Ghost of Yōtei

Everything about Sucker Punch’s sequel is a step up from Ghost of Tsushima. The exploration feels more organic as Ezo is brimming with interesting stories, Mythic Tales, and activities (with far fewer restrictions on where to go). Combat is more visceral than ever, with the different weapons mixing up the formula in fun ways. All in all, a fantastic sequel and a stellar open-world game in its own right, which brings us to…

]]> 629864 https://gamingbolt.com/15-best-xbox-360-games-you-need-to-play-2024-edition Mon, 16 Sep 2024 12:02:11 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=596816 Microsoft isn’t necessarily known for incredible runs with its Xbox hardware. The OG Xbox launched with tons of hype but didn’t quite compete with Sony or Nintendo (while weighing enough to break your foot if dropped). The Xbox One shot itself multiple times in the foot and took years to recover. The Xbox Series X/S started stronger but struggled to consistently deliver worthwhile exclusives, to say nothing of dropping hardware revenue. However, at one point, there was the Xbox 360.

It was a magical time when Halo, Gears of War, and Forza had multiple follow-ups and extensive respect. Even before Microsoft slowed down on the exclusives and delved further into Kinect, the Xbox 360 generation offered some legendary releases. Here are our picks for the top 15, as of 2024.

Grand Theft Auto 4

Going from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to Grand Theft Auto 4 on a new generation of consoles wasn’t easy for Rockstar. However, while the latter had its shortcomings, it’s still a phenomenal entry in the series, with Niko Bellic’s rise through crime showcased in grim, unrelenting fashion. Its improvements to character models and motion capture, the sheer amount of dialogue, the increased scale of Liberty City, and more all made for an incredible sequel.

Spotted by Rockstar insider Tez2 on Twitter, Rockstar Games’ official website seems to have updated the list of platforms that those subscribed to GTA+ will get games at no additional cost on. The Nintendo Switch is now seemingly included in that list, even if it’s not currently being actually used, indicating that it could seen be made available to those on Nintendo’s platform.

Rockstar titles available on the Switch that could be offered to subscribers include Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, and L.A. Noire. Of course, with Nintendo set to unveil is next console at some point before April next year, one also has to wonder whether this is tied to that rather than the exiting Switch model.

Rockstar Games has updated the platform list for “Games Included with GTA+” to include Nintendo Switch, but it is not currently used on the site.

Rockstar may soon update these games on the Switch to be playable for free with a GTA+ subscription. pic.twitter.com/28Enxb5EtR

— Tez2 (@TezFunz2) July 15, 2024

There are, of course, major spoilers ahead for each of the games featured in this rundown, so skip a section if you want to discover the game’s conclusion for yourself.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s wild west opus has four endings (three as Arthur Morgan, one as John Marston) but owing to your inevitable attachment to Morgan during the 50-hour-or-so campaign none are especially uplifting. The ‘good’ – in inverted commas – ending sees Morgan assisting Marston in a shootout against Dutch’s gang and the Pinkertons. High honour: Arthur succumbs to tuberculosis watching the sunrise; low: he takes a bullet to the head. Abandoning Marston for the bad ending sees Morgan lose a knife fight to Micah Bell. Each ending elevates an already engrossing story, but it sure does suck for Arthur to lose his life no matter what you choose.

Ghost of Tsushima  

Jin’s defence of Tsushima from Mongol invaders culminates in the ultimate moral quandary, and players are divided on which direction is most canonical. On the one hand, killing Lord Shimura – his surrogate father – is most honourable for Shimura but distressing for Jin. Sparing his uncle dishonours the family, spitting in the face of samurai code. Opt for the former to poetically symbolise Jin’s full transition to ghost, severing any remaining connection to the samurai code he once adhered, no matter how much Shimura demanded it. Either way, Jin is left a lone wolf, his heroism reduced to villainy in the eyes of the Shogun.

