X-Box 360 games

[Bobular]

I'm thinking of picking up a cheap X-Box 360. Normally I'm a PC gamer, but I do have a PS3 & PS4, so I've never played any of the 360's exclusives. I'm mostly thinking about the Halo games that didn't come out for PC but I'd also possibly give Fable 2 a go and maybe Gears of War if I feel like it.

Are there any other games that were exclusive to the X-Box 360 that I should take a look at?

 

[Rabish Bini]

The Forza games are a lot of fun if you like racing sims, just get 4 and you're set.

The first Crackdown is a ton of dumb fun, don't bother with the second.

Other than that, not much. A lot of people really loved Lost Odyssey but I never played it so can't vouch for it.

EDIT: The Viva Pinata games are also cited as surprise gems so they might be worth a look too!

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Yes, but first, I need to advise you for Halo.

Combat Evolved has the best campaign. Decent enough MP though you're not gonna waste any serious time on the MP of that now most likely.

Halo 2 is the more experimental of the Halo games. It personally is my least favorite in this main trilogy although it's still pretty good.

Halo 3 has the worst campaign of the three BUT it is the multiplayer zenith of the Halo games. And oh man is it amazing. Make sure you get it with all the map packs by picking up a copy of Halo: ODST which has the Mythic Disc which is just Halo 3 but without the campaign and ALL the maps on the disc right there. When you're getting ODST, make sure that the seller is including the Mythic Disc with it and is not just selling the ODST game itself. Halo 3 is a must-have for the multiplayer suite it contains alone.

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Halo: ODST is, like Halo 2, experimental. The most memorable thing about this game for me personally was a few memorable moments in the campaign and the surprisingly still kinda fun Firefight mode. Although you'll see Firefight in Reach too, this is where it made its debut.

Halo Reach of all the Halo games has the most bang for your buck. The most features in one Halo game. The problem though with Reach is, the weapons as compared to Halo 3 are kinda lacking and somewhat boring, and some of the more interesting new weapons in Halo 3 were stripped out in Reach for who knows what reason. But the game is still very good! And Firefight has been infinitely improved in this version by being made almost completely customizable now. It's pretty incredible. I spent hours and hourssss just on Firefight alone long after I finished the campaign and had seen enough of the multiplayer for the game. Definitely pick Reach up but only after you pick up Halo 3 I would recommend.

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Halo 4 is an odd one compared to the past games in the series. Of course, it wasn't made by Bungie this time but rather by an entirely new team. Unfortunately, although I can definitely tell 343 truly tried on this one to make it the best they could, they just had too much on their plate and the whole package is sadly the worse for it. While it's still a great game, it's missing some things. Couple small things are bugged or unfinished here and there and the story has too much focus on some things and not enough focus on others... It really is a shame. If this game were given more time and love, I'm sure they could have made the next Halo 3.

Don't ever buy Halo 5.

 

[Glongpre]

Get Ninja Gaiden Black(original xbox). You can probably find it in some used game stores because some fool sold it.

Maybe Ninja Gaiden 2. I don't really like it, but the combat had some cool additions (obliteration techniques!). I found the enemy AI and encounters to be awful. But some people love the game, so I would say give it a shot if you like action games.

Lost Odyssey is alright. Typical jrpg, if you have a hankering for one. Great music, hail Uematsu!

Halo 3 and 4 are pretty good if you just want a singleplayer shooter. The mp will be dead.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

The first Crackdown is a ton of dumb fun, don't bother with the second.

Other than that, not much. A lot of people really loved Lost Odyssey but I never played it so can't vouch for it.

EDIT: The Viva Pinata games are also cited as surprise gems so they might be worth a look too!

All three of these. Viva Pinata is one of the best looking 360 games you can get and it's a really easy-going experience to boot.

When it comes to Halo, I strongly recommend Reach over all of the others. ODST is overlooked somewhat but Reach is by far my favorite and I think it has the best variety and the best balance. What I mean is, in other Halo titles it feels like everything is a bullet sponge whereas that isn't as much of an issue in Reach. Halo 3 is still a good game and the Halo: Combat Evolved remake is...alright (especially if you like Halo 3 since it's Halo 1 with the Halo 3 engine).

Fable 2 is the one I'd say has the most polish. Fable 3 is a train wreck and the Fable 1 remake is...it's not terrible but it has noticeable input lag and other signs that it didn't get enough work put into it. That's not to say those are bad games, it's just that they have flaws...well, Fable 3 is a bad game and I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Ambient_Malice]

Perfect Dark XBLA. Remaster of the greatest FPS game of all time.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Perfect Dark XBLA. Remaster of the greatest FPS game of all time.

It hasn't aged too well though sadly... What we need is Timesplitters: Future Perfect (the best and only true successor to PD) on the XBLA, but that would require fucking Crytek getting their thumb out of their ass.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Condemned: Criminal Origins is my favorite horror game of all time and Dead rising is a really unique experience. Both of these have subsequently been released on PC but I bet old 360 versions would be dirt cheap.

Also, for what it's worth, I think the Gears games are definitely worth playing. It's one of my favorite franchises and gave me countless hours of entertainment during that gen. Not sure how relevant they will be to you now without the multiplayer and comparing them to where games are now though.

 

[Bobular]

I have always been more of a single player kinda guy, I expect the multiplayer on the 360 is mostly dead and I wont be paying for an account so I can play online so I'm not too bothered about that kind of stuff.

Also, a side question, can the 360 play original X-Box games?

 

[Rabish Bini]

Also, a side question, can the 360 play original X-Box games?

I don't believe it can play every game (at least, not flawlessly), but yes it can. I have fond memories of Burnout 3 and others on my 360.

 

[Mcgeezaks]

Gears of War 1 through 3 is highly recommended.

 

[laggyteabag]

can the 360 play original X-Box games?

More often than not. The only game that I had for my original xbox that didnt work on the 360 was Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Other than that, every Xbox game that I owned worked perfectly. There is also a (fairly limited) original Xbox store on the marketplace.

As for 360 games. I would strongly recommend the Halo series. You can get Combat Evolved Anniversary, which is a (very well done) remake of the first Halo game, 3, ODST, Wars, Reach, and 4. ODST, Reach, and Wars are spin-off titles, with Wars being an RTS. None are essential, but I found a lot of enjoyment in all 3. Opinions on 4 are all over the place. Considering that you can get the entire Halo series second hand for around ?10, its worth picking up and playing them all, anyway.

Gears of War is okay. You can get a remastered version of the first game on PC, so I would really recommend getting that, because it does improve on the gameplay, but otherwise, the 360 version is perfectly playable. Otherwise, you can get 2 and 3 for cheap on the 360. The series is pretty fun, but if you really dont like cover-based shooting, then Gears probably isnt for you.

Fable is qwerky. Its a fairly basic adventure game, with an interesting enough story, and a charming art style. If you're looking for a challenge, then Fable definitely is not for you, because FUN FACT, you can't die. Again though, for the price, you cant really go wrong.