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Posted on: Aug 26, 2009
The Top 100 Xbox Games
of All Time
WORDS BY: The OXM Editors
Here we go! In honor of our 100th issue, welcome to our first-ever, best-ever list. After hours of deliberation based on years of gameplay, we based this list not on pure review scores but on the experiences these evolving games have given us. Lots of things were taken into account, including history, innovation, influence, and execution — but most importantly, we talked about fun, past and present. Keep that in mind as you sharpen your pencils and knives, then let us know your thoughts at letters@officialxboxmagazine.com. Enjoy!
1. Halo: Combat Evolved
We think we can hear your shock and outrage now. “Oh my god — their top game of all time is an original-Xbox game!” No — our top game of all time is the original-Xbox game.
Halo: Combat Evolved set the standard for quality, action, and execution on Microsoft’s consoles; it defined Xbox gaming as we know it. Until the release of Halo, first-person shooters always felt clunky on consoles; Bungie proved they were absolutely at home here, and opened up the doors for the genre. The entire game was playable cooperatively in split-screen or via System Link; even before the advent of Xbox Live, 16-player matches were easily attained simply by gathering gamers and gear in the same room. (“Due to the time pressures of hitting Xbox launch, there was a period of time where multiplayer was on the chopping block,” says designer Tyson Green. “Imagine that.”) The story offered a rich, deep sci-fi universe with intelligent beings, devastating weaponry, great dialogue, and a sucker-punch plot twist that left everyone wondering who the real enemy was. What’s more, it did it with impeccable execution. Like the review in our December 2001 issue said: “The hype didn’t even do it justice.”
On a larger, industry-wide scale, Halo gave gamers everywhere a compelling reason to buy an Xbox. For just a second, let’s put aside everything that Halo delivered as a game and face one sobering fact: If not for the triumph of Halo in the face of the PS2’s incredible success, the Xbox never would have survived. It’s the reason we have everything else.
2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Single-player or multiplayer — which part of COD4 is better? Please don’t ask us to answer that, because all of COD4 was about excellent execution. While Modern Warfare followed the COD formula of telling its tale from multiple perspectives, it threw in narrative surprise and heroic moments that nobody saw coming in a sh... “I hate the term ‘shooter’ because a lot of gamers have preconceptions of what that means,” says Robert Bowling, Infinity Ward’s Community Manager. “With Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, it was our goal to break those preconceptions.” After all those shifts in story, consider ’em smashed.
Multiplayer proved just as innovative with its leveling system (take a peek online — people are still playing now), and it went through a lot of experimentation — not to mention a pioneering public beta — to find its balance. “Before Killstreak Rewards were ‘killstreak rewards,’ we called them Hardpoints,” recalls Bowling. “When they were first introduced, helicopter support, airstrike, and UAV were all obtained by securing a laptop, much like taking a domination point. The problem with that was it concentrated all the fighting around three areas of the map. We also experimented with driveable Humvees early on, but we quickly abandoned that, as it totally destroyed the high-speed infantry combat and map design we had going. Vehicles forced you to space out the buildings and open up the map in a lot of ways that hurt gameplay. The fun is in the fighting — not running to the fight for 10 minutes.”
3. Mass Effect
When you get down to it, RPGs are about one thing: story. There is no more interesting, multi-layered, satisfying, and expertly told tale on Xbox than the sci-fi epic of Mass Effect. “We wanted to take what we had done with KOTOR...and take that into a new universe, where there’s really no limits on what you could do as a character or what we could do in a story,” said project director Casey Hudson in the Making of Mass Effect documentary.
What they did was unlock a galaxy of possibilities. Once we decided our Shepard’s gender and backstory, side stories led us to beautiful alien planets and plenty of firefights with the deadly Geth, all delivered with jaw-dropping graphics. But the real heart of the game came down to how that innovative radial dialogue menu opened windows to very human issues: prejudice, politics, moral choices, and complex interpersonal relationships. And even more impressive, the game made you truly care about all of the above. For a game set in the coldness of space, Mass Effect was really all about emotion.
Sun, 10/18/2009 - 13:42
Posted by wickland
Halo and COD 4 are spot on, these were also one of my all time favorites.
Fri, 10/02/2009 - 07:14
Posted by braidy02
There really wasn't any game for the number one spot other than Halo: Combat Evolved. Great story and LAN parties were long, exciting and intense. Three hour sidewinder CTF matched was my peak enjoyment for xbox multiplayer to date.
Wed, 09/16/2009 - 21:25
Posted by OXM Woodrow
I'm not criticizing the list, everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but I really think Oblivion should be much higher on the list. Of course, the game had plenty of flaws, but merely the sheer scope of the game is enough to secure the game a top spot. I think it is the only true rpg on xbox. What other game gives you such freedom and customization?
Mon, 09/07/2009 - 13:13
Posted by Spybreak
Created this list on Amazon's Listmania:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Top-100-Xbox-Games-of-all-Time-OXM-List-Part-1...
Sun, 09/06/2009 - 23:42
Posted by Spybreak
You know I read this in my magazine a while ago but had forgotten how emotional I got when I did. Just read through it again online and I gotta say I love a lot of these games and feel like booting up my original Xbox again to play some of those great games that are not BC. Thx for the quotes from the developers, that was cool.