Shadow of the Colossus

Yeah, you’ve slain sixteen colossi to revitalise your lady love Mono, but at what cost? The scheming Dormin doesn’t reveal their identity as annexed demon until the game’s very end, but by that time it’s too late, the damage is done. Shadow of the Colossus has a way of making you feel sorry for the fierce-now-slain colossi, even though your actions as Wander were in good faith; to be fair to Dormin too, they do uphold their end of the bargain in reviving Mono. Agro the horse survives too, at least.

Limbo

Enigmatic Limbo, the odyssey of a boy in search of his sister. This silent, dark ambient masterwork is open to interpretation, but the presiding theory is that the boy is dead and that the game is an allegorical retelling of his life right up until the moment he checks out. With all the gravitational flailing during the game’s final moments it seems the boy died in a car crash, but the gut punch here is that he clearly doesn’t know he’s already dead. Maybe his sister was never in Limbo? Or maybe she died in the crash too? The two never clap eyes on each other at the end, despite the sister sensing the boy’s presence. Tragic.

Braid

An ending which re-contextualises the narrative, during Braid we play as Tim during his attempts to rescue a princess from an evil monster, although maybe Tim is the monster all along? This blatant switcheroo is not as trivial as it first appears. Tim, as revealed via in-game texts, was instrumental in The Manhattan Project, with the princess being a manifestation of his guilt surrounding his part in the atom bomb’s development. The flip-reverse finale whereby we believe we’re rescuing the princess only for time to switch backwards to reveal she’s running away cements Tim’s legacy as wrongdoer. It’s a beautiful, bittersweet full circle.

SOMA  

Say what you will about SOMA, but it’s got one of the heaviest existential crises in all video games. Uploading consciousness to digital formats is conceptually and morally nebulous; SOMA asks just what it is to be human. Is it someone’s thoughts, personality, memories? If so, is it the same person if you extract these thoughts and implant them in a carbon-copied body? Experiencing this first-hand through the eyes of Simon, we feel a sense of triumph as his fourth iteration is deposited into the ARK before its voyage to interstellar sanctuary, but our eyes stay with Simon3 as he’s left behind in dark, subaquatic abyss, abandoned and alone.

The Last of Us

The pinnacle of moral middle ground, you play the majority of The Last of Us as grief-stricken smuggler Joel, and you’ll endear yourself to him principally due to the tragic loss of his daughter some two decades prior; a heinous tragedy, with unshakeable grief hanging over him like a dark cloud. Ellie is his chance at finally conquering his sorrow, of blowing this dark cloud away, so his actions – as abominable as they are for the rest of humanity – are explainable. There’s no denying his selfishness though; The Last of Us has us believe we play the good guy, but our nobility is shattered at the very end.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

A game about working together to overcome insurmountable challenges, little brother Naiee heavily relies on older sibling Naia, until he can’t. Ingeniously exemplified via in-game controls, the loss of thumb-stick functionality for the older brother symbolising the very real loss Naiee experiences when Naia is no longer his guiding light. Together with Naiee, we’re forced to adapt, to learn strength, and live without help. It’s a bittersweet ending to an emotionally charged story.

A Way Out

Two endings are possible in dual-protagonist prison break drama A Way Out, yet the deaths of seasoned criminal Leo or undercover agent Vincent don’t bring any significant gratification to the player. Canonically, Leo killing Vincent makes more sense. After all, he’s the real criminal here despite his final actions motivated by betrayal than bloodlust. Vincent killing Leo is the easier pill to swallow but implies a failure to morally resolve his sting operation. Both share kinship, both have families outside of the drama, there’re no winners at the end of A Way Out.

L.A. Noire

Despite L.A. Noire adhering to the tragic finale trope of film noir, numerous players find the game’s ending dissatisfactory. Centring on Cole Phelps’ humdrum death at game’s end, Phelps’ quest for redemption ending on a damp squib, with little recognition for the man he is, for his uneventful funeral, it’s easy to see this resolution as a rushed job by the developers. Thing is, Phelps spent his life seeking redemption for his failures as a soldier, police officer, and husband. The fact he was on the cusp of reclamation before his untimely death is plain tragic.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Sure, there are endless clues throughout MGSV: The Phantom Pain that Venom Snake isn’t in fact the real Big Boss, but The Medic whom Zero imparts skills, wisdom, and memories of Big Boss to act as decoy. By the end of the game, it feels like we’ve been playing as a lie. We eliminate the bad guys, but do we feel fulfilled? Aren’t we left with a feeling of emptiness – a Phantom Pain?

