13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
So you haven’t picked up an Xbox Series X yet. Join the club—I’m still hoping to get my hands on one myself! Luckily, you don’t really need the swanky new Microsoft box to enjoy the glory of Xbox gaming. In fact, since the Series X launch was, to put it lightly, pretty limited, there’s almost no reason to dish out half a thousand bucks for new console. You can play all the best games right there on your Xbox One!
Although the Xbox One likely won’t go down as the heavyweight champion of its generation (sorry Microsoft, but only one console had The Last of Us Part II), the white-and-black rectangle turned out to be a pretty great breeding ground both for indie developers, and older titles, especially with Xbox’s fantastic Game Pass subscription service. Here, though, we’ll be highlighting the best games of the Xbox One’s generation (so, although it definitely rocks, we’ll leave Halo: The Master Chief Collection for a retro game roundup).
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Release Date: March 11
Nintendo has been steadily crushing it in the indie game department for the past few years. But Microsoft is by no means a stranger to independent developers. In fact, it's so friendly to small outfits that it seems like it'll buy up a new one every day. Inventive franchises like Ori represent the fruits of that labor. After the popular Ori and the Blind Forest in 2015, the colorful little side-scrolling RPG is poised for a big comeback. Side-scrollers, man. They never go out of style.
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
Cyberpunk 2077
Release Date: September 17
CODE RED!! THIS GAME HAS KEANU REEVES. Just when you thought the industry could not get any more exciting, Keanu Reeves stepped onstage at the E3 gaming conference in 2019 and surprised everyone. Apparently he’s not just in the game—he’s in it a lot. If that’s not enough to sell you on this technofuturistic open world title, I don’t know you’re expecting. Cyberpunk may not be the only highly anticipated game of 2020, but it’s the only one that stars Keanu Reeves. Hell yeah.
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
Battletoads
Release Date: TBA 2020
Oh man, does this game arrive with some silly memories. Created by Rare, the ‘Toads were a clear ripoff of the mega-popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. In some versions, Battletoads was ultra violent, with blood, spikes, guts, and for some reason, extra cleavage. Most of us remember these games for how fucking annoying and unbeatable they were. For whatever reason, they’re back! This time, the ‘Toads (who are named after skin blemishes like Pimple, Zitz, and Rash) have a cartoony look. I kind of miss the chunky, old-school graphics, but it seems like Microsoft has its head in the right place with this remake.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Release Date: TBA 2020
The ultimate Dad game is about to become a grandfather. Flight Simulator—you know, that series that dads obsessed over all through the ‘90s and early 2000s—is getting a current-gen sequel. It’s hard to explain why, but it actually feels right. 2020 would be the year we get a new Flight Simulator. This one looks pretty insane. The visuals are meticulously detailed, and there are rumors stating that all 37,000 airports will appear in the game—so if you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re flying a plane for real, this is the closest you’re probably ever going to get. I can imagine that dads all around the world will be buying Xbox consoles for this one.
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
13 Xbox Ones Games That Prove You Don't Need to Buy a Series X Just Yet
Tunic
Release Date: TBA 2020
Okay, this game looks a lot like Zelda. A lot. The main character is a furry fox in a green tunic, there are treasure chests, dungeons, items, an isometric camera, everything’s covered in greenery and ancient stone shit—it’s almost as if someone over at Microsoft was like, “Hey, instead of competing with Nintendo, why not just be Nintendo?” Perhaps that’s a bit reductive. But it really looks like this Xbox One exclusive wants us to notice that it’s aping Zelda. And you know what? Maybe that’s fine! I like Zelda! If I could play Link to the Past on an Xbox, I probably would!
There's still plenty of life left in this older console.