Looking for the best Xbox One games of all time? Here’s our pick of the most essential Xbox One titles.
Where can you find the best Xbox One games ever? Well, we’ve rounded them up right here! Over the years, the Xbox One has built up a dizzying library of top-quality games, which means there’s a great choice available. It can be hard to narrow down what to play next when you’re short on time, though. So, with that in mind, we’ve picked out some of the most exceptional Xbox One games that you really don’t want to miss. Even though 2021 is the year of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S as far as Microsoft’s main focus is concerned, the company is fully committed to backwards and forwards compatibility across the Xbox console ecosystem, meaning that Xbox One titles are still relevant, and are likely to remain so for a few years to come. In fact, at the moment you’ll find that many of the best Xbox Series X games available are also some of the best Xbox One titles. And, if you do ever upgrade, all of your games will come with you, with some of them even including next-gen optimizations. With that in mind, it really doesn’t matter whether you’re playing the best Xbox One games on the classic Xbox One S, the discontinued Xbox One X, the all-digital Series S, or the all-powerful Xbox Series X—the list of games below still have something to offer. There’s a fantastic range of first and third-party titles available to choose from, and many of them are free to download with an Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which we strongly advise getting. Don’t fret if you don’t see anything that appeals to you right now, we aim to update and revise our picks with every new release. Read on to find out the best Xbox games you can play right now, whether that’s on disc, through download, or via streaming. Apex Legends is another contender vying for the battle royale crown. Developed by Respawn Entertainment and set in the Titanfall universe, Apex Legends is a squad-based battle royale shooter where teams of three go up against 57 other players to try to gather loot and be the last person (or squad) standing. However, unlike Fortnite and PUBG, Apex Legends sees players take on a class, each represented by a unique character (imagine Fortnite mixed with Overwatch and you’ll be on the right track.) Apex Legends is the perfect battle royale game for those who enjoy the genre’s premise but can’t get onboard with Fortnite’s building or PUBG’s competitiveness – and it’s free. Plus, different classes, abilities and limited-time events make for a more dynamic experience overall. Not sure it’s for you? Check out our full Apex Legends review. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is one of the more recent additions to the epic Assassin’s Creed RPG franchise. Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War and sees you stepping into the sandals of either Alexios or Kassandra as they try to uncover the truth about their history while navigating the turbulent world of Ancient Greece as a mercenary. While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the most recent addition to the series, we still think Odyssey is the best Assassin’s Creed offering on Xbox One. Odyssey is a graphically stunning Xbox One game that will take you to the heart of Ancient Greece, easily securing it a place in our collection of the best Xbox One games. Just make sure you have the time to play it because there are over 100 hours of content to enjoy here. Check out our Assassin’s Creed Odyssey review diary for more. Not a Call of Duty fan? Then Battlefield 1 might be a good alternative. The first-person shooter takes players back in time to World War One and by doing so completely rejuvenates the once stagnating franchise. Battlefield 1 ‘s historical setting helps it to stand apart from the rest of the modern military shooters on the market, with all new weapons, vehicles, and level designs that feel fresh and capture the chaos and brutality of war. The game offers a poignant and entertaining single-player campaign that sets a new standard for first-person shooter. Broken into six sections, each following a different character and front line location, the campaign never feels dull or repetitive. The single player campaign even feeds neatly into Battlefield 1’s multiplayer mode which, while familiar, also benefits from the much-needed breath of life that the change in setting gives. Graphically impressive, entertaining, and sometimes touching, Battlefield 1 is a return to form for the series. Check out our full Battlefield 1 review. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) is something of a reset for the bestselling FPS franchise – removing the frills of zombies, jetpacks, double-jumps and futuristic gadgetry for a grounded take on what military engagement actually looks like in the 21st century. The name is no coincidence, either; 2007’s Modern Warfare was a landmark entry in the Call of Duty series, and Activision is looking to recreate what made the game of the same name so successful. Modern Warfare is all about the gritty realities of war this time out, with the ‘modern’ of the ‘Modern Warfare’ title referring to the gear, weapons and gadgetry being used today in the Middle East and Russia, rather than the far-flung fantasies of science fiction. While Modern Warfare has some glaring issues with regards to its campaign, it’s still the best instalation the series has seen yet – with tight shooting and more multiplayer modes than you can shake a stick at. Read our full Call of Duty: Modern Warfare review for our official verdict. Call of Duty: Warzone is now a standalone battle royale – and a great one at that. Initially released as an add-on for Modern Warfare (2019), Warzone has taken on a life of its own, giving the likes of Fortnite and PUBG a run for their money. Warzone’s shooting is satisfying, its map rewarding to explore, and it offers more than enough interesting concepts like the Gulag and Contracts to make each match feel wholly unique, wherever you land. Check out our full Call of Duty: Warzone review for our official verdict. From the developers of Towerfall, Celeste follows the story of Madeline, a young girl who decides to face her mental health issues by climbing to the top of the mysterious Celeste Mountain. In doing so, she learns more not only about the mountain but about herself as well throughout the process. An inevitable classic, Celeste integrates the obvious jump, air-dash and climb controls into a brutal series of platforming challenges in upwards of 700 unique screens. If that’s too easy, you’ll unlock B-side chapters along the way, designed for only the most intrepid of hardcore players. You don’t even have to worry about waiting an eternity between each respawn, as Celeste brings you back from the grave in an instant, a welcome departure from the typically extensive load screens. It’s not only one of the best Xbox One games out there, but one of the best indie games too. The dark horse of 2019, Remedy Entertainment’s Control is an action-adventure with a difference. Control sees you stepping into the shoes of Jessie Faden, the newest director of the clandestine Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) – a Government agency which researches, and ultimately aims to control, paranormal activity. But Jessie’s new role has a few issues not exactly laid out in the job description, including the uprising of a paranormal force known only as the Hiss. The affinity with which Remedy has courted multiple difficult genres both in film and in games with Control and still managed to deliver a mind-bending story evocative of True Detective and Twin Peaks is absolutely remarkable. Here’s what we said in our full Control review: « Control feels like what would happen if David Lynch licked a Petri dish full of Jungian psychology and SCP entries. The resulting hallucination would be Remedy’s latest mystery. It’s the videogame that connoisseurs of absurd cinema and the surreal have been waiting for. » After a long development and lots of anticipation, Xbox indie exclusive Cuphead finally released in 2017. Was it worth the wait? It certainly was. With visuals and a soundtrack inspired by 1930s animation and gameplay inspired by the platformers of the 80s, this game has had us torn since we first tried it. It’s lovely to look at but its gameplay is challenging and you’re going to find yourself frustrated… and dying a lot. We enjoyed Cuphead so much we named it Best Xbox Exclusive in our 2017 Game of the Year Awards. It’s an indie experience that shouldn’t be missed and you’ll only find it on Xbox and PC. Ready to raze some hell? Doom is back and it’s the best it’s ever been. Not only does Doom Eternal boast all the blood-pumping, gore-packed fun we expect from a Doom game, it also adds a bunch of new RPG-like elements we didn’t even know we needed.