Inside

Monochromatic side-scroller Inside plunges a boy into a dangerous world, intriguing, otherworldly, hostile, and mysterious. He’s forging towards something, but that something is totally unexpected. Is the globule mass calling him? That point is up for interpretation, but once he’s enveloped, and the hulking mass escapes from the tight-knit facility all hell breaks loose. We escape, but to where? Was this whole thing orchestrated? One thing worth mentioning: when we reach the grey shoreline come the game’s very end, there’s a sense of tranquility. Of peace. Inside’s a strange one.

It Takes Two

Struggling couple Cody and May are forced to cooperate in It Takes Two, overcoming obstacles together in miniature toy-like form initially as a means to reach their daughter back in their human form, but then growing as a way to save their marriage. However, together they must torture and kill a stuffed elephant toy; a toy that, yes, whilst stuffed and not real is begging for mercy. It’s challenging, disturbing, quease-inducing, but come games end the trio of husband, wife, and daughter have a new perspective on their life and relationship. It’s just that getting there takes monumental challenge – kind of like true life.

Telltale’s The Walking Dead

Yes, an obvious pick for this feature. There’re question marks over saviour Lee’s fate – does he die in both the game’s possible endings? Sure, he’s bitten, so in one ending you shoot him out of sympathy, but in the other you can spare him. The tragedy here is that in saving your bullet you condemn him to becoming a walker. You’re left broken either way, a true example of survival but at what cost.

Gears of War 3

The ending of Gears of War 3 centers on sacrifice. It’s revealed player-character Marcus Fenix’s father Adam infects himself with Lambent cells in order to test his Locust eradicating machine. The machine works, sweeping a shockwave across Sera and completing the mission for Marcus and his team. They’ve won, but of course Marcus has lost his father, and perhaps greater, he mournfully ponders the remnants of humanity – was it all worth saving?

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 

After a strong start with the first game, Naughty Dog really came into its own element with the sequel. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves told an enthralling story punctuated with thrilling set pieces and memorable characters, and it’s a game that surprisingly holds up well to this date. A PlayStation 5 remake could take full advantage of current-gen horsepower and deliver stunning visuals and smoothed-out gameplay, making for an experience that would feel completely new and fresh.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid is making a comeback with an upcoming remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, but the entry that is in the most desperate need of a remake has to be Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. And that’s not just for introducing the game to a new audience, but also because Metal Gear Solid 4 is locked on the PS3 and there is no legitimate way for current-gen console owners to enjoy this classic. We are hoping that the next remake after Delta Snake Eater will be this one, so there’s no harm in keeping your fingers crossed as well.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West 

Before Ninja Theory worked on Hellblade and eventually got acquired by Microsoft, it delivered an amazing action adventure in the form of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Released in 2010, Enslaved was a game that provided a fresh take on the classic novel Journey to the West. With its interesting gameplay ideas based on cooperation and fresh world design, Enslaved was a game that had plenty of merits to its name. Of course, it wasn’t a flawless experience by any means – which is why we need a remake for this classic. Ninja Theory could use its current-gen technology and learnings from subsequent projects to create a game that’s bigger and better than the original in every regard.

Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar Games delivered an amazing Wild West epic with Red Dead Redemption. John Marston’s tale of redemption is worth experiencing through to the end, but sadly it’s a game that’s locked on the PS3 and Xbox. While there is a remastered version available for current-gen consoles, it’s a barebones port that is in dire need of substantial improvement. As such, having a ground-up remake for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S would be really appreciated by both returning fans and those who played Red Dead Redemption 2.

