The Xbox saw the release of a lot of great games in 2005. Here are our picks (in no specific order) for the ten best.
Psychonauts is one of the best 3D platforming games to come out in a long time. A great story filled with likeable characters all surrounded by superb graphics and sublime gameplay. If you haven’t tried it already, you really need to pick it up.
Microsoft’s answer to Sony’s Gran Turismo series matches up far better than anyone could have expected. The car list is excellent and there are great tuning options available. Even better, you can completely customize the look of your car, something that you can’t do with Gran Turismo. Throw in some good online play and Forza Motorsport is a winner.
Easily the best boxing game ever, Fight Night Round 2 gives you precise control that makes pummeling your opponent with haymakers undeniably satisfying. For fighting fans and sports fans overall, Fight Night Round 2 is outstanding.
It isn’t often a PC port comes to Xbox in better shape than when started on the PC, but Far Cry Instincts is actually better than the original. It doesn’t look quite as nice, but it plays extremely well and introduces new gameplay elements that really change the game for the better. The online multiplayer is also extremely solid and there is even a huge map editor included for endless replayibility.
If you haven’t already played Half-Life 2 on the PC, you need to play the Xbox version. This is one of the best games ever and delivers an experience that completely immerses you into its dark world of evil invaders and monsters. The port isn’t perfect – control and framerate issues mar the experience somewhat – but the whole package is so good that you can forgive the problems. This should be required playing for all gamers.
X-Men Legends II takes everything that made the first Legends fun and improves on it 100%. You get to play with all of your favorite mutants (both good and evil) in an action RPG that is easy to just pick up and play. If you aren’t convinced already, consider this: Four player co-op via Xbox Live. ‘nuff said.
Indigo Prophecy is a big twisting murder mystery that is as much a game as it is a movie you get to control. This is a very different sort of experience than the shooters and action games that make up the majority of the Xbox lineup, but it is undeniably one of the best. The story is great and investigating the highly interactive world to try and solve the crime is a lot of fun.
Pirates rocks. Sailing around, capturing enemy ships to build your own pirate fleet, trading at ports, getting into bar room brawls – it is all surprisingly easy to do and simple to control, but there is something uniquely satisfying about all of it that will have you hooked for hours. The game is absolutely huge and very addictive and a ton of fun.
Chaos Theory no longer restricts you with alarm or casualty limits and the overall experience is much better because of it. You can use all of the gadgets and weapons and stealth that makes the series so fun but you aren’t penalized for not being perfect like in the first two games. Simply put, this is the Splinter Cell for people who hate Splinter Cell and is a great game overall.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath is a unique mix of first and third-person gameplay that comes together to make one of the most interesting gaming experiences so far. The graphics are gorgeous. The story is amazing. This game has it all. It didn’t sell terribly well, but that just means you should find it for cheap no because it is definitely worth playing.
