More Reviews
REVIEWS Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Review
Gamers have gone bananas for Nintendo's 3DS, but can this port of Retro Studios' 2010 Wii game make the jump to your portable?

Pandora's Tower Review
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but swords and chains excite me. Should you climb the towers in Xseed's JRPG/adventure hybrid to save your cursed (and tragically whiny) girlfriend?
More Previews
PREVIEWS The Last of Us Preview
With Naughty Dog releasing a new IP in just a few short weeks, we got hands-on one more time. But don't worry: This is a spoiler-free preview.
Release Dates
NEW RELEASES GRiD 2
Release date: 05/28/13

Fuse
Release date: 05/28/13

Remember Me
Release date: 06/04/13

The Last of Us
Release date: 06/14/13


LATEST FEATURES Xbox Infinity: Everything (We Think) We Know About Microsoft's Next-Gen Console [Updated... Again]
Microsoft is pulling back the curtain on their next-gen gaming box tomorrow. Here's an updated look at what we're expecting to see.

GR Showdown: Are There Way Too Many Remakes And Reboots?
Gamers continually complain about the lack of innovation from publishers and developers, but in this tough economy, it would seem that sequels and remakes are their bread and butter. Are there not enough new IPs?
MOST POPULAR FEATURES 7 Best Video Game Franchises Of All Time
Gaming is home to some incredible IPs. Here you'll find a slightly objective, yet heavily biased, list of the absolute best of the best.
 
Coming Soon

LEADERBOARD
Read More Member Blogs
FEATURED VOXPOP nick_olsen
Welcome home, Mario; we’ve missed you!
By nick_olsen
Posted on 05/13/13
[ Editor's Note: As Nick Olsen is a writer for Theory of Gaming, this won't be counted in the monthly Vox Pop prize. However, it is very much a worthy read. ] By Nick Olsen Co-founder, Theory of Gaming In 1985 Nintendo started a revolution when it...

GameRevolution's Top 25 Xbox 360 Games

Posted on Thursday, December 27 @ 11:16:21 Eastern by Alex_Osborn



20. The Orange Box


Valve created one of the greatest compilations of all time with The Orange Box. Not only did the package bring Half-LIfe 2, its episodic expansions and Team Fortress 2 to consoles, it also introduced the gaming world to Portal, one of the most innovative and mind-bending experiences this generation. Based on sheer value alone, The Orange Box demands a spot in your game library. If you haven't played Half-Life 2, which is easily one of the best first-person shooters of the last ten years, you can't go wrong with this incredible collection.



19. Halo 4


After a two game hiatus and the departure of Bungie, the Master Chief made a triumphant return in 343 Industries' Halo 4. With a new developer at the helm, an unlimited budget and a massive loyal fan base, the fourth proper installment was bound to be huge. To everyone's delight, the game turned out to be not only a worthy sequel to Halo 3, but a wonderful step forward for the franchise. With new enemies, weapons, gameplay tweaks and jaw-dropping visuals, Halo 4 is truly a love letter to fans of the series and should absolutely not be missed. 



18. Batman: Arkham City

If you've ever wished you could step into the shoes of the Dark Knight, you're not going to find an experience that captures that quite as well as Rocksteady's Arkham City. With a massive world chock-full of iconic Batman   villains, there's so much content crammed into the open-world city of Arkham. The story is great, the gameplay is better and visuals are top notch. Seriously, if you are a fan of comic book superheroes even in the slightest, this is an absolute must play. 



17. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

The launch of Infinity Ward's sequel to Call of Duty 4 was massive. It elevated the franchise to new heights and made Modern Warfare an instantly recognizable brand. The game took the intensity of its predecessor and cranked it up to eleven. Most importantly though, the multiplayer was more robust, offering a feature-filled competitive experience that put every other shooter to shame. In many ways, Modern Warfare 2 has done for Call of Duty what Halo 2 did for Microsoft's sci-fi shooter franchise.



16. Halo 3: ODST

ODST is inarguably the black sheep of the Halo franchise. No Master Chief, a darker tone, and a more serious approach makes this one of the most interesting games Bungie has ever created. Getting the chance to play as an ODST not only provided a bit of diversity to the franchise, it fleshed out a new unexplored facet of the intriguing universe Bungie created. Let's also not forget that the game brought with it the brand-new mode Firefight, which is adored by many. If you consider yourself a fan of the franchise, you would be doing yourself disservice by passing on this game.
 
