Inside
Having only just released this week, Inside tops the list of best Xbox One titles so far for this year. Inside comes from the same studio that brought you the 2011 indie hit Limbo, and is essentially the sequel to the popular, gloomy platformer. The game follows the story of a young boy who is hunted and alone as he finds himself in the center of a dark project.
The game has been a huge success, currently sitting on a Metascore of 92 from 51 critic reviews. Inside has been praised for developing on the excellent platforming on show in Limbo, its beautiful atmosphere, and interesting world to explore.
Overwatch
Blizzard’s Overwatch is one of the most successful team-based shooters that consoles have seen since Team Fortress 2. Overwatch has seen over a million players battling it out desperate to win the coveted play of the game award, unlock extra skins for their characters, and continue to level their way up to the top.
Its well-balanced roster of characters and tactical gameplay has led to the game being one of the most beloved releases of the year so far. Just like the other platform versions of the game, Overwatch received a score of 91 from 16 critic reviews for Xbox One. The Jimquisition praised Overwatch’s dedication to “one strong, singular style of game,” which has helped it to become a “finely tuned and instantly playable production.”
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
When Ori and the Blind Forest released in June last year, critics and players alike were enamored with its beautiful art style, tricky platforming action, and emotional story. Due to the overwhelming success of the game, developer Moon Studios rereleased the game this year as a Definitive Edition. With new areas, difficulty options, and gameplay upgrades, this edition made a great game even better.
The Definitive Edition scored an 88 from 24 critic reviews, with much of the praise focusing on how the improvements further improve a near-perfect game. Regardless of whether you’ve played the game before or are jumping in for the first time, the Definitive Edition is well worth a try.
Doom
This year’s Doom from id Software was a welcome return to the overly brutal and gory trips to hell that we remember so fondly from all of those years ago. With a huge arsenal of over-the-top weapons that continued to build during our adventure, you’ll never get tired of putting an end to the demons that are baying for your blood.
Doom currently has a Metascore of 87 from 24 critic reviews. The game was praised in general for its fast-paced combat, slick visuals, and recognition of its predecessors.
Dark Souls III
From Software’s Dark Souls III was the return (and possible end) to the series that fans were hoping for. In a world full of beautiful, yet gloomy landscapes, we faced, as is synonymous with the series by now, challenging enemies and fell madly in love with the game’s deep RPG mechanics.
With a score of 87, Dark Souls III comes in fifth in the highest rated Xbox One games of the year so far. We gave it a perfect score in our review, stating that “Dark Souls III polishes its gameplay mechanics to a shine, and delivers the lore in droves to those who hunger for it – the perfect mix for an action RPG. Praise the Sun.” You can check out our full review here.
Rocket League
Having been on PS4 and PC since June last year, Rocket League finally made its debut appearance on the Xbox One in February, bringing all of the chaotic car-soccer fun the game has been consistently praised for. Rocket League’s mechanics are great, and have perfectly nailed that ‘one more game’ feeling regardless of whether you win or lose.
With an 87 from 22 critic reviews and an 8.3 user score from 173 ratings, the game is loved on the Xbox One by players and critics alike. Though it’s the same game that released on the PS4 and PC a year ago, it’s great that Xbox One players can finally get involved in the action. Now, who’s got next game?
DiRT Rally
Having been somewhat pushed to the wayside by the more popular racing games that focus on high-performance road cars, the rally racing genre made its return this year in the form of DiRT Rally. Developer Codemasters packed in 39 of the most iconic cars from rally history and gave players six rallies with over 70 stages to race them around, all in beautiful 60FPS, 1080p visuals.
DiRT Rally was a bold return to the scene for rally games, receiving a Metascore of 86 from 17 critic reviews. Its no frills approach to the core of rally racing provided one of the most challenging and satisfying experiences for fans of the sport for many years.
Dying Light: The Following
Dying Light: The Following may not be a complete game, but it’s a large enough expansion to warrant a spot on our list. Bringing a huge chunk of new content to Dying Light, The Following tells an untold chapter of Kyle Crane’s story as he visits a new area which includes new game mechanics, vast new locations, and a bunch of missions and challenges to complete. Not only did it bring a bunch of new content to enjoy, but The Following also made tweaks and refinements to the game that, as such, enhanced the base game itself.
Despite only having seven critic reviews on Metacritic, Dying Light: The Following has scored an 86, and has an equally impressive 8.0 user score from 65 ratings. The expansion has been praised for its improved mechanics, beautiful new areas, and the new buggy vehicle which is great fun to drive around the world.
Killer Instinct Season 3
Killer Instinct Season 3 released toward the end of March this year and brought with it eight new fighters, Shadow Lords (a single-player mode), and a bunch of little extras, too. Season 3 may not be a completely new game, but it does add a new, enjoyable and very replayable mode to the game, and ups the size of the roster to include some great new additions. Season 3 isn’t over just yet, either, with some of its characters still to release over the coming months. Despite not every aspect of it being out, Season 3 is still beloved by players.
This latest season was praised by critics for being the next big step for the fighting game, and helping it to become one of the most accessible and approachable fighting experiences that players can get their hands on at the moment. The character additions were particularly well received too, and helped Season 3 to receive a Metascore of 86 from 11 critic reviews.
SUPERHOT
Coming to the Xbox One a few months after its original release on PC, Superhot’s unique game mechanic is that time only moves when you do. It’s the use of this mechanic that will determine your survival as you make your way through the game’s short campaign, destroying all of the crystallized red figures that want to put an untimely end to you. You’ll have to use your surroundings and tactically use the time/ movement mechanic in order to succeed.
Superhot’s tight controls, sleek visuals, and replayability helped to secure it an average score of 83 from 17 critics and the final spot on our list. Deemed to be one of the most innovative shooters of the year, you should check this out if you’re looking for something a little different from your standard FPS.
What’s been your favorite Xbox One game of 2016 so far? Let us know in the comments below.
Published: Jul 2, 2016 10:00 am