's hard not to feel like it's clunky compared to PS4, but I know that's only because I'm very used to the PS4 interface, so thinking differently is a bit of a challenge at times. Still not sure if I like the Xbox UI, but it does the job so not really bothered tbh.
The one thing I never thought I'd miss from the PS4 has been the 'share' button. Taking screenshots and capturing video is a big hassle on the Xbox compared to the PS4 - plus, I haven't found a way to capture more than 2 minutes of gameplay on the Xbox, while I can capture up to an hour on PS4. It's not a deal-breaker, but I was surprised at how much I like being able to snap screenshots and videos easily... who'd've thunk it?!
However, the main point of getting an Xbox for me was the games - of course - and I like the "all access" model that includes GamePass ultimate, so I currently have a bunch of games on the system that I haven't paid any extra for -
Forza Horizon 4 (came with the console as a code, along with the DLC) - probably the game I've been playing the most because I really like how much there is to do and the variety of events/etc to keep me interested. I also really enjoy that you don't have to win every single race in order to progress - this might have become my favourite racing game of recent times... which is a hard mantle to fill.
The Outer Worlds - Not an exclusive, but it's on GamePass and I really wanted to play it - am enjoying it so far, but it's basically 'new Fallout'
ReCore - I realise this wasn't critically acclaimed at all, but I've always thought it looked interesting and well, it's on GamePass, so I've been playing it a bit and enjoying what it is. Sure it's not amazing, but it's a fun little diversion here and there.
Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night - Again not an exclusive, but I'm really digging everything that's on GamePass right now. I'm not really a big platformer fan, but enough people recommended this one to me so I'm giving it a try. Still haven't made up my mind if I'll finish it or not (about 2 bosses in), but it's definitely a good looking game and I'm happy to have had a chance to try it.
Minecraft - I mean, I haven't played Minecraft since before its full release, so I figured it would be fun to jump in and mess around in a world... I was right (GamePass again).
I have a bunch of other games lined up that are currently on GamePass like the Gears Of War series and the Halo series. Plus some cross platform stuff that's on GamePass like Rare Replay / Life Is Strange 2 / Afterparty / My Friend Pedro .... and there's more....
So the biggest thing I'm digging is GamePass - as I feel like I'll have plenty to play for a long time. It helps that I haven't played any of the exclusives, but I'll probably start playing cross-platform stuff on Xbox as well... rather than paying extra for it elsewhere. I've never really be bothered where I play my games, so having a good service like this one does a lot of the heavy lifting.
Overall though - my initial impressions of owning a Xbox are positive - largely thanks to having a good amount of games to play out of the box and lots of classics to look forward to finally experiencing for the first time. The main things I don't like about the system is stuff that I could probably put down to the fact that I'm used to PS4 and PC a little too much. The interface still feels clunky and odd... even the controllers are weird - the fact they need actual batteries to be wireless is amazing to me - but again I'm used to my wireless DS4 controllers that have their own battery built-in.
Anyway, those are my initial thoughts on the system - but the main take-away should be that the games are good and the system plays them well, so I'm very happy with my first Xbox. Time will tell if I can get used to the differences, but it's all about the games after all !!