Comments
  • Chunibrow
    Chunibrow

    Joined: Mar 2010
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 11:58 am
    Good list. As an Xbox player I've played so many of those it's hard to put them in a specific order. But oh the memories... Skyrim, Red Dead, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Arkham City, Gears of War... God I love video games.
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
    I know! Just going through this list reminds me how great this generation has been.
  • LawnGnome
    LawnGnome

    Joined: Apr 2007
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 12:13 pm
    I'd have Arkham City in the top 5, and Arkham Asylum actually on the list, but otherwise really great selections.
  • MandaloreHunter
    MandaloreHunter

    Joined: Aug 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
    Definitely! The Arkham series as a whole is in my top 10 video games of all time, absolutely amazing!
  • kingg5
    kingg5

    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
    what about Alan Wake?
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
    I LOVED Alan Wake. Unfortunately, it looks like that one slipped through the cracks.
  • kingg5
    kingg5

    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
    That sucks Alan Wake was so well rounded and the story god was like playing the mind of Steven King
  • Heath_Hindman
    Heath_Hindman

    Joined: May 2011
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
    I haven't played it and don't know much about it :(
  • MootCoffee
    MootCoffee

    Joined: Jan 2007
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
    That's a whole lot of Halo. Deus Ex's low placement on the list makes me sad. And no Dragon Age: Origins but EVERY Mass Effect? C'mon meow.
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
    Dragon Age: Origins on the PC is vastly better than its console counterparts. As such, it wasn't a favorite among the GR staff.
  • Jonathan_Leack
    Jonathan_Leack

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
    Whoever downvoted you is a kitten.
  • MootCoffee
    MootCoffee

    Joined: Jan 2007
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
    That's a whole lot of Halo. Deus Ex's low placement on the list makes me sad. And no Dragon Age: Origins but EVERY Mass Effect? C'mon meow.
  • damo_rox619
    damo_rox619

    Joined: Jan 2007
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
    This is a good list, it's great to see you didn't omit the Call Of Duty's because of what others might say. Can't say I agree with putting Gears Of War so high up on the list, I kind of have a personal quarrel with that game, though that may be because every time I play it on co-op one particular friend of mine turns into a complete jerk, so much so that it almost ended the friendship once, but what it did do was put me off ever playing Gears again. No.2 was a good pick btw!
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
    Thanks! Red Dead Redemption is loved by nearly all of us here at GR.
  • Comment hidden due to low quality. Show Comment.
  • WILLS_COOL_MODE
    WILLS_COOL_MODE

    Joined: Oct 2010
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 9:53 pm
    v/ pls go
  • WILLS_COOL_MODE
    WILLS_COOL_MODE

    Joined: Oct 2010
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 9:54 pm
    good thing the comment bar deleted the first slash, not like it was important.
  • Heath_Hindman
    Heath_Hindman

    Joined: May 2011
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
    "While Xbox-exclusive gamers missed out on FromSoftware's brutally punishing Demon's Souls, its spiritual successor brought the painfully difficult experience to the Xbox 360. "

    ^ Also, fun fact, in Japan, they didn't. XD Dark Souls was PS3-only in Japan. Even I find that kind of nuts.
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
    They still support the Xbox 360 with software in Japan? :P
  • moretokes
    moretokes

    Joined: Apr 2011
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 5:47 pm
    Every halo from this generation
  • Longo_2_guns
    Longo_2_guns

    Joined: Jun 2003
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
    I'm surprised that Mass Effect 1 ranks higher than 2. Happy, since that's a good choice to make, but surprised nonetheless.
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
    Story trumps gameplay for many of us. I'm also very pleased to see it ahead of ME2 :D
  • Heath_Hindman
    Heath_Hindman

    Joined: May 2011
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
    In addition to what Alex said, points are scored for originality.
    On "Best games of all time" lists, you'll often see the first Super Mario Brothers near the top, even above Super Mario World, Galaxy, and Super Mario Brothers 3. Is it really "better" than those other games in its series? Like as in, you'd rather play that right now and for the next 4 hours instead of others in its franchise? Well, for most people, no, it probably isn't.

