love my Xbox 360. And there are a lot of really great games out for it. It was hard for me to pick the ten I like most. Everyone has an opinion, and I’m no exception. I enjoy a pretty good variety of games, but these really stand out for me. So take a look and maybe you’ll find a favorite of your own.
Here are my top 10 game picks for Xbox 360, in no particular order, of course.
BioShock
Freakin amazing! That’s all that can be said. It’s stunning to look at, the controls are spot on and the story is very good. This is one of the most mind-blowing games ever. The atmosphere is perfect and I never once felt disconnected from the game. This is the type of game that will show you why you bought that HD TV and Bose speaker system. Do you have that friend who can’t understand what’s so great about video games? Sit them down in front of this game and watch them as they realize what they’ve been missing.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Possibly the greatest game ever created. I found myself spending many hours just wandering in search of chance encounters and hidden caves to explore. The Game of the Year Edition has the original game along with the Nights of the Nine and the expansion Shivering Isles. This game has been out for a while on PC and Xbox 360, but it never loses appeal or replay value. I’ve played through about 4 times now and every time I choose a new character and do everything in a different order. I doubt I’ll ever grow tired of playing it.
Halo 3
I loved Halo and I kinda liked Halo 2, but Halo 3 is definitely where it’s at. Great graphics, sound and animation. Nice smooth controls and lots of action. Weapons and vehicles were as good as expected and the whole experience was as fun as the first. Now here is my favorite part… online co-op play. OMG! Now, I like getting my ass kicked by 12 year olds as much as anyone else, but when you get some friends and play through the campaign together ON YOUR OWN SCREENS it makes a good game even better. I hate playing split screen for a lot of reasons and don’t actually want to see where everyone is and what they are doing. It adds to the excitement and the tension.
Rock Band
What an awesome experience. This game allows you to play Guitar, Bass, Drums, or vocals. The full blown purchase gets you the drum kit, guitar and a microphone. It’s easy to figure out why it’s more desirable than Guitar Hero III, but put the instruments down for a second. Check out the songs list. It’s incredible. If you only compared Apples to Apples here and played the songs through on guitar, Rock Bands wins out. The songs are awesome and the downloads offer even more (Black Sabbath, Metallica, The Police...).
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
I’m not saying GH3 isn’t good. It’s an awesome game. The songs are great as well. It’s like playing GH2 with new songs. And that’s fine with me since I really loved GH2. This release steps it up and really kicks ass. Not everyone is happy about the “Boss” battles, but if you can’t beat them, you can still move on through the game.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
WOW. All I can say is WOW! I have been a COD fan for a while. I thought that COD2 was going to be hard to beat, but beat it they did. Into submission. This game is so intense and exciting, I found it hard to get to sleep after playing it. In fact, a couple of nights went by with no sleep at all. I tried. I’d turn off the game and go lie down. Then about 15 minutes later I’d be up again playing. It’s that good…
Assassin's Creed
It’s no Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, but it’s still an awesome game. Everything is right about this game. The controls, the environment, the animation. It looks amazing. There is a lot of story to be had here and it might feel at times like your watching more than playing, but it’s worth it. Just stand on a rooftop and look around. This game actually plays out my favorite part of Oblivion; the Dark Brotherhood. You are given “targets” to eliminate throughout the game, and you choose the way you would like to carry out the orders. There are side missions and goals along the way (like finding flags in the way you found packages in GTA). Dark room + HD TV + surround sound = Long Nights…
Gears of War
I loved this game the moment I started playing it. Some things bothered me at first like the fact that is was third person and it was pretty linier and not very open ended, but that quickly gave way when the action started. It’s a blur when I think back on it. So much happened so quickly. Co-op was a blast and that’s where a lot of the fun comes from. It was great when you got into a bit of trouble and had to yell to your buddy to bail you out. Especially since the reason you were in so much trouble was because you just got done bailing HIM out! Level design, creatures, weapons, and controls are all top notch.
Mass Effect
Action First Person Shooter meets Role Playing Game. On top of that it's made by the same people that did Star Ware Knights of The Old Republic, Bioware. I love games where your decisions actually matter. Yeah it has its warts like every game out there. But this game is a sci-fi geek's dream come true.
Crackdown
This is like GTA meets Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. You’re a super cop whose job it is to get rid of the gangs plaguing the city. You collect orbs that add to your attributes making you faster and stronger and better with firearms and driving or jump higher and make bigger explosions. This game is so much fun and so addictive that it’s almost impossible to stop playing. Get this game and then get a friend to get this game then get online and play co-op. It’s a blast! The two of you will wreak so much havoc and have so much fun, you may never sleep again. I remember climbing up a building and looking out across the city and seeing a huge explosion in the distance with flaming bodies and cars launching into the sky from the street below. I yelled into my microphone to my friend, “HEY! Wait for me!!” as I jumped from rooftop to rooftop to join in on the fun. Good times…