Halo 3: ODST

The Halo games have continued to be system sellers for Microsoft for generations at this point, but Halo 3: ODST always ends up being one of the more under-appreciated games in the franchise. And that’s a shame really, because ODST had some really interesting ideas that were executed reasonably well – including but not limited to large open environments and a setting that didn’t rely on Master Chief or Cortana. It’s a unique game that has a lot to say, and fans should definitely give it a try.

Quantum Break

Quantum Break was an ambitious project from Remedy Entertainment, and it sought to combine elements of a TV show with a game. Sure, some of its concepts didn’t really stick the landing – but Quantum Break is an extremely fast and frenetic shooter that features some interesting time-based abilities and a story that’s about as weird as one would expect from the developer. It’s easily one of the more underrated Microsoft exclusives, but one worth trying out nevertheless.

Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive comes from the now Sony-owned Insomniac Games. It’s a post-apocalyptic adventure game where you grind on rails, jump on bouncy surfaces, and use a vast array of weapons to gun down waves upon waves of enemies. It features a colorful open world with likable characters and quality writing, but the game wasn’t really able to make an impact in the end. Sunset Overdrive is emblematic of the developer’s biggest strengths, which makes it a really underrated game that deserves a lot more love and credit than it gets.

Mafia 1

The original Mafia was a game that was well ahead of its time. In a market where every developer was trying to copy Rockstar’s formula of an open world, Mafia provided its own take with a more realistic world that operated on brutal rules and a story that was a complex tale with plenty of loyalties and conspiracies. It was a special game that unfortunately never got the audience it deserved, most likely due to its demanding gameplay – which is honestly a shame.

The Saboteur

Developed by Pandemic Studios, The Saboteur thrusts players into a beautifully realized rendition of 1940s Paris. You play as a racer-turned-rebel who embarks on a quest to prevent evil schemes from happening, and that story remains engaging from start to finish. But what’s more impressive is the set of mechanics that beautifully combines social stealth elements with action gameplay in an open-world setting, and it’s honestly a surprise as to why such a special game went unnoticed by the masses.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is developer Ninja Theory’s take on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, and it tells the story of two people who must work together to ensure each other’s survival. The game uses a simple but fun combat loop for its gameplay, but what makes it special is the interesting scenarios it keeps on creating at every turn – which makes it such an engaging experience.

Vampyr

Vampyr is all about a doctor juggling his personal life at a hospital and his struggles with turning into a bloodthirsty vampire. The combat is all about balancing stamina and dishing out damage to your opponents, and the game does a great job of creating a well-knit set of systems that beautifully interact with one another to create a fully realized world. There are a few rough edges here and there, but it is a game that’s worth trying out.

As Dusk Falls

As Dusk Falls is a narrative adventure that starts out simply with a family embarking on a road trip, but that soon evolves into something greater. The art style here is fantastic, and the story is pretty engaging from start to finish. It’s a simple game that does just enough to keep you entertained for its runtime, and sometimes that’s all you need.

Gears of War Judgment

The Gears of War series has continued to be one of the most valuable first-party games for the Xbox platform, and almost every mainline entry has been showered with great critical and commercial reception. Gears of War Judgment stands out as an exception, not because it suffered from bad reviews – but that not many people actually played it. And this is a shame because this prequel provides a ton of context to the events of later entries – and that information will be highly appreciated by fans of the franchise.

Killer Instinct

Killer Instinct attempted a shot at revival in 2014, which ended up receiving a rather tepid reception from fans. While it wasn’t on par with contemporaries like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter, Killer Instinct was certainly a quality first-party game from Microsoft that never really got the love and attention it deserves.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is widely considered to be one of the best games in the long-running series, and a lot of that praise can be attributed to the game’s excellently crafted story. Crimes and Punishments never fails to keep you guessing, and the writing is also quality stuff. The gameplay revolves around carefully assessing clues and deducting solutions to these cases, and that provides a very distinct fantasy of being a great detective.

Gears Tactics

Gears Tactics does a great job of translating the series’ signature third-person shooting to a top-down tactical game without losing the game’s identity in that transition. The resulting product is a game that shouldn’t work but somehow feels like a natural evolution of the franchise. It constantly ramps things up with new kinds of obstacles and more complex levels, and that keeps you engaged for a long time.

