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It was November 2020 when Microsoft launched its latest console duo into the rapidly evolving gaming marketplace. Over four years later, the Xbox Series X – together with its more budget-friendly counterpart, the Series S – has amassed an impressive and varied library of games, ranging from sprawling open-world blockbusters to intimate indie puzzlers. If you’re just getting started with the console, here are 15 games that represent the variety on offer, each one interesting, enjoyable and rewarding in its own right.
Alan Wake 2
Thirteen years after the original game, cursed horror author Alan Wake returns, now trapped in an alternate dimension and determined to write his way out, while FBI agents close in on the mysterious town of Bright Falls.
Why we love it: “a thoroughly entertaining blend of detective procedural and surrealist survival horror.” Read the full review.
Baldur’s Gate 3
One of the greatest role-playing fantasy games of the modern era, providing players with almost as much narrative and imaginative freedom as a table-top D&D adventure as they face off against the mighty mind-flayers.
Why we love it: “It’s a towering landmark of an RPG. Bustling with life, brimming with scope, and bursting with imagination.” Read the full review.
Psychonauts 2
The long-awaited sequel to Double Fine’s cult 3D platformer sees the return of psychic acrobat secret agent Raz embarking on a mission to root out a dangerous new adversary.
Why we love it: “I’ve rarely played anything that is so unashamedly itself. Each hour is different, each character distinct and memorable, each new psychic playground full of surprises.” Read the full review.
Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima’s elegiac science-fiction adventure is like nothing else you’ll ever play, a post-apocalyptic quest to save humanity, following a parcel courier with an extremely valuable and unlikely parcel.
Why we love it: “This uncompromising, unashamedly political work of artistic intent is 2019’s most interesting blockbuster game by a distance.” Read the full review.
Elden Ring
A grandiose fantasy opera from the makers of Dark Souls, filled with spectacular landscapes, bizarre characters and seemingly insurmountable bosses. Complete with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC it’s a challenging and engrossing open world like no other.
Why we love it: “This is a massive world, astonishingly rendered (the sun and moon wheel in the sky, casting each scene anew) and seemingly limitless in its creative diversity. It is an unrivalled feat of design and inventiveness.” Read the full review.
Forza Horizon 4
A beautiful open-world driving game providing hundreds of square miles of the British countryside to explore while racing other drivers, completing challenges and collecting stunningly modelled supercars.
Why we love it: “As driving games go, it’s the best I’ve ever played, not only because of its irresistible scenery, exhilarating driving and perfectly recreated cars, but because spending time with it puts me in a lasting good mood.” Read the full review.
Hades
Fight your way out of hell while enjoying the horny shenanigans of ancient Greek gods. Has there ever been a more attractive premise for a Rogue-like action role-playing romp?
Why we love it: “Interesting things happen all the time, and no matter how long I spend with Hades I feel like I am only just getting acquainted with it.” Read the full review.
Hi-Fi Rush
Better known for its horror adventure series The Evil Within, Tokyo studio Tango Gameworks surprised us all with this stomping rhythm action brawler where enemies, action and hallucinogenic environments are all in sync with the infectious beat.
Why we love it: “As brazenly colourful as a Jet Set Radio fever dream, it’s refreshing to play a game that is so unashamedly music-centred.” Read the full review.
Minecraft
The ultimate crafting adventure, providing a vast procedurally generated world to explore and an almost limitless range of activities from building castles, to fighting zombies, to competing in mini games. Fifteen years old and showing no sign of running out of ideas.
Why we love it: “By constructing the world from 1x1 blocks that can be arranged in every imaginable combination, Minecraft is perhaps the closest we have to a true god game.” Read the full review.
Pentiment
In an Alpine Bavarian village during the 16th century a young artist sets out to solve a series of gruesome murders. With luscious visuals inspired by illuminated manuscripts of the era, this is an extraordinary detective adventure.
Why we love it: “It provides a wonderfully evocative window into the past […] a gift to any player who longs for a historical setting that’s more than a surface texture.” Read the full review.
Persona 5 Royal
A group of Tokyo high-school students develop incredible powers and set out to battle evil and corruption – while also falling in and out of messy adolescent love. Part sprawling metaphysical role-playing game, part super cute dating sim.
Why we love it: “With its stylish cuts and transitions, loose and unorthodox structure and real-world setting Persona 5 is unlike any other video game. Its depth and texture far outstrips even earlier games in the series.” Read the full review.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Arguably the greatest ever survival horror game, brought bang up to date while retaining its mix of bloody thrills, cunning puzzles and truly horrible monsters.
Why we love it: “It is resplendent, delicious and decadent, like an incredibly rich banquet served amid the detritus of some horrible battle.” Read the full review.
Sea of Thieves
Effectively a pirate fantasy simulator, player crews take to the high seas together, discovering buried treasure and battling with other buccaneers. A rollicking co-op adventure filled with memorable moments of shared excitement and hilarity.
Why we love it: “You’ll laugh, you’ll sail, you’ll drink grog until you’re sick. What a luscious, singular sandbox experience.” Read the full updated review.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Gruff monster hunter Geralt takes on his defining quest as he searches for his adopted daughter Ciri through a chaotic world of giant beasts and warring factions. Memorable characters and a rich seam of romantic tension bring depth to the destruction.
Why we love it: “Geralt has a Swiss army knife of interactive tools, and his set of abilities offer a uniquely varied and diverse journey”. Read the full review.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
This hilarious, shambolic and gripping refresh for the Yakuza series features low-level gangster Ichiban Kasuga attempting to get his life back in order on the mean streets of Yokohama. Come for the fights, stay for the karaoke.
Why we love it: “Like a Dragon preserves the old-fashioned, somewhat unreconstructed vibe of the previous Yakuza games, while adding a new twist that diverts it into a different genre […] a very Japanese, gangster-themed, interactive comedy soap opera”. Read the full review.
