21. Gears of War: Judgment – James
Who was that Baird guy anyway?
In the run-up to a new generation of consoles, usually there’s a bit of a lull in releases as the hype builds. Gears of War: Judgment was a solid holdover, releasing just after the announcement of the Xbox One. One of the few Xbox 360 exclusives in the later years of the 7th generation.
The gameplay is pretty similar to the previous Gears games. Polished cover shooting is still cover shooting, but it really is a nice change from all the modern complex sprint shooters. The story begins with a court-martial. Baird is explaining the events leading up to his court-martial.
His story is revealed bit by bit, which is woven into the game, leading to an episodic mission-based structure. Each mission has modifiers that you can enable for rewards, where Baird embellishes his story to sound heroic and therefore make it more difficult for you. This ranges from thick fog to enemies having more dangerous weapons.
I never did play the multiplayer, but the campaign was excellent and ignited the spark of a five-game Xbox 360 binge, which must say something at least. Judgment is also a treat visually, a great compliment in today’s PS5 Pro, Xbox One X, and Switch 2 world. Well worth playing even in 2025.
22. Fable II – Azza
I’ve never been shot out of a window, but if I did, I imagine it would look like this.
Talk about one of the greatest Xbox 360 games ever made. Fable II took the first game and added more humour, powers, and gargoyles to create a world that feels alive and fresh.
The world responds to your actions more effectively than most games today, with villagers either loving or fearing you based on your behaviour. It goes down to the small details, too. For example, if you raise rent for the villagers, they will dislike you. If you lower the rent, they will like you more.
The world and the people in it are full of life, from the neat and tidy (ish) city of Bowerstone to the rugged and dark Bloodstone. There is plenty to explore and discover; the level of depth just in the culture of the NPCs is something to behold. Certain cultures enjoy more vulgar and distasteful actions, while others are more uptight with what is deemed acceptable in their society.
The story starts with the main character as a homeless street urchin who buys a magical music box, who, later, is blasted out of a window. The game then picks up with your character in a gypsy camp around ten years later as a grown adult, ready to take on Lucian and free Albion from his rule. The story is fascinating, and while the level of choice is lacking by today’s standards, it is still a classic that needs to be told.
Fable II is a childhood favourite of mine, and the fact that it hasn’t been remastered or remade is a big shame. So, Microsoft, do everyone a favour and get on it.
23. Saints Row 2 – Azza
Scat Man John’s feverdream
Saints Row 2 was where the series started creating its own identity, being a more bizarre and cruder open-world crime game. The sheer wealth of activities on offer here makes the game a one-of-a-kind experience, with modes such as insurance fraud, fight club, and hoeing. Yes, you read that correctly, you can be an actual pimp! The more edgy comedic nature of the game is what sets it apart from being a “GTA clone”. It does have your regular dose of mass murder and cops-and-robber-style chases, but that’s not where the meat and potatoes of the game are.
The format of the game does make it hard to run through if you just want the story content. Saints Row 2 makes you complete activities to earn enough reputation to progress the story. This can be a bit jarring, to be honest and does ruin the pacing of the game. But the activities are plentiful and fun, so it does make up for this in the long run.
Overall, I highly recommend the game if you’ve never played it, and while it’s aged and frankly due for a remaster. The wacky fun is still perfectly intact and good enough to play on its own.
24. Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse – Riley
The start of TV licence games being good
Licensed games were starting to become a rarity as the generation was hitting its end, but there were still a few diamonds in the rough. Back to the Multiverse is a third-person shooter with platforming elements that showcases alternate universes and is filled to the brim with fun references.
Taking the beloved Road to the Multiverse formula and making a game out of it was actual genius, especially when you have the full voice cast behind you. Most of the universes at play here are references to previous episodes, which may seem lazy, but it lets the developers and writers fill each set piece to the brim with jokes.
The gameplay keeps itself interesting too by including a large range of weapons and projectiles, as well as bonus objectives to complete as you fight through the worlds. Exploring these carefully cultivated sets is engaging as there are collectables, jokes and secrets to find around every corner. And if you really want to continue the fun, there’s a four-player split-screen deathmatch mode featuring a large number of Family Guy cast members, so there’s something here for everyone.
25. Dragon Age: Origins – Azza
Edgy Neverwinter was arguably the best game BioWare made
Dragon Age: Origins has aged like a fine wine on Xbox. It’s got a narrative-rich open world with a deep story that will have you make so many important choices, it makes Telltale wince. The characters are the big standout here, with everyone having an opinion and reacting to your choices, good or bad.
The character origin stories are all worth playing through at least once. They give a good background to the main character and make them feel more involved than most RPGs do.
The gameplay hasn’t aged greatly, but it’s still fun to slash an ogre to pieces. It’s probably the worst part of the game, and yet it’s still pretty enjoyable. The level of gore is also pretty cool for the time, with characters covered in blood after each battle as though they were fighting a fire hydrant filled with red food colouring. Thankfully, if you aren’t a fan of the blood look, you can ask your dog to clean you up… Which, admittedly, is probably not good for the dog’s digestive system or the party, come to think of it.
If you haven’t yet played this legendary RPG, what are you waiting for?
26. Far Cry 2 – Azza
Gun Maintenance and Stress Management Simulator
Far Cry 2 refuses to hold your hand as you travel Africa to track down and kill “The Jackal”. Early on, you are