Wanted: Dead

Wanted: Dead takes inspiration from multiple action adventure classics like Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, and crafts an experience that feels equal parts a glorious homage and a fresh experience. Wanted: Dead features a solid combat loop where you can effortlessly switch between slashing your foes with a sword and gunning them down with weapons – and that foundation of ideas rarely gets stale.

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition

State of Decay 2 didn’t launch in the best of states, but over the course of multiple major updates – the developers were able to not only fix the game’s technical issues but also realize its potential with new content changes and mechanic overhaul. But for many fans, the boat had already sailed by then – and State of Decay 2 became an underrated game only appreciated by a small group of people. If you are one of those who gave up on the game, give it another try – and you might be surprised.

Metro 2033

The Metro series came into the limelight with Metro: Last Light and recent entries such as Exodus are widely praised for their brand of survival gameplay. As a result, Metro 2033 ends up being a rather underrated game in the series – which is a shame because many of the ideas that we have come to associate so dearly with the series were actually founded in Metro 2033. It’s a really well-made game, and more people should give it a shot.

Red Dead Redemption 2

It’s incredible to revisit Red Dead Redemption 2, especially in light of the greedy re-release of the first game. The attention to detail, visuals, presentation, pacing and characterization are still on another level after all these years. The Van der Linde gang’s agonizing fall was a compelling story, told from the perspective of Arthur Morgan, an incredible protagonist. That’s without experiencing all of the activities and stories the world offered when you weren’t skipping baths for several days or committing dishonorable acts.

Elden Ring

It’s easy to dismiss Elden Ring as little more than open-world Dark Souls. But it takes the sheer freedom of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and packs it with weapons, Incantations, Sorceries, armor, enemies, mini-bosses, side quests, lore and quirky characters. Elden Ring is a dense experience that goes from one spectacle to the next.

Now, more Xbox first party games have received the “Steam Deck Verified” tag, which denotes the highest level of compatibility for a game on the device. As announced in an update published on Steam, this new batch includes Fable Anniversary, Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition, Killer Instinct, Kalimba, Halo: Spartan Strike, and Rush: A Disney–Pixar Adventure.

Meanwhile, a handful of new games have also been given the “Playable” tag, which, as you may have guessed, means that though these games are playable on the Steam Deck, they haven’t been fully optimized for the device. The new batch of Playable games includes Gears Tactics, Minecraft Dungeons, Deadlight, and Halo: Spartan Assault.

Microsoft’s been announcing new batches of games at a steady clip until now, so hopefully it won’t be long before more games join the list. Stay tuned for future updates.

Halo Infinite Multiplayer

Yes, it’s technically a beta but Halo Infinite’s free to play multiplayer component is content-complete ahead of the campaign’s launch in December. And while much can be said about progression, the extensive monetization or the horrid Armor Cores system, the gameplay is simply exquisite. It plays like the perfect mix of Halo’s classic gun play and movement combined with solid power-ups (that aren’t overbearing) and weapon balance. Map design ranges from good to great, and the extensive polish is a sight to behold in light of the competition. There’s still a ways to go but in terms of fun, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is already top-notch.

In a post published on Splash Damage’s official website, the studio confirmed that it’s currently working on a new game that will be set in an original new sci-fi universe. The British studio has worked with various well-known sci-fi properties in various capacities in the past, including the likes of Halo, Wolfenstein, and, of course, Gears of War, and is now looking to create a sci-fi universe of its own.

“We’re thrilled to announce that one of our current projects is a brand new game, set in an original sci-fi universe,” the developer wrote. “We’ve loved working with established IPs like Wolfenstein, Gears of War, and Halo over our 20-year history, but we’re eager to create another world of our own like Brink, Outcasters, and Dirty Bomb.”

Splash Damage is now looking to hire people in a number of positions as it looks to ramp up production on the project. It’ll likely be a while before we see anything from this game (seeing as it doesn’t even have a name yet), but the developer has released a piece of concept art that gives a glimpse of what to expect. You can check it out above.

Back in early 2020, Splash Damage confirmed that it was also working on a new game exclusively for Stadia, but there have been no words on it or whether it even exists anymore since then.

