Microsoft’s strategy in claiming most of Sony’s exclusives in the seventh generation of consoles has shown its impact over a decade later, where Xbox One can’t claim to have more than a handful of exclusives as among the best in the world.
However, that doesn’t mean the platform itself doesn’t have any good games, as simultaneous releases of quality games has ensured that the Xbox One owner has their share of awesome video games to purchase. Metacritic provides a rating of every game that’s ever been released, and using that as the bar for success, we’ve compiled a list of top-10 best games you can have on the Xbox One.
10 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (91)
The Witcher series has always favored Microsoft’s platforms more than any other, so it’s fitting one of its installments finds its way in the Xbox One’s top-10. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt took the world by storm upon release due to its top notch graphics, an achievement most gamers still claim hasn’t been surpassed in consoles.
The game’s success was such that it commissioned a Witcher film due out soon, starring Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill no less. Being a role-playing game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s fan base keeps growing ever more so thanks to the release of further expansions.
9 What Remains of Edith Finch (92)
The title sounds more like that of a novel than a video game, and that’s what the experience of What Remains of Edith Finch feels like. The value of playing it is based on uncovering the secrets before you, as a first-person player character.
Each level features exploration as part of the gaming experience, with the player guiding movements upon Edith Finch’s narration to unlock a particular puzzle. The exploration is supplemented by the need to know more about the mystery surrounding Edith Finch’s family curse, and it’s easily one of the best stories you can find in video gaming history.
8 Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition (92)
If you’re surprised to find another open world game on this list, then be prepared for several more coming your way. Divinity: Original Sin II is one of many quality interactive games released this generation, where exploration is key.
You’d be wasting your money if you wanted a linear experience from this game, since the fun part comes from dedicating hours to uncovering hidden gems left in by the game’s developers. An added bonus from the original game has companionship be given more weight, and Divinity: Original Sin II is best enjoyed by logging into the multiplayer mode and having a crack at both competitive and cooperative gameplay.
7 Forza Horizon 4 (92)
We’ve mentioned Forza Horizon 4 so many times in best-ever lists that it seems redundant to keep on touting its plentiful features. Still, it’s considered an all-time great Xbox One game for a reason, making all the plaudits are well deserved.
Racing game fans will feel right at home in this version of the Forza universe, as more cars than ever are fit for the taking. Those wanting an actual driving experience with the best cars in the world need to get right into the driving seat for this one, as Forza Horizon 4 delivers the closest experience to riding out in the real world.
6 INSIDE (93)
All those years the mobile gaming platforms were eating away at the console market’s user base perhaps came to bite them back, as the best of puzzle platformers arrived on consoles in the form of INSIDE.
Here, players take the role of an unidentified little boy who has a task of exploring a world in 2.5D form. It’s a game that may look simplistic in nature, but has interpretations that go darker than one might imagine. It’s a puzzle game that makes the player question the “why” more than the “how” — something that a majority of mainstream games don’t offer.
5 Resident Evil 2 (93)
Who says a remake has to be a watered-down version of the original? Resident Evil 2 proved that just because an idea might not be new, doesn’t mean the delivery won’t be explosive fun.
The remake deserves its place as one of the best-ever games to be released on the Xbox One, as we find ourselves with an all-new way to play the classic. Featuring the over-the-shoulder gameplay revolutionized by Resident Evil 4, this remake has us dive deep into Raccoon City as we’ve never seen it before. With established and popular characters in Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, the remake betters on the original by a mile.
4 Celeste (94)
Let’s continue looking into indie platform games, where Celeste champions the cause for out-of-the-box thinking in the video gaming industry. Taking the role of a little girl named Madeline, Celeste has the player overcoming various puzzles riddled with danger.
There’s no deep story here, as the game instead focuses on the mechanics of the experience. Your main goal is to get Madeline across the finish line, but this is accompanied by deadly traps in your way. It’s reminiscent of the classic games the previous generation grew up with, and when has the nostalgia factor ever been a bad thing?
3 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (95)
For a game series that has always been hard to understand for those who don’t get Hideo Koijima’s strange humor, the Metal Gear series delivers one hit after another. The swansong to the Kojima era arrived in the shape of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which might be the eeriest entry to date.
The tactical espionage the series is famous for makes its return, although the storyline has a scarier twist to it. It’s one of the more thought-provoking entries in the franchise, with the added benefit of the classic gameplay style that nobody wants changed.
2 Grand Theft Auto V (97)
Even though this game was released in the seventh generation of consoles, Grand Theft Auto V feels fresh as ever. With the implementation of the Online world, GTA V might be the most evergreen AAA game to date.
Its value is such that players who just want to play the story mode will be invested within San Andreas for at least over a hundred hours due to the multitude of side missions involved; as for those who want the complete experience, they might not be seen out of their houses for years on end.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2 (97)
Of course, Rockstar Games couldn’t very well leave this generation devoid of a AAA game offering, and Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived to take the top spot for the best Xbox One game of all time.
Bettering the original one in terms of map size, the American Frontier can never feel as alive as shown in this game. The amount of side objectives involved in Red Dead Redemption 2 make the first one’s offerings seem laughable, and the graphics have been finally upscaled to beautiful quality levels that previous Rockstar Games didn’t have. As far as open world games go, Red Dead Redemption is the apex example of why this gameplay style is the preferred choice for today’s gamer.