Dead Space 2

EA Motive delivered an excellent reimagining of the first Dead Space with its recent remake, and we can’t help but ask for a similar remake of the second game as well. Fans of the franchise would agree that Dead Space 2 was the series at its absolute peak, and getting to experience all that through a new lens is something that has us salivating at the very thought of it all. Given the success of the first remake, it’s obviously possible that something like this might happen in the near future – so keep your fingers crossed. 

Fallout 3

Set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic US, Fallout 3 takes players on an unforgettable journey filled with tons of meaningful quests and characters that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Despite those merits, it’s not easy to play Fallout 3 for players accustomed to modern gaming conveniences – which is why we so desperately need a remake of this classic. With no new single-player Fallout game in sight, we could do with a reimagining of Fallout 3 for the time being.

Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs might feel like a cheap GTA clone at first glance, but the moment you look past that initial veneer – you will find a surprisingly fun open world with a complex web of different mechanics that come together to create something special. It’s well and truly a game of its time, and it deserves to be re-introduced to a brand new audience with a fresh coat of paint. It’s a difficult task considering that the original developer United Front Games closed its doors in 2012, but there’s no harm in having some hopes. Right?

Resistance: Fall of Man

Insomniac Games’ Resistance series was Sony’s answer to Microsoft’s Gears of War, and the similarities ranging from a post-apocalyptic backdrop to the opposing alien forces are readily apparent. But despite those similarities, Resistance: Fall of Man is a solid first-person shooter with plenty of spectacle and set pieces which makes it such a great game to remake at a time when PlayStation is known for its cinematic blockbuster experiences. Apart from that, Sony has a very evident lack of first-person shooters in its roster of exclusive IPs, so bringing Resistance back would also help diversify its portfolio.

Vanquish 

PlatinumGames is known for its slick action and spectacle like seen in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and Vanquish is a game that’s emblematic of those very strengths. This third-person action game features a rather unique gameplay loop that makes cover-based shooting an extremely fun activity through the use of power slides and slow motion, and it’s a game that has surprisingly stood the test of time. That being said, not many people actually tried Vanquish back in the day – and a full-fledged remake with modern graphics and smoother animations would be right up the alley of many gamers.

Dark Souls 1

FromSoftware perfected what they started with Demon’s Souls with 2011’s Dark Souls, and it instantly became a game for the history books. Thanks to a meticulously crafted world with distinct levels and memorable boss fights, Dark Souls was able to win the hearts of thousands upon thousands of fans. But it would be wrong to say that Dark Souls doesn’t have its fair share of problems, both stemming from the technology at the time and also a few quirks related to its design. But with a full-fledged remake, FromSoftware can take its learnings and create a game that’s better than before. 

inFamous 1

Sucker Punch Productions of Ghost of Tsushima fame made its reputation as one of Sony’s top talents through the inFamous series, which provided a thrill ride through an open-world filled with interesting missions and side activities alongside a morality system that significantly changes your playstyles and skill trees. The first game has arguably aged the worst, which is why it would require a full-fledged remake for the PS5. 

Motorstorm

Motorstorm was a rather unique offroad racing experience where players get to choose from different vehicle types to win the race. It combines high-octane racing with destruction mechanics to make for an experience that’s unlike anything, and it retains that status even after all these years. Between this and the fact that not a lot of players actually picked it up back in the day, Motorstorm is the perfect candidate for a full-fledged remake that could introduce this experience to a brand-new audience.

L.A. Noire 

L.A. Noire is undoubtedly one of the most creative games in Rockstar’s wide array of open-world offerings, and a lot of that falls down on the impressive detective work that players get to do in the myriad of cases available to solve across its vast space. The developer used cutting-edge facial modeling to make conversations with subjects more meaningful, but many of those ideas were obviously limited by the technology of the time. But now that we have modern engines like Unreal Engine 5 with features like MetaHuman toolkits, a remake of LA Noire could finally fulfill its complete creative vision in earnest.

The Elder Scrolls: IV Oblivion

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is an expansive RPG with a complex web of systems and dozens of quests for players to complete. It’s safe to say that it was also ahead of its time in so many ways, which is why it is the perfect fit for a full-fledged remake for current-generation systems. Getting to explore the mystical beauty of its world in high definition will be a dream come true for fans of the genre, and while the chances of it all happening anytime soon are pretty slim – we can at least hope.