#7. GEARS OF WAR: JUDGMENT

Gears of War: Judgment definitely feels like the most inessential game in the series, that’s for sure, and there’s certainly a lot about the game that felt like a bit of a letdown. Not all of the changes it made to the core formula were for the better, and even with that in mind, it didn’t make enough changes, which meant that it just didn’t get that balance right. Even so, it had some solid multiplayer content on offer, with Overrun in particular being a great mode, while for series fans, the story was also quite enjoyable, providing greater backstory and context for some beloved characters that didn’t always necessarily get too much of the spotlight. Certainly not Gears’ best moment, but far from bad even so.

#6. GEARS OF WAR 4

When Microsoft established The Coalition and tasked the new studio with overseeing the Gears of War franchise and safely guiding it into the future, the developer had a whole lot to live up to with its first Gears game. With Gears of War 4, they decided to take a safe approach, and that, perhaps, wasn’t something that people were hoping for. While many felt that the series needed a reinvention, Gears of War 4 was instead content to play things by the rulebook- but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a great game. It introduced great new characters, delivered a tightly crafted campaign with excellent mechanics and memorable shootouts, and quite a few memorable set piece moments that rank as some of the best the series has ever delivered. Add to that a solid Horde mode and an enjoyable multiplayer component, and what you have is a solid, enjoyable, yet unambitious third person shooter.

#5. GEARS TACTICS

The Coalition and Splash Damage teamed up for this one, and ended up delivering a much better game than any of us had expected it would be. A series like Gears of War, which is so reliance on team-based tactical shootouts against the backdrop of cover-based mechanics, does make a lot of sense as an XCOM-style turn-based tactics title, and Gears Tactics proved that the idea can be just as good in practice as it is on paper. Gears Tactics is addictive, mechanically deep and dense, and consistently enjoyable, with great progression, engaging strategy gameplay, and excellent customization mechanics. Sure, it can get a little repetitive in terms of its side quests, and the story isn’t the most perfectly paced, but this is an excellent turn-based tactics debut for the series, and we’re hoping it’s the first of many of its kind.

#4. GEARS OF WAR

The one that started it all, and immediately went down in history as one of the most revolutionary and influential games ever made. Cover-based third person shooting has become such a widespread staple that it’s hard to even think of it as a special mechanic anymore, but it was Gears of War that pioneered and revolutionized that excellent gameplay mechanic and built a spectacular shooter around it. And there was so much else that helped the game standout, from the iconic chainsaw Lancer and the brutal executions to something like the active reload mechanic, which, too, is something that games of all kinds have been aping since 2006. All of that combined with the introduction of memorable (and eventually iconic) characters and the establishment of a legendary franchise ensured that Gears of War would always be remembered as an all-time great.

#3. GEARS OF WAR 2

Following up on a revolutionary, genre-defining game such as the original Gears of War is no easy task, but Epic Games did it with great aplomb, confidently delivering one of the best third person shooters you’ll ever play. It was really the perfect sequel in every way possible. On the multiplayer front, this was when the series truly came into its own, thanks to wide-ranging and robust offerings that players could sink dozens upon dozens of hours into. Most notable was the introduction of Horde mode, which would go on to take the industry by storm and is being aped by games to this do, to the point that it’s basically become a trope. Meanwhile, the campaign was excellent as well, delivering memorable set pieces and surprisingly emotional narrative developments in one expertly paced package. With Gears of War 2, Epic Games took the winning formula of the first game and improved upon it to cement the series’ legacy forever.

#2. GEARS 5

After playing things safe with Gears of War 4 and showing to the world that they were capable of making a perfectly serviceable classic Gears of War experience, The Coalition decided that with Gears 5, it was time to get more ambitious- and we’re glad they did, because they ended up delivering one of the series’ best games in years. The campaign is right up there with the likes of Gears 2 and 3 in terms of quality, thanks to excellent pacing and a nice mix of tightly designed shootouts and more open ended areas. The addition of light stealth mechanics and Jack as a companion add a whole new layer of strategy and progression to the experience as well, making the experience that much more engaging. Meanwhile, with the trifecta of Horde, Escape, and Versus, Gears 5 also offers the deepest, most varied, and most robust multiplayer component of any Gears of War game till date, and better yet, it’s only kept on improving as time as gone on. Add to that the excellent single player campaign expansion of Hivebusters, which might just be the best single player Gears of War content ever produced by The Coalition, and the game becomes that much more of an irresistible package.

