6 best Xbox 360 games I love to revisit on the Xbox Series X

The Xbox 360 was a console that marked a turning point in the home console market. It not only had a great library of games released throughout its lifetime, but it was also the console that helped usher in a new period of competition between game companies. While the PlayStation 3 had its own collection of hits, Xbox 360 owners were seeing original games that would go on to become major franchises, as well as an amazing online experience for the time. To me, the Xbox 360 is one of the great consoles of modern gaming that many Xbox fans look back fondly on as a high point for the company.

This is why I love to revisit some of my favorite games released for the Xbox 360 on the Xbox Series X. The nostalgia is fun to engage with, but there are a number of games that still hold up very well all these years later. Luckily for me and other Xbox owners, some games gain a few benefits from being played on the Xbox Series X. But which ones should you boot up once again on the latest Xbox hardware? Here are six games on the Xbox 360 that I love to revisit on the Xbox Series X.

6

Gears of War

We got the console for this

The first Gears of War was a big reason that many people ended up buying an Xbox 360 back in 2006. Although the console came out the year before, some people waited for this game to finally release so they could play it on the new console. It was an original concept that looked and felt different from other games of the time, showcasing a harsh grit that Xbox fans loved. And above all else, it was brutal and unapologetically explicit in both story and gameplay. The first time I got to see a Lancer and use it against the hordes of Locust attacking me was incredibly satisfying. And to top it off, the online multiplayer over Xbox Live was an amazingly fun time, even if things often got vicious in game chat. This was the kind of Xbox 360 gaming experience that people still look back on to this day and remind people of how good it was.

Gears of War is a game that still holds up very well years after its initial release. The first game in the series went on to become a classic and has been released a few times on different platforms. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is the best way to experience it, given that it adds new content that was cut from the original release on Xbox 360. The game also gets a few enhancements running on the Xbox Series X, including an improved frame rate and picture resolution, and HDR support for some televisions.

5

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

The legend of Starkiller

Star Wars fans love the period of Lucasarts game releases from the early 2000s. One of the most popular Star Wars games of that time was Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which told a new story set between the events of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith and the original Star Wars film. The story followed Galen Markey, better known as Starkiller, and his journey from abandoned Jedi child to Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. The core concept of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was to showcase some of the crazy and over-the-top ways someone could use The Force. One of the biggest images for the game was Starkiller using The Force to bring down a Star Destroyer to the ground from orbit. Despite some technical flaws, the game was very popular among Star Wars fans who loved its unique approach to combat and willingness to take some ideas to a far extreme.

What I love about The Force Unleashed is how much it reveres Star Wars fan service, but it isn’t afraid to try something new with it. The game has a content-complete version, titled the Ultimate Sith Edition, that adds fun “what if” scenarios for players to take down original trilogy characters and change the fate of the Star Wars galaxy. The Force Unleashed is backward compatible with the Xbox Series X and can run at 4K resolution. Anybody who hasn’t yet experienced this Star Wars game is in for a real treat, especially if you love games from the Lucasarts era before the Disney-Lucasfilm buyout.

Related

The golden age of Star Wars video games

There was a time when Star Wars games were creative and exciting. For many Star Wars fans, it was a golden age of video game releases.

4

Halo 3

Finishing the fight again

It cannot be overstated how big of a deal the release of Halo 3 was for Xbox fans. Not only was it the first Halo game on Microsoft’s new console in 2007, but it was also the final entry of a trilogy in which people were highly invested. Halo 3 is one of those games that made an impact on pop culture that is seldom ever replicated for sequels, especially when a series reaches its third or fourth entry. But Halo 3 was the game to own and play on Xbox 360, for its story and for the amazing online multiplayer. The Master Chief was finishing the fight with the Covenant, while simultaneously, the best online team death matches and hilarious moments dominated online gaming.

For me, Halo 3 is arguably one of the best entries in the series. It’s a lot of fun revisiting Halo 3, not just for its online multiplayer maps, but the big moments from the main campaign are still exciting to experience. Whether you play on Legendary difficulty or not, Halo 3 is just an incredibly solid game that will bring you back to an exciting time in gaming. The best way to replay Halo 3 is through Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox Series X, which optimizes the game to the best quality possible. I can still find many people playing the multiplayer for Halo 3 online, which is still just as fun as it was back in 2007. Without question, everybody who played the game over the years is more than willing to come back and finish the fight with the Chief again, anytime.

