Summary
Over 21 million units of theXbox Series Xhave been sold at the time of this writing. This makes it a very widely-used console, so it is unsurprising that many great games have been ported over to the platform. Capable of running modern games in up to 4k resolution at decent frame rates, it does a good job of running even the most up-to-date AAA titles well.
However, Xbox Series X games can be expensive, so it is important that gamers on a budget try and find games that give them the best bang for their buck. Either in the number of hours it will take to play through the game, or in the level ofreplayability the title offers, these arethe best Xbox Series X games when it comes to value for money.
It seems Ubisoft didn’t want to miss out on that cash shop income fromfree-to-playcompetitive shooters, and came up with what was originally namedTom Clancy’sXDefiant. However,XDefiantdoesn’t take a place on this list simply because it is free-to-play. Let’s face it, very few games are actually free-to-play for people who become deeply involved with them. There are always attractive cash shop items that players who are serious about a game will buy.
What makesXDefiantgreat fun is that it pits different factions from other Ubisoft games against each other. There are the Phantoms fromGhost Recon, the Echelon fromSplinter Cell, the Cleaners fromThe Division, the Liberated fromFar Cry, and DedSec fromWatch Dogs. Choosing a faction and a class, and leveling up to unlock skills and equipment, will take some time in this competitive FPS. Overall, it offers great value, especially if players can limit their cash shop spending.
Call of Duty: Warzoneis another free-to-play game that isn’t included on this list simply because it is free for everyone. The reasonWarzonemade this list is that it has tons of content for players to work through, and with thelive-service gamestyle of seasons bringing fresh challenges regularly, it has a huge replayability factor.
Warzonedoesn’t attempt to do anything special. It is a battle royale FPS game that plays likeCall of Dutyand simply does what it does well. It is incredibly fun to play, and there is no need for players to grind for weeks, leveling up and unlocking equipment. Many players pick upWarzoneat the start of each new season, enjoy the fresh content, and then drop it again until the next season.
Destiny 2is another free-to-play game that sits in a very strange place in the market. It has a lot in common with MMORPGs, but isn’t considered to be one. It also shares some of the attributes of alooter shooter, but isn’t considered one. Officially, it is touted as an Action MMOG.
The game has tons of PvE content for players to work through, with more being added regularly. This includes quests and dungeons, all of which are accessed in a shared world, and there are story missions to complete as well. There have been five major expansions released forDestiny 2so far, each of which adds dozens of hours of additional gameplay. As a mature game, it will take a new player hundreds of hours to work their way through this game on the Xbox Series X.
TheForza Horizonseries of open-world driving games should need no introduction.Forza Horizon 5has the largest open-world map in the entire franchise. Since its release in 2021, it has received plenty of free content updates, which only bolsters its massive amount of content.
Open-world driving games often pay less attention to the actual physics of racing than they do to other gameplay aspects, such as the campaign, quests, and vehicle/equipment unlocks. This is not true ofForza Horizon 5; it has some of thebest racingfound in any video game. The replayable mini-multiplayer games within the main game add to the game’s value even further. The maturity of this title, combined with the amazing amount of content available to play through, is why it has made this list.
Few games offer as much of a challenge to gamers asElden Ring, often touted as not just one of the best video games of all time, but also one of the hardest to complete. An action role-playing game at heart,Elden Ringfeatures a fully explorable open-world, and additional gameplay loops such as resource gathering and crafting.
Players looking to achieve 100% completion ofElden Ringwill be looking at around 140 hours of gameplay. There is also theShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion to play through after this, which adds around 25-50 more hours of gameplay to complete. RPG fans who like a challenge will no doubt enjoyElden Ringon the Xbox Series X.
There are not many games that have been popular for as long asGrand Theft Auto 5has been. Consider for a moment thatGTA 5was released over a decade ago, and still remains one of the most played games on the Steam charts each week.
GTA 5has a great storyline and campaign, but what it is most famous for is the amazingly detailed open-world map that players can freely explore. Few limits are placed on the actions a player can take, and they are free to play any role they wish. The only downside of playingGTA 5on the Xbox Series X is that the player won’t be able to try any of theexcellent modsthat PC gamers have access to. However,Grand Theft Auto 5deserves its place near the top of this list, as it has so much replayability, and an online mode as well for players who want to play it with friends.
The number one great value game on the Xbox Series X is actually six games in one package.Halois one of the most beloved game franchises of all time. There have been 12 games in the franchise sinceHalo: Combat Evolvedwas released in 2001, andHalo: The Master Chief Collectioncontains six of them.
Included in this bundle areHalo: Reach,Halo:Combat Evolved,Halo 2,Halo 3,Halo 3: ODST, andHalo 4. Buying theHalo: The Master Chief Collectionfor the Xbox Series X gives the player access to hundreds of hours of gameplay, as well as the main (and most beloved) entries in one of the best FPS series in all of gaming.