Batman Arkham Asylum

Rocksteady’s debut Batman Arkham game might just be its most focused game in the series. Each room in the asylum is meticulously designed, and the interconnected nature of the levels combined with memorable boss fights really makes it feel like a living, breathing place. But it’s also true that the game hasn’t aged all that well after so many years and subsequent entries in the series, so a remake that brings the features and mechanics from modern games would result in an instant hit.

But what a first game it was. Releasing in 2011 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC (before getting PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch ports in the years that followed), the open world title was truly a breath of fresh air, and though it was obviously plagued by a number of behind-the-scenes development issues at the now-defunct Team Bondi, the end product enjoyed widespread critical acclaim, and over time, impressive sales- to the point that it’s still surprising that we never got an L.A. Noire 2. Whether that will ever change is anyone’s best guess- but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We’re here to talk about the original game, and just what made it as good as it was.

There’s a lot to go over here, but I suppose it makes sense to start off with the game’s use of facial capture technology, which, at the time, was nothing short of revolutionary. Motion and performance capture have become commonplace in games now, but back in 2011, at a time where the technology was still very rarely being used in the industry, L.A. Noire almost made it its star attraction, capturing the nuanced facial ticks and movements of the actors’ faces, which enabled some of the most detailed and authentic performances we had seen in games at the time.

That was also something that the game made use of in its gameplay, with players being tasked with studying characters’ faces and facial movements during interrogations to try and figure out if they were being honest about specific things. Did it work perfectly? Well, no. L.A. Noire’s faces often found themselves lingering into uncanny valley territory, while you’ll also find plenty of hilarious clips of facial animation glitches in the game out there. But by and large, the end result was massively impressive, and certainly helped the game craft a very unique identity for itself.

All of that was, unsurprisingly, also a massive boost for the game’s storytelling ambitions, which, incidentally, was another area that L.A. Noire excelled in. Boasting perfect pacing, heavy stakes, and satisfying emotional payoffs, L.A. Noire was nothing short of a storytelling masterpiece. Deserving special praise was its cast of characters, and in particular, protagonist Cole Phelps. Played excellently by Aaron Staton, charting Cole’s career as a cop across different departments was captivating from the first second to last. Thanks to its tight writing, the game did an excellent job of exploring the ugly nuances of everything from organizational corruption to rampant crime to Cole’s own personal demons. To this day, L.A. Noire probably ranks as one of the best narratives we’ve experienced in a Rockstar title. All of that was helped even more by the game’s period setting.

It’s no secret to anyone that Rockstar’s open world titles have an incredible track record where their settings are concerned, and L.A. Noire’s recreation of 1947 Los Angeles is right up there with the best of the best open world cities we’ve seen in games published by Rockstar. In terms of its systems, mechanics, or optional activities, it may not have broken any new ground, but though the open world setting was a by-the-numbers one in those areas, where it really stood out was how authentic and incredibly atmospheric it was.

L.A. Noire captured the atmosphere of its period setting to pitch-perfection, and simply existing in the world and driving about its obsessively detailed streets was a pleasure in and of itself. More than anything else, it served as the perfect backdrop for the story’s noir, detective thriller trappings. So perfect was the game’s blend of its setting and its central premise, it was impossible not to be impressed by not only how singular its vision was, but how cohesive it remained in its execution, in spite of how disparate so many of the experience’s individual elements might have seemed on paper.

Of course, from a pure, moment-to-moment gameplay perspective, there was plenty to like about L.A. Noire. With its driving mechanics and its combat, the game didn’t exactly offer anything we hadn’t already seen in a bevy of open world games before, but even so, those activities remained enjoyable on a fundamental level. It wasn’t the combat or the driving that really served as the game’s highlight, but rather how immaculately its gameplay loop captured its whole investigative premise. Chasing leads, gathering clues, catching suspects, interrogating people- a lot of games have had players engage in such activities, but very few of them manage to do it this effectively. L.A. Noire truly put you in the shoes of someone investigating a variety of heinous crimes, and putting all the pieces together and unraveling the game’s many mysteries remained immensely satisfying right up until the credits rolled.