3

Assassin’s Creed 2

Still the best in the franchise

Source: Ubisoft

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has many games released over the years that highlight different historical periods and characters. But the series has arguably never reached the same level of popularity that it once did with the release of Assassin’s Creed 2 on the Xbox 360. Much of this is due to the charm and intrigue of the game’s protagonist, Ezio Auditore, as he experiences life during the Renaissance period in Italy. The game not only improved upon its predecessor, but went on to spawn two spin-off titles about Ezio before the eventual third entry in the series. To many, Assassin’s Creed 2 is still the best game with the best character in the series.

What is very fun about Assassin’s Creed 2 is traversing the Italian rooftops and gazing at the groups of people below. I love being able to sneak my way around a target, but still be able to take in the visuals of 1476 Italy in all of its glory. Assassin’s Creed 2 is part of the Ezio Collection release from Ubisoft, but is also playable on Xbox Series X through backward compatibility. The game gets a frame rate boost and runs at 60 FPS when running on Xbox Series X. Between the great soundtrack and beautiful visuals of the Italian city, Assassin’s Creed 2 is definitely a great game to go back to.

Related

This is the next historical period I want to see in Assassin’s Creed

The Assassin’s Creed series has taken players to different historical eras, but it hasn’t done this one yet. Now may be the time to do so.

2

Mass Effect 2

A sci-fi epic

Source: BioWare

Fans of role-playing games know very well how big the Mass Effect series became. While the first game in the series was unique from BioWare, it was the sequel that really garnered a lot of attention from everyone. Mass Effect 2 got so big that it drew the attention of news networks, injecting it into conversations about the maturity of video game media and their effect on the public. Regardless of where people stood on that debate, there was no denying the success of Mass Effect 2 on Xbox 360. Between the permutations of outcomes from choices, the sci-fi setting, and the action during combat, I believe that Mass Effect 2 was one of the high points in the console’s lifespan. Even today, I still remember how I felt during some of the game’s dire missions with heavy consequences, making me feel something for the characters I spent a lot of time with. Anybody who says they didn’t worry about going on the Suicide Mission is flat out lying.

For those who have never experienced the game before, Mass Effect 2 can be played on Xbox Series X either via backward compatibility or through the release of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. It gets multiple enhancements on the newer console, including better visuals, spatial sound, and optimized performance. The game is a must-play for RPG fans who love new and fresh takes on the genre, especially within a sci-fi setting from critically acclaimed studios.

1

BioShock

Welcome back to Rapture

Source: Irrational Games

There are few games that get released and impact the genre they are part of. BioShock is one of those games that presented an incredible location for gamers to get immersed in, but also showed how first-person shooters approached giving lore to them. Rapture is one of those video game locations that stands out as unique and haunting yet able to pique the curiosity of people who dived into the game. It also helped that BioShock was visually beautiful, with a tense audio design that intertwined nicely with everything to build out a suspenseful and masterful first-person experience. BioShock is often one of those games that gets recommended to people who want to explore the landscape of the FPS genre, especially those who want something more than just crazy frequent explosions.

What I love the most about BioShock is how the game utilizes backtracking and quiet moments to really convey the atmosphere of Rapture. The city almost becomes a character in of itself, similarly to the people you meet during the story. Things mildly change in the layout as new areas open up, but still maintain a haunting vibe as I traverse the many corridors and rooms within each location built for Rapture. It’s chilling, yet incredibly fun to go through. BioShock can be played through backward compatibility on Xbox Series X, but it was also re-released for the BioShock Collection, which includes the two sequels. The game gets a few upgrades with a frame rate of 60 FPS, as well as a resolution that can go up to 4K.

Reminiscing about Xbox 360

To some Xbox gamers, the Xbox 360 had some of the best games of that console generation. Many popular releases of the time went on to become ongoing franchises, as well as lay the groundwork for other aspects of gaming that we know today, such as online multiplayer and more. Luckily for me and many other Xbox fans, revisiting some of the classics is easy and comes with a few extra perks here and there. Each of those Xbox 360 titles I love to revisit was, and still is, a great experience that offers a lot of fun and speaks to the greatness of the console. When things have slowed down with new releases, you can’t go wrong revisiting some of these great Xbox 360 games.