Whittling our pick of the best Xbox 360 games down to just 7 is no small feat, given how many memorable and enjoyable titles found a home on the Xbox 360 since it's launch back in 2005. From BioShock to Halo Reach and The Witcher 2, the 360 generation saw so many fantastic games released and happily, thanks to Microsoft's push for backwards compatibility and recent remasters, there are still many in this selection you can enjoy on the current-gen Xbox Series S consoles.
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00:00Wittling our pick of the best Xbox 360 games down to just seven is no small feat given how many
00:16memorable and enjoyable titles found at home on the Xbox 360 since its launch back in 2005.
00:21From Bioshock to Halo Reach and The Witcher 2 the 360 generation saw so many fantastic games
00:27released and happily thanks to Microsoft's push for backwards compatibility and recent remasters
00:32there are still many in this selection you can enjoy on the current Xbox Series S consoles.
00:37So join us as we fondly look back and celebrate the best the Xbox 360 had to offer.
00:42Lara's greatest game only exists because Crystal Dynamics were clearly copying off Naughty Dog in class.
01:02But hey if you're going to be a Nathan Drake wannabe why not be the greatest Uncharted copycat that's
01:07ever been made and that's exactly what Rise of the Tomb Raider is. The best Uncharted game Naughty Dog
01:12never made. In some respects the second entry of this rebooted Crofts trilogy is actually better
01:17than Nate at his best in places. Not only is Rise's shooting sharper than Uncharted 4 but its sandbox like
01:24hub area and optional but intriguing challenge tunes actually give you more agency than any of Nathan
01:30Drake's adventures. Geralt of Rivia isn't a guy you want to mess with. He's a genetically altered super
01:45mutant who has the skills of a master swordsman, magic powers and can take down dangerous mythical
01:50beasties single-handedly. The Witcher 2's plot revolves around Geralt embarking on a mission to
01:55prove his innocence for the crime of regicide. And as you progress through the story every major
02:00plot twist is under your control. Should you help the downtrodden elves and dwarves overthrow their
02:05human oppressors or leave them to their fate and focus on your quest. With a challengingly deep combat
02:10system, an enchanting world to explore and an unforgettable tale. The Witcher 2 was an unmissable
02:15action RPG on the 360. Gears of War 2 was a bigger, better and all-round goofier package than its
02:31predecessor which resulted in a game that was a blast to play cooperatively or alone. While Gears of
02:36War 3 made significant improvements to the multiplayer modes, Gears 2 holds a special place in our hearts
02:42because it was our first introduction to Horde mode, now a defining classic for the series. The story
02:47focus also saw a more emotional play, switching to Dominic Santiago as he desperately searches for his
02:53wife Maria. And for a game that centers around big beefy men shooting things, the tragic ending really
02:59upped the emotional stakes of otherwise loud and shouty action adventures.
03:13Arguably the best Xbox Live Arcade game ever made, Braid is a masterpiece in digital storytelling that
03:19manages to conceal its genius behind a Mario-esque facade. On the surface, your little suited hero is
03:25fiddling with physics and messing with the space-time continuum, as he freezes and rewinds time in
03:30order to save a girl. Reach the finale though, and you'll soon realize nothing is as it seems. What
03:35is at first presented as a simple, the princess is in another castle rescue mission, actually reveals
03:41itself to be a tale of stalking and obsession, which honestly has thematic ties to the creation of the
03:47A-Bomb. Bungie's last Halo game is also by far the best in terms of single player campaigns. While
03:57little can beat a good six player team deathmatch on Halo 3's Guardian, no other Bungie game before
04:03or since touches the quality of Reach's story. With perfect pacing, an ensemble of spartans who are
04:09treated to more of an emotional journey in 10 hours than Master Chief has seen in a decade, and a weirdly
04:14brilliant dogfighting mission involving spaceships. Reach is the boldest and best Halo. It also
04:19benefits from being the most focused, removing the irritating parts of Halo 2 and 3. We're looking
04:24at you, Flood Levels. Reach is all about joyous shooting versus the Covenant. Plus, there are power
04:29ups that perfectly add to the purity of Halo's combat. Damn, that jetpack is so good. And there's
04:34no question this is the best single player Halo ever.
04:48You probably have more of a connection with every member of Commander Shepard's crew than most people
04:53you know in real life. That's because the Mass Effect trilogy tells an incredible story in a universe
04:58where morality, politics and love between lifeforms is all part of a much grander picture. And Mass Effect
05:042 is the Empire Strikes Back of the series, giving you more of everything you loved from the first game
05:09with none of the tonal changes of the third. This is a game of ethical choices and amazing shootouts,
05:15where bullets, lasers and orbs of biotic energy zip everywhere. But the crown jewel here is the
05:20unforgettable characters, all of whom have their own personal journey of absolution and self-discovery.
05:25Regardless of how you feel about the way the story ends,
05:28Mass Effect 2 is the indisputable high point in one of the greatest action RPGs of all time.
05:34Too fat! This one! Too tall! This one! Too symmetrical! And now, what's this guy? An intruder! He's ugly!
05:48Ugly! Ugly! Ugly! Ugly!
05:52Is there a more captivating setting in video game history than Bioshock's Rapture? Ken Levine's
05:57generation defining shooter is so beloved precisely because that submerged city is once in a lifetime
06:03memorable. Every sudden step you take through its once decadent, now dilapidated halls is testament to
06:09the hubris and danger of unchecked human ambition. Oh, and it's also one hell of a first person shooter.
06:15While that would you kindly third act shocker is one of the great video game twists of all time.
06:20On top of that, the amazing set pieces, characters and inventive combat only add to everything to make
06:26Bioshock great. Electrify a big daddy with your lightning hands, shoot a bunch of unhinged splicers
06:31with a shotgun, then stare at all at this sinking city skyline in front of you. Not a single second
06:36of your time or attention is wasted. It's one of the 360s and that gaming area's most defining games.
06:42No, no!
06:44So that's our top 7 360 games. Now obviously we can't cover all the incredible things that came
06:59out on Microsoft's Beige Child, so head to the comments to make a case for your platform-defining
07:04classic. And stay with GamesRadar for all things Xbox, video games and more.