As the year and the decade come to a close, it’s time to take a look back and celebrate the many wonderful games that have come out. The Xbox One has been the primary console of the decade for Microsoft, taking up the majority of thetime, but Microsoft Studios have released their fair share of excellent games exclusively for the Xbox platform.
RELATED:The 10 Worst Xbox One Games Of The Decade (According To Metacritic)
The 2010s encapsulate the last couple years of the Xbox 360’s life cycle as well as theXbox One’s, with many great titles between the two. Here are the very best, according to Metacritic.
1010. Halo: The Master Chief Collection: Score 85
A story filled with tragedy and redemption, at the time of announcementHalo: The Master Chief Collectionseemed like a dream come true for Xbox fans. Every mainlineHalogame released up to that point, withHalo 2getting a remaster treatment, and all four having online multiplayer seemed like one of the best deals in gaming.
A botched launch and multiplayer issues that took years to fix resulted in the game being more of a nightmare but with enough time and effort, the chief finally got a collection worthy of his name.
While technically no longer an exclusive, as of the 2019 Switch release,Cupheadis a Microsoft owned game and they choose to put it out on Switch two years after the initial release with Xbox Live support.
The old-timey cartoon inspired 2D platformer/boss rush shows that waiting to release a game until it’s truly polished is a great idea. The game plays nearly perfectly and is an incredible challenge for those who are interested in paying off their soul debt by collecting other souls for the devil.
88. Titanfall: Score 86
Respawn Entertainment’s first release after being formed by ex-Call of Dutydevelopers,Titanfallfocused exclusively on high-quality FPS-multiplayer gameplay and nailed it. The game combined fast-paced run and gun style gameplay, with the MOBA style features like additional CPU enemies and massive titan mechs.
RELATED:The 10 Best Xbox One Games Of The Decade (According To Metacritic)
Released at a time when few other high-quality games existed for the Xbox One, the game eventually got a sequel with a fantastic single-player campaign. However, the multiplayer didn’t hold an audience the same way the original did.
77. Killer Instinct Season 3: Score 86
Quietly one of the best supported and enjoyed fighting games of the current console generation, the free-to-playKiller Instinctis one of the most successful Xbox One exclusives, based entirely on how long it’s been going.
In an era of so many failed “games as service” it’s impressive that a fighting game maintained momentum and community support for this long. As long as the game continues to have the balancing and competitive community people enjoy, it will easily make the jump over to the new console generation as a premier Xbox exclusive.
66. Forza Motorsport 6: Score 87
ForzaMotorsportandForza Horizonboth hit impressive strides during the last decade, with each series getting better with every entry. The secondMotorsporttitle on the Xbox One,Forza Motorsport 6combined high-quality simulation-style racing with gorgeous graphics and impressive gameplay.
One of the biggest features of the game is that it’s an incredibly accurate simulation of rain and how it would impact cars racing around a track. It’s hard to explain the differences from one game to the next but even a few minutes behind the wheel shows whyForzaremains the best in class.
55. Ori and the Blind Forest: Score 88
Another Xbox exclusive that eventually found its way onto the Nintendo Switch (although that’s technically the definitive edition but semantics)Ori and the Blind Forestis a gorgeous and sorrow 2D “Metroidvania” style platformer that plays into plenty of creative ways to keep it interesting.
RELATED:The 10 Best Exclusives On The Original Xbox, Ranked
The game features plenty of death and misery, in both the story and challenging gameplay, leading to plenty of inspired pain and suffering. The game balances challenge with a forgiving checkpoint system, making for the perfect combination for progress to feel earned.
44. Gears of War 3: Score 91
Concluding trilogies seemed to be the Xbox 360’s bread and butter withHalo 3andGears of War 3both having strong finishes to their perspective trilogies.
Gears of War 3took everything built by the first two, from massive campaign set-pieces to Gnasher focused multiplayer to endure testing Horde mode and elevated them all to their peak. The campaign paid off the story built by the other, giving an emotional rollercoaster that eventually sees the Locust defeated, at least for a while.
32. Forza Horizon 3: Score 91
TheForza Horizonseries takes the pixel-perfect car art of theMotorsportseries and let’s there be less simulation and more arcade, something that most casual players enjoy. The games all feature open-world environments withForza Horizon 3taking place in the Australian Outback.
RELATED:10 Best Xbox One Games That Don’t Require An Internet Connection
The game lets players drive the fastest and nicest cars through deserts, across beaches, and in the DLC, onHot Wheelstracks. Seamless open worlds with a nearly endless amount of activities make this a full experience, top-to-bottom.
23. Halo: Reach: Score 91
The finalHalogame released on the Xbox 360 (and recently added to theMaster Chief Collection)Halo: Reachwas the mid-point game between old-schoolHaloand the new, faster-paced games.
Following the Noble squad during the final days of Reach, the game shows the sure power and overwhelming force Covenant and serves as a reminder of just how powerful the Master Chief truly is. The game added armor abilities for the first time, increasing the pace of the game without going far enough to upset fans, something thatHalo 4did.
11. Forza Horizon 4: Score 92
The craziest part of this is thatForza Horizonhas continued to improve and expand in a way that feels meaningful with every title, justifying a new game every time they release a title.
Forza Horizon 4not only adds tons of new cars and events, but it also adds an always online and connected open-world (that is optional) that is constantly populated with other players. The game also makes this experience fun, removing the ability for other players to just constantly ram you and constant co-op experiences make this season-spanning game one of the best racing experiences on the market.
