The Xbox One's launch was turbulent for Microsoft, to say the least. The extra $100 tacked onto the price tag over the PlayStation 4– due to the cost of the Kinect– coupled with mixed messaging about the Xbox One being more of a home entertainment system than just a video game console effectively cost Microsoft this generation. While Microsoft no longer announces exact numbers, estimates believe that the PS4 has doubled Xbox One sales, giving Sony the crown for the generation.
At launch, the Xbox One had a fairly healthy line up of exclusive games. While Xbox One exclusives have become a sore point for the console, Ryse: Son of Rome, Forza 5, and Dead Rising 3 managed to convince at least some players to grab an Xbox One when it first launched. But with the generation now winding down, how do those games hold up in 2020?
Forza 5
The Forza franchise is arguably one of the most acclaimed racing series to ever have existed. It offers fans of racing the opportunity for a realistic simulation in the Forza Motorsport entries, or a more arcade-style feel with Forza Horizon. At launch, Forza 5 was something for fans of the simulation side of things to look forward to. The game boasted impressive graphics for the time, along with detailed car interiors and realistic handling.
While the game looks pretty dated now graphically, the other elements of the core experience still hold up wonderfully well. It can take some getting used to, as trying to race like in Forza Horizon or Need for Speed, some of the other best racing franchises of the decade, is a recipe for disappointment and frustration. However, once players have the basics down the game is a ton of fun. There are plenty of cars to choose from, ranging from supercars all the way to the basics, and quite a few tracks to race on.
Oddly enough, the thing that feels the best about the game is the rumble feature, which steadily vibrates the controller during races. It makes the game feel far more tactile, which is a good thing. Overall, Forza 5 could stand alongside some of the best racing games of all time and be fine. It's a worthy entry in the franchise, even if it isn't as interesting to play as the Horizon entries. Later Forza games refined the formula even more, but Forza 5 would've been a good reason to pick up an Xbox One on launch day.
Ryse: Son of Rome
If there's any game on the Xbox One set on reminding players of the Kinect's existence, it's Ryse. The game has regular reminders that the Kinect can be used for a variety of functions, despite the Kinect mostly being used for airport security these days. The game is still perfectly playable on a controller, but it's easy to tell that it was meant to be played with the Kinect, something few games after it dared to do.
Ryse feels like a drawn-out tech demo. The combat is okay, but it gets repetitive early on in the game, despite a smattering of brutal execution moves similar to Shadow of Mordor. Graphically, everything still holds up fine. It isn't as sharp as a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, but the physics, character models, and facial animations are all still pretty impressive. For those that are looking for an interactive movie more than an actual game, Ryse is a good way to go. It isn't that long, the story is alright, and there are some beautiful environments to take in.
For others, Ryse is arguably one of Microsoft's weakest exclusives, leaving few reasons to dive into it. Were a meatier sequel to come along, it may be worth exploring, but as it stands, Ryse is evidence of every one of the Xbox One's early issues.
Dead Rising 3
Without a doubt, Dead Rising 3 was intended to be the system-seller for Xbox. It was a triple-a game from a familiar franchise, boasted better graphics than what had been done before, and demonstrated just how many enemies the Xbox One could show on-screen at one time. It built on Dead Rising's tendency to show a fully-grown man battle it out with zombies with makeshift weapons and whatever ridiculous garbs players could get their hands on.
Dead Rising 3 continued that trend, with players given a new set of toys and a big new sandbox to play around in. To this day, Dead Rising 3 is one of the most video game-y video games on the console, though whether or not that's a good thing depends on the player themselves. It doesn't look particularly sharp anymore, but the core experience of mowing down zombies with an arsenal of weapons is still entertaining. Those looking for an incredibly deep story may want to look elsewhere, but those that just want to unwind will have plenty to do.
As far as the Xbox One's launch line up goes, Dead Rising 3 is probably the best game to pair with the debut. Forza has its merits, but racing simulations are best left to a specific audience, where Dead Rising 3 will have much broader appeal. Zombies are a bit lazy as far as enemies go, but with an established franchise like Dead Rising, there's not much else that can be done with it. The heavier emphasis on vehicles was an interesting change at the time, one that many gamers appreciated, and the game felt like a legitimate next-gen take on what Dead Rising was.
Stacked up against the PlayStation 4's launch games, the Xbox can't quite compare. Knack isn't a stellar game, but it certainly has a lot more going for it than Ryse does. Killzone: Shadowfall, on the other hand, is still a solid game, offering some stellar visuals and solid level design. It makes sense that the PS4 was able to grab such an early lead over the Xbox One.
With the Xbox Series X on the horizon, it'll be interesting to see how next-gen's launch games take shape. Halo: Infinite is sure to be a big deal, though the fact that it's also getting an Xbox One version may mean one less reason to buy an Xbox Series X. Of course, Xbox doesn't see Sony and Nintendo as competitors in its future space, so it makes sense that Microsoft is emphasizing building a platform rather than just a console.