    But it was GREAT -- even moreso for its time -- and it was the kickoff to something that became amazing. That's why, on a lot of these types of lists from us (and others), you'll see originals ahead of their sequels. It's not a constant, but it's something that happens fairly often, and that's one reason why. (Not the ONLY reason, but it can be a factor.)
  • kingg5
    kingg5

    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 8:36 pm
    Glad lost odyssy is pretty high on there. Was worried about my purchase online
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 7:00 am
    Easily one of the best JRPGs of this generation.
  • Zajix
    Zajix

    Joined: Nov 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 8:51 pm
    BioShock at #1? It was an okay game that I played through and got a "meh" feeling from. Although the environment and Big Daddy's were awesome...there were so many games that were so much better! Rest of the list was on target and lost odyssey was an awesome game that I had forgot about when thinking of my favorite 360 games.
  • Lok-Nar
    Lok-Nar

    Joined: Feb 2012
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
    I would have put Earth Defense Force 2017 somewhere on the list but otherwise I agree with those picks.
  • Klandathu
    Klandathu

    Joined: Apr 2008
    Posted: Dec 27th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
    I have a couple of friends who claim that Portal is a terrible, atrocious game with no redeeming qualities whatsoever (they levy similar claims against Half-Life 2). The kicker? Neither of them have ever actually played it (or HL2). They completely refuse to. One of them says he watched me play it for about five minutes once before he had to leave the room from being too bored (I don't recall this, and I suspect he he may be fabricating it).

    The entire thing just blows my mind. How can you degrade one of the best, most innovative gaming experiences this generation has to offer WITHOUT EVER HAVING EVEN PLAYED THE GODDAMN GAME?!?!?!?!?
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 7:50 am
    Portal is awesomesauce.
  • drathbone
    drathbone

    Joined: May 2011
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 1:28 am
    Lost Odyssey was really a gem of an RPG. If you miss JRPG's on par with the greats in the final fantasy series it's a helluva buy. Cheap as dirt now too.
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 8:41 am
    Agreed. I have some great memories playing through that game at college with my bro.
  • UghRochester
    UghRochester

    Joined: Jun 2006
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 4:48 am
    Halo 4 should be switched with Halo 3: ODST.
  • spartan317
    spartan317

    Joined: Dec 2005
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 7:29 am
    No ugh... Bad Ugh
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 7:48 am
    ODST may be my favorite among the Halo campaigns.
  • MattAY
    MattAY

    Joined: Mar 2006
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 6:02 am
    All 3 Mass Effects in the top 10? I really should get round to playing those!

    I agree with your Number 1, Bioshock is incredible. Around every corner you look there's always something that puts you on edge or catches your eye - a really innovative and beautiful game.
  • PeeDeeJay
    PeeDeeJay

    Joined: Oct 2011
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 6:08 am
    Dark Souls wouldve been in my top 5. You guys got it wrong :-P
  • spartan317
    spartan317

    Joined: Dec 2005
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 7:31 am
    I wanted Dead Space on this list sooo bad... but there were no Final Fantasy's so I can let it go
  • Alex_Osborn
    Alex_Osborn

    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 7:49 am
    Too many great games!

    Which Dead Space did you prefer? 1 or 2?
  • usaglory
    usaglory

    Joined: Mar 2009
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 2:06 pm
    No love for Fable 2 and 3? I'm a sad panda.
  • backfire99s
    backfire99s

    Joined: Oct 2010
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 3:19 pm
    Nobody over there a Forza fan either?
  • AcidTk03
    AcidTk03

    Joined: Mar 2011
    Posted: Dec 28th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
    where is left 4 dead 2 does nobody like it or was it u guys got crushed by me and my team lol
  • hanuka
    hanuka

    Joined: Jan 2013
    Posted: Jan 3rd, 2013 at 2:33 am
    I like this top, but I really don't understand how you can play shooter games on xbox, I am a complete douche when it comes to shooters and controllers.

Post a Comment
LOGIN or REGISTER to post a comment or rate this article.



More On GameRevolution