In more ways than one, it was a game with lofty ambitions, and more importantly, a game that could actually back those ambitions with how it implemented them. Above all else though, it was unique. Open world games are a dime a dozen now, and even though they weren’t nearly as common back in 2011, they weren’t exactly sparse either. In spite of their numbers, however, very rarely did they try something new and different the way L.A. Noire did.

All of which brings us back full circle to the question we started with. L.A. Noire was obviously a great game, and it certainly sold quite well, too, having shipped 7.5 million units worldwide by September 2017 (and given the fact that the game launched for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch just a couple of months after that, it’s safe to say that its sales numbers have grown since that last update). So how come we never got a sequel? Yes, the developer, Team Bondi had to shut itself down mere months after the game came out, but in the years that followed, Rockstar Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive called L.A. Noire an important franchise for its catalog on a number of occasions. However, with the exception of re-releases and The VR Case Files, which launched in December 2017, L.A. Noire has been almost entirely dead.

Will that ever change? There’s nothing that suggests that it won’t, but unfortunately, at the same time, there’s nothing that suggests it will either. We sincerely hope we do get to see an L.A. Noire 2 at some point in the not-too-distant future though, because clearly, this is a game that deserves a sequel. Hell, it demands one.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Before we proceed, keep in mind that we’re limiting this list only to games that are set in actual, real places, which games that are set in fictional places that are based on real locations won’t be included- so you won’t see games like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption in here. With that out of the way, let’s get started.

SLEEPING DOGS

One of the most criminally underrated open world crime games we’ve ever played, Sleeping Dogs is something of a shoo-in for such a list. Its open world Hong Kong setting was one of its biggest highlights, thanks not only to how detailed and authentic it was, or how vibrant, alive, and dense it felt, but also how perfectly it served as a setting to the game’s bombastic combat and action.

Nemesis System – Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

It seemed fairly simple at first – specific Orcs in Shadow of Mordor were randomly generated with different traits, strengths and weaknesses. Dying to one made it stronger, moving it up the Orc hierarchy, but even failing to secure the kill ensured it would remember you. With tons of different voice-lines, inter-connected allegiances and so on – not to mention the ability to influence the same and eventually bend Orcs to your will – the Nemesis system became one of the most innovative mechanics in gaming. It was expanded even further in Shadow of War with Nemesis Fortresses, bodyguards, betrayals, different classes, and tribes, expanding the web of possibilities even more.

Following yesterday’s delisting of several titles – which quickly returned without issues – Rockstar Games has released free updates for Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire. Along with deprecating support for 32-bit systems, both updates make all of the previously released paid DLC free. This doesn’t include L.A. Noire’s VR Case Files, mind you.

Still, there’s quite a lot of additional content especially for those who have never tried either game. Max Payne 3’s DLC includes multiplayer maps, the classic Max Payne skin, new weapons, new modifiers for Arcade Mode, and even some co-op modes. All content for L.A. Noire was already included with the Complete Edition, so it’s unclear why this explicit change was made.

Regardless, this is all similar to last year’s changes to Grand Theft Auto 4, which was delisted on Steam but returned with Games for Windows Live removed and Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City included. For more details on Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire, check out our respective reviews here and here.

Physics-Based Weaponry – Half-Life 2

Remember the Gravity Gun in Half-Life 2? Manipulating objects like saw blades and exploding barrels to kill foes was always a treat. However, it also helped to make cover during gun fights or for clearing away obstacles. In terms of physics-based gameplay, there was nothing quite like it. The Portal Gun from the Portal series is another great example as you have to use momentum and ingenuity to solve puzzles.

Several years later, there are a number of big-name games that incorporate physics into their. Remedy’s Control sees protagonist Jesse holding and throwing objects at foes. Even The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has some fairly strong physics manipulation. That being said, we’re still waiting for that next big leap forward.