TheXbox Onehasn’t had a generation for exclusives compared to the PlayStation 4. Where the PS4 has hits likeGod of War, Bloodborne, Yakuza 0,andUncharted 4,the Xbox One hasn’t had the same amount of diversity or variety beyond racing simulations and shooters likeHalo 5andGears of War.
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At launch, Microsoft’s console was underpowered compared to the PlayStation 4 and this was reflected in its multiplatform titles. The Xbox One X would eventually take the title of the most powerful gaming machine this gen. However, the PS4 and then the Nintendo Switch had already established themselves having the best exclusives both critically and commercially. That’s not to say that the machine doesn’t have great exclusives, but a look at Metacritic will reveal that the Xbox has both great—if not diverse—and terrible games that aren’t available on the PS4 and the Switch.
10Best: Killer Instinct Season 2 – Metascore 85
Fighting gameKiller Instinctwas developed by Rare and released exclusively on the Xbox One in 2013. It was a reboot of the original series that appeared in on the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 and was combined elements of bothMortal KombatandStreet Fighter.
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The first season was criticized for its lack of content but praised for its accessibility and weighty mechanics that felt like they packed a punch. The second season was praised for improving everything from the game’s balance to the U.I. as well as adding several new fighters into the mix, it felt more like a sequel than an expansion.
9Worst: Crackdown 3 - Metascore 60
Released in 2019Crackdown 3was one of the Xbox One’s most anticipated exclusives. The game already had a large installed fan base coming from the original games on the Xbox 360. Fans had waited almost a decade from the release ofCrackdown 2only to be met with one of the year’s most disappointing games.
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The first game was praised for its blend of superhero action and platforming in an open world environment. Unfortunately, the third game was a carbon copy of the last game, felt antiquated and didn’t bring any new ideas to the already overcrowded open-world genre.
8Best: Forza Motorsport 7 – Metascore 86
Forza Motorsport 7was released in 2017 and is the most recent entry in the mainline racing series that’s exclusive to the Xbox One. On launch, the game featured over 700 cars which included several from the spin-off seriesForza Horizon 3.
The game is praised as being one of the best looking games this generation and it especially looks incredible on the Xbox One X with its only real rival being theGran Turismoseries on the PlayStation 4. However, there was heavy criticism leveled at the game’s use of loot boxes as well as the way the game made players feel forced into pay-to-play situations due to the reduction in credits earned in-game.
7Worst: Crimson Dragon – Metascore 55
Crimson Dragonwas released in 2012 on the Xbox One it was developed by Grounding Inc. It was also directed by Yukio Futatsugi who was responsible for thePanzer Dragoonseries on the Sega Saturn. As a result,Crimson Dragonis an on-rails shooter that was developed to be a spiritual successor to thePanzer Dragoonseries.
Unfortunately, despite showing a lot of promiseCrimson Dragonreceived criticism for featuring lackluster visuals, a repetitive soundtrack, and boring mission design. The game simply didn’t live up to the legacy of its predecessors on the Saturn.
6Best: Forza Motorsport 6 – Metascore 87
Xbox exclusiveForza Motorsport 6was released on the Xbox One in 2015. For fans of the series it is considered to be the best entry in the numbered franchise and Metacritic’s score seems to reflect that.
The game introduced rain effects, a revamped night mode, and a story mode that could last the player up to 70 hours. In addition, critics and fans were especially pleased with the game’s improved artificial intelligence which was as realistic as racing against real players.
5Worst: Korgan – Metascore 49
Korgan was released in April 2017 as an Xbox exclusive which is available through the Xbox Store as a downloadable game. It was developed by Codestalkers and was episodic dungeon crawler in the vein ofDiabloorTorchlight.
Unfortunately, its episodic nature didn’t lend itself well to the format of the game because there is a complete lack of narrative or any interesting plot device to drive the game forward. Worst still, there is a complete lack of balance between the fighters with all characters ranging from hunter, mage, and warrior delivering and receiving the same damage across the board.
4Best: Forza Horizon 3 – Metascore 91
Forza Horizon 3is an open-world spin-off from the mainline racing sim seriesForza Motorsport.It was the first in theHorizonseries to be released on the Xbox One in 2016 and wasdeveloped by Microsoftowned Playground Games.
Instead of being confined to racing tracks and circuitsForza Horizon 3places the player in an open world set in Australia. TheHorizonseries is more accessible for casual players but there are enough cars and customization to satisfy the most hardcore of racing fans.
3Worst: Action News Heroes – Metascore 49
Action News Heroesis an old school twin-stick style shooter released for the Xbox in 2016. It was developed by Canadian indie studio Krewe Studios. It shares a similar perspective and gameplay elements with the 16-Bit classicSuper Smash TV.
Unfortunately, that is where the similarity ends becauseAction News Heroeshas none of the charm. Additionally, the game lacks any of the speed that should be in place for a game in this genre especially on the Xbox One. Also, players will find themselves replaying levels so they can afford to upgrade their characters forcing players into a repetitive grind.
2Best: Forza Horizon 4 – Metascore 92
Forza Horizon 4was released in 2018 on the Xbox One. This time the game took players to a brand open-world setting based on UK locations. The game featured well-known locations like the Lake District, Edinburgh, the village of Broadway, and more.
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In addition to the new locations,Forza Horizon 4featured an all-new changing of the season’s feature, 450 licensed cars at launch with more released in DLC packs, and a huge shared world that supports up to 72 online players. Furthermore, the game is also one of the most stunning games this generation, especially on the Xbox One X.
1Worst: MagNets: Fully Charged – Metascore 49
MagNets: Fully Chargedis an Xbox Live Arcade title that was released in 2016 by UK studio Total Monkey. The game is a puzzle-platformer that requires the player to work through five levels defeating the Boxbots and using their scrap to unlock the next area in the game.
Unfortunately, the puzzles seemed to lack any kind of logic and players will find themselves progressing through the game using trial end error. In addition, the music was criticized for being repetitive and irritating.