Wed, 09/02/2009 - 11:31
Posted by lgwyant
I agree with most of the games there, but in my opinion, i think Worms and Lost Odyssey should've been there.
Sun, 08/30/2009 - 05:20
Posted by Backstabber Man
it just seems like they're rating on how much the game has changed and revolutionized the Xbox experience...I can completely see Halo on there in number 1 because the Xbox 360 probably wouldn't even exist at the moment, it just changed it so much. I don't think Dead Space should be up there because I didn't find anything amazing with it...It wasn't scary, everything was too predictable, the fighting was like any other third-person shooter basically, there was WAY too much backtracking, but the story was amazing though.
Sat, 08/29/2009 - 12:53
Posted by Frostbite9294
Come on OXM. This list is so poorly thought out, it's ridiculous. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion... but when you have games with higher ratings on your own scale getting lower spots on the list, it makes absolutely no sense. This list reminds me of the 6.5 Dead Space was give. Neither make any sense.
Fri, 08/28/2009 - 21:46
Posted by SmokeGSU
Unless I overlooked it, I'm surprised to see Fight Night Round 4 on the list instead of Fight Night Round 3. As I remember it, FNR3 was one of only a handful of Xbox games to receive a 10 rating from OXM.
Fri, 08/28/2009 - 10:10
Posted by thedude8591
Stop bashing on Mass Effect. Mass Effect is a tremendous game that had its flaws here and there but overall still managed to blow some peoples minds. Besides every game has its flaws and no game is going to be perfect. If you are bashing on Mass Effect I think that you are just being pestimistic and not taking for granted all the great things in the game like the plot, graphics, dialouge, etc. It's not often when you come acroos a game that has a story as good as Mass Effects. I agree though that Dead Space should be on the list. I didn't think that the game was a ll that bad as you guys said it was. I found Assassins Creed to be more repetitive than Dead Space and you guys gave that game a better score.
Fri, 08/28/2009 - 05:20
Posted by longeyet
you guys have seriously messed up this time
Fri, 08/28/2009 - 05:19
Posted by longeyet
I think you did not put that much thought in to this. halo combat evoloved i agree should be top but for call of duty, most of the achievments were for veteran the online rank system is terrible the maps were boring and taken from the campaign BAD!!!!. mass effect however should deserve second place although the combat was a bid tricky to take up. personaly i think halo wars should be there its a brilliant rts and it is all round better than call of duty 4.
Thu, 08/27/2009 - 18:42
Posted by muncus101
why people smashing mass effect? what about that game wasnt amazing? graphics, sound track, plot, characters, combat, i agree with its 10/10, nothing wrong with it.
this list is legit, stop giving sass.
Thu, 08/27/2009 - 11:40
Posted by BananaHeads
Dead Space #101, are you kidding me? I realize you can't publish every great game in a list of only 100. But leaving out Dead Space is outrageous. Just about as outrageous as putting Mass Effect as number 3. That game sucked!
I've played a lot of games. Dead Space, to date, is the best game I've ever played. The audio and video are a 10. The scare factor is a 10. The playability a 10.
I will now be taking all of your reviews with a grain of salt.
Thu, 08/27/2009 - 10:45
Posted by Av0cad0
Not a bad list but I am shocked that Castle Crashers didn't make it in. You'll never convince me that Hexic HD and UNO are better games.
Thu, 08/27/2009 - 10:23
Posted by Corey OXM
Both goofs fixed now.
Thu, 08/27/2009 - 03:33
Posted by SumthingStupid
People don't get upset at this it is there opinion not yours... personally I'd like to see Dead Space up in the list but they have my other favourites in the list. And I'm really surprised with no Rock Band they use to talk about it every second on the podcast
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 19:03
Posted by muncus101
i agree with this all the way. OXM has its head on right.
halo2 has the wrong paragraph, though splintercell: chaos theory DOES deserve a second mention. =)
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 18:04
Posted by seriousstew
mass effect wasn't very good. there's like 3 main missions, boring story, upgrading ammo for every gun for every character most of the time, boring enemies, cookie cutter planets to "explore". Nothing amazing really sticks out in my head and makes me want to ever play it again. KOTOR is superior in every way.
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 14:02
Posted by UltimateLime110
uhh... CoD 4: Combat Evolved? please fix.
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 13:56
Posted by Backstabber Man
haha, the name is Modern Warfare, not Combat Evolved for Call of Duty 4. i agree with Halo being #1, it is an amazing game, really, the only game that got me into the Xbox at all. I was a major Nintendo fan and then when I played that game for the first time, I knew the Xbox had something going for it, including Xbox Live when it came out too. It's genius, and worth $50 a year. Don't get me wrong though, the PS3 is sweet, but still...games like Halo and other amazing games is what makes the Xbox amazing. It's not all about the graphics rather than the gameplay and how much fun it is...
Wed, 08/26/2009 - 13:27
Posted by GODhimself37
halo 2 is not chaos theory. lol fix it plzzzz i wanna see what it says