Are you one of the many people who recently picked up an Xbox One exclusively for the launch of Titanfall? If you’re not sure what to pick up next, let our selections for the top five Xbox One games steer you in the right direction.
Mileson’s Top Five:
1 – Dead Rising 3
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Dead Rising series. The original game was the main reason I bought an Xbox 360, so it seemed perfectly fitting that Dead Rising 3 was the game that sold me on a launch purchase of the Xbox One. The latest entry is easily the grandest in scale. The map is huge compared to the first two games and it’s filled, and I mean FILLED with zombies. With hundreds of weapons and items at your disposable, there are endless hilarious and ridiculous ways to slaughter waves of the undead. Right now, this is the definitive sandbox game on Xbox One.
2 – Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare
I’m honestly shocked that this game ended up securing my number two spot, but oh man, did my love for Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare catch me off guard. If you had asked me a week before this title launched, I would have said there was no way I was going to play a PvZ shooter spinoff, but on a whim I made the purchase and I don’t regret it one bit. It’s easily one of the most fun and original shooters I’ve played in a long time. Watching a cactus launch in the air and ragdoll just never gets old. If you’re looking for a solid online multiplayer shooter, but you’ve grown tired of the generic Tapout-wearing, slurr-spitting CoD crowd, you won’t find a better choice for 40 bucks.
3 – Killer Instinct
Everybody’s favorite fighter for the Super Nintendo makes a blistering comeback on the Xbox One. It seems like everyone wanted Double Helix to fail, but they silenced all naysayers when they released one of the most solid 2D fighters in quite some time. I’d even put this game on the same level as Street Fighter 4. Many of your favorite characters look and play better than ever before and the outrageous combo system will have even new players busting out 20 to 30 hit combos. With Killer Instinct being one of the few games on the system to incorporate the free-to-play model, there’s literally no reason you shouldn’t give it a download.
4 – Forza Motorsport 5
I don’t even really like racing games and I loved Forza Motorsport 5. It’s the most beautiful and well-detailed racing simulator I’ve ever played. There are so many cars to unlock and customize and a lengthy single player accompanied by a robust multiplayer will keep you driving for hours. It’s basically a giant, sexy car RPG, or CarPG, as I like to call it. I would spend hours simply tuning and applying new paint to my freshly acquired automobiles. There’s even a “car porn” mode that allows you to first-person ogle any of the cars in your garage. You can open the doors, windows and even turn the ignition to hear your baby purr. This game will make anyone love and respect the craftsmanship of a solid car.
5 – Crimson Dragon
Crimson Dragon is an incredibly flawed game that you can’t help but love. This on-rails shooter throws you on the back of a wide variety of dragons and puts your piloting skills to to the test as you battle your way through a random assortment of abominations. I’m a sucker for any action game with RPG mechanics and this high-flying roller coaster of emotion had me grinding my little heart heart out… and you know what R. Kelly says? There ain’t nothing wrong with a lil bump n’ grind. If you’re looking for a fun, arcade style shooter with plenty of customization options, $19.99 is well worth the price of admission for this one.
AMGfail’s Top Fives:
1 – Dead Rising 3
Whenever someone tells me they’re buying an Xbox One and they ask me what game to get, Dead Rising 3 is always at the top of my list. There is just so much crap to do in this game and its endless supply of replay value makes it worth every bit of $60. From the ridiculous costumes, the top-notch bro-op shenanigans and never ending supply of zombies to slay, all the way to the ludicrous amount of weapons and vehicles to combo, Dead Rising 3 offers a little something for everyone. Besides, who wouldn’t enjoy riding along a zombie-infested bridge, your best bro behind you embracing your waist (for survival purposes, of course) while chucking out dynamite, all while one of you is dressed like Mega Man and the other in a modest banana hammock and tennis headband?
2 – Crimson Dragon
This game is my ultimate addiction. It’s a rail shooter with dragons to level up and evolve like Pokemon. You blow stuff up to blow stuff up even faster. Plus, no developer has been doing as good a job as these guys when it comes to giving away free stuff for achievement challenges. Every week there is usually some sort of challenge going on to get new abilities, free dragons or in-game currency! I know this game will cater to a niche crowd because not everyone is in to the rail shooter genre, but if you love arcade shoot-em-ups and RPG leveling systems, Crimson Dragon may end up sucking away a large portion of your life. There is no game for the Xbox One that I’ve played more than this one, and for $19.99, that’s money well spent.
3 – Killer Instinct
Double Helix put a lot of time and TLC in to the reboot of this iconic fighting franchise. Appearing for the first time off of a Nintendo console, Killer Instinct features 7 well balanced fighters, amazing textures, a rock solid foundation and one of the best training modes in the history of the genre. The best part is that Killer Instinct is free! Well.. sort of. You have access to every single game mode without paying for it, but you only have access to one character that is rotated at random by the developers. If you like what you see, you can access the full roster for $20, which is a steal for such a solid fighter.
4 – Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
I know, I know, Black Flag isn’t an exclusive, but if you haven’t played it yet the upgrade to next-gen is gorgeous and there is a TON to do. My girlfriend and I have probably sank a total of 60 hours in to our playthrough and haven’t even scratched the surface of experiencing all the West Indies has to offer. Captain Kenway is a pirate first and assassin second, so you’ll find it easy to sail around, plunder ships and hunt down buried treasure. The story isn’t as solid as the previous entries, but there is just an overwhelming amount of stuff to do to pass the time. If you enjoy Black Flag, Freedom Cry is a nice piece of DLC to go along side it, but there is still no sighting of Henry Rollins anywhere. Bummer.
5 – Ryse: Son of Rome
My original list here had Strider instead of Ryse: Son of Rome, but I don’t feel that Strider is much of a leap forward if you have access to it on a last-gen console. Ryse: Son of Rome is a fun and gruesome hack-n-slash with a fairly decent story and is quite possibly still the best looking next-gen game on either console. I enjoyed the solo campaign enough to go through it twice, but only expect about 6 hours per playthrough. If you’re in to co-op multiplayer, Ryse features a great Colosseum arena mode where you and a buddy can face waves of enemies with different environments and hazards. You’ll level up your diaper clad gladiator and unlock new weapons, armor and perks. This is going to be where your replay value lies, as Crytek has recently confirmed that all future DLC will be in the arena.
Hopefully our lists will help guide some future purchases for your shiny new Xbox One consoles. Some honorable mentions that are worthy of your time, but didn’t quite make the list are Strider, Project Spark, Peggle 2, NBA 2k14, Battlefield 4 and Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition. If you guys and gals have any specific questions on any of the games we’ve mentioned, feel free to drop them in the comment section below and if you’d like to pop online and play with us sometime, be sure to friend or follow us on Xbox Live!
What's Your Tag? 