#1. GEARS OF WAR 3

By the time Gears of War 3 rolled around, the series was firing on all cylinders. Knowing that they were capping off the entire trilogy, Epic Games took this opportunity to build on all the strengths of the first two games, and ended up delivering the most confident, refined, and full-featured Gears of War game at the time. The campaign was a rollercoaster from start to finish, excellently tying off the trilogy’s story with a great mix of high-octane adrenaline-fueled action and high-stakes and emotional character-driven moments. The multiplayer was brimming with content, with excellent maps, characters, and weapons to sink your teeth into, while the Horde mode was perfected even further, especially with the introduction of Beast mode, which was, in essence, a reversal of Horde itself. It was, in every way possible, the zenith of the Gears of War formula, and an appropriately excellent way for Epic Games to sign off from the franchise.

Gears Tactics launched earlier this year on PC, and in less than a month, it will become available on consoles as well. On its console release, it will be available across several devices, and now, The Coalition have revealed details on what frame rates and resolutions the tactics game will tackle on each of them.

The developer has confirmed to The Verge that on the Xbox Series X, Gears Tactics will run at 4K and 60 FPS. For cinematics, players will have a choice between 30 FPS and 60 FPS. “Not for any performance reason but more for just personal taste,” explains Cam McRae, technical director at The Coalition.

Meanwhile, on the Xbox Series S, the game will run at 1440p and 60 FPS. On the Xbox One X, players will have the option for either 4K / 30 FPS or 1440p / 60 FPS. Finally, on a base Xbox One, the game will run at 1080p at 30 FPS>

Though the frame rate and performance figures for the game on the Xbox Series S and the Xbox One X, McRae says that for several reasons, Gears Tactics still looks better on the former. “It is better on the Series S,” says McRae. “It’s visually better — same resolution, same frame rate, but the CPU is so much better in the Series S and the Series X that we have a lot more ability to just draw more stuff. Even though the GPU is responsible for drawing, we still have to get it there off the CPU, and on the Xbox One X you’ll see that the visual quality is not quite as high as it is on the Series S in the performance mode.”

Gears Tactics will release for consoles on November 10, and will also bring plenty of new content to the game.

Gears 5 will also be optimized for the Xbox Series X / S on the same day, and will boast higher frame rates, reduced latency, shorter load times, and more.

When Microsoft launches their new generation consoles next month, there’s going to be a variety of titles to choose from, as you’d expect. Some of those will include some Gears, a lot of Gears actually. Not only will we get the console debut of Gears Tactics, the tactical-based spinoff of the franchise, we’ll also get an updated version of Gears 5. And it seems as if Microsoft is keen to combine the two.

As announced at RazorCon, the main protagonist of Gears Tactics, Gabe Diaz (the father of the main protagonist of Gears 5, Kait Diaz) will come to Gears 5 multiplayer, which is seeing quite the boost on the Xbox Series systems. You will have to play through the tutorial of Tactics on any platform first, but once you do, he’s yours to keep. The announcement trailer also briefly goes over the new features for Tactics, such as the new weapons and playable Jack, which you can see more of through here.

Gears Tactics will launch on consoles for the first time on November 10th for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One, and it’s available now on PC. Gears 5 is available on Xbox One and PC and will also be available on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S via Smart Delivery and Xbox Game Pass, and the Gabe skin will come November 17th.

Thanks to the strong reception its enjoyed for its PC release earlier this year, many players have been looking forward to Gears Tactics’ console launch. That will be coming this November, when the turn-based tactics game launches as a launch title for the upcoming next-gen Xbox consoles (but also for Xbox One). And that occasion will also go hand-in-hand with a major new update for the game.

In an update officially announcing Gears Tactics’ console release date, The Coalition confirmed that on that day, a major new update will also be going live for the game across all platforms, including PC, bringing some significant new content with it. The most significant is Jack the bot, who will be added in as a playable character, and will have over 20 new skills, “ranging from empowering auras to hijacking and controlling enemy units.”

The new update will also introduce Deviant enemies, a new type of powerful enemies who will have special abilities “that will defy the players’ strategies.” New Supreme equipment will also be added in, and will “reward players with powerful gear to play through the campaign, defying massive bosses and facing the new Deviant enemies.” Finally, there will also be enhanced support for Xbox controllers in the PC version.

Gears Tactics is currently available on PC, and will launch for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S on November 10. You can read our review of the game through here.