Best Xbox 360 Game From Every Year Of The Console’s Life

Making its grand entrance in 2005, the Xbox 360 was the second console in the Xbox series, following the original Xbox. Its twelve-year lifespan was full of memorable, classic video games that have undoubtedly left a lasting mark on gaming enthusiasts.

In 2013, the Xbox 360 was forced to finally make way for the Xbox One, though support for the console’s hardware still continued up until 2016. With the Xbox 360 store officially set to close down in July 2024, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the console’s twelve years of iconic releases.

12 2005 – Call Of Duty 2

89 Score On Metacritic

The second installment in the Call of Duty series, Call of Duty 2, was a launch title for the Xbox 360. The game kicked off the Xbox 360’s life in style, selling incredibly well.

It received critical acclaim for its graphics and sound design, as well as for improving on the mechanics from the first Call of Duty. The FPS game was set in World War 2 and was split into four separate campaigns, exploring the stories of the British, American, and Soviet armies.

94 Score On Metacritic

Following the success of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, Oblivion was released for the Xbox 360 in 2006. It was the latest installment in Bethesda’s beloved fantasy RPG series.

Oblivion introduced fully voiced NPCs and set a lot of staples for open-world RPGs and the fantasy genre. Oblivion’s legacy continues to live on in the countless pop culture references that have spawned from the game, and the amusing mods that players use to keep the game fresh to this day.

10 2007 – BioShock

96 Score On Metacritic

In 2007, the Xbox 360 introduced many players to the Rapture, the now iconic setting of Bioshock. The game was praised at the time for its profound narrative, which still draws appreciation to this day.

Bioshock often takes inspiration from the survival horror genre and includes moral choices like sparing or killing enemies. It was followed by Bioshock 2 and Bioshock Infinite, also available on the Xbox 360.

9 2008 – Grand Theft Auto 4

98 Score On Metacritic

The Grand Theft Auto series was already a well-established and popular franchise before the release of GTA 4 in 2008. It perhaps wasn’t all that surprising, then, that GTA 4 managed to break industry sales records almost overnight.

The game was criticized, as with most GTA games, for its gratuitous depiction of violence and criminal acts. In spite of this, GTA 4 primarily received critical acclaim for its compelling open-world narrative.

8 2009 – Assassin’s Creed 2

90 Score On Metacritic

Following on from their first Assassin’s Creed game in 2007, Ubisoft was widely praised for improving their mechanics in Assassin’s Creed 2. The sequel introduced players to Ezio, who has perhaps become one of the characters most synonymous with the Assassin’s Creed series.

While the whole Assassin’s Creed series was iconic, whether played on the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3, the second title seemed to garner particular love and critical acclaim. Blending science fiction with historical Italy, Ezio’s story captured the affection of many players.

7 2010 – Red Dead Redemption

95 Score On Metacritic

2010 was a huge year for the Xbox 360. Not only did it see the release of the Xbox Kinect, a motion-sensing technology that gave Microsoft multiple best-selling titles, but gamers were also eating very well when it came to high-quality games. 2010 saw the release of Mass Effect 2 and Halo: Reach, both of which are absolutely contenders for the best Xbox 360 game of the year.

Unfortunately for them, they were also released the same year as Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar’s open-world Western. The tale of former outlaw, John Marston, and the violent path he’s forced to carve in order to strive for a peaceful life for his wife and young son, is so compelling that it has claimed the top spot.

96 Score On Metacritic

Five years after Bethesda hit the mark with Oblivion, the Elder Scrolls series was once again blessing Xbox 360 players with a fantasy epic. Although the title was criticized for its performance at launch, it went on to receive praise, primarily for its world design.

Skyrim still has an almost loving reputation for amusing glitches and bugs, but its endearing fantasy narrative has allowed it to stand the test of time. It also has a large modding community, which continues to keep the game relevant and provide new playing experiences, some thirteen years later.

5 2012 – Far Cry 3

91 Score On Metacritic

Ubisoft’s other iconic series, Far Cry 3, was capturing the attention of gamers at its release in 2012. A lot of this attention was achieved via the antagonist, Vaas, whose terrifying unpredictability made him a highly engaging opponent for the everyman protagonist, Jason Brody.

Avoiding being a simple first-person shooter, Far Cry 3 is closer to an Alice in Wonderland-style trip into the ramifications of a person’s sanity and humanity. These themes, as well as impressive graphics and mechanics, keep it a high-quality game to this day.

4 2013 – Grand Theft Auto 5

97 Score On Metacritic

In the Xbox 360’s final year predominantly without its successor, the Xbox One, on the scene, the Xbox 360 saw one of its best-selling games of all time. Of course, it had to be the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, GTA 5 also broke industry sales records and even went on to be one of the most financially successful entertainment products. Players are highly anticipating the next installment in 2025.

3 2014 – Dark Souls 2

91 Score On Metacritic

No longer the only Xbox on the block, the Xbox 360 was the first to receive Dark Souls 2, a year before it was available on the Xbox One. The sequel to 2011’s Dark Souls, it continued FromSoftware’s reputation for challenging gameplay and unrelenting boss fights.

Dark Souls 2 was a critical success, primarily down to its incredible sense of atmosphere. It proved its status as an iconic video game, winning 2014’s Game of the Year award at The Golden Joystick Awards.

95 Score On Metacritic

Kojima and Konami’s Phantom Pain was a divergence in tone from previous Metal Gear games, taking on a much more serious tone. Most critics seemed to agree that this change was beneficial to the series, and the game certainly garnered appreciation.

Although The Phantom Pain received some criticism, notably regarding the sexualization of the otherwise well-written character, Quiet, it was predominantly highly successful. Phantom Pain was nominated for 2015’s Game of the Year award, winning Best Action/Adventure and Best Soundtrack/Score.

1 2016 – NBA 2K17

90 Score On Metacritic

2016 was the year that marked the end of the Xbox 360’s lifespan, as its production stopped in favor of the Xbox One, and the vast majority of Xbox games were released exclusively for the Xbox One. That being said, the Xbox 360 still received some games in 2016.

One of those games was NBA 2K17, part of the NBA 2K basketball simulation franchise. Praised for its gameplay and soundtrack, critics considered it one of the best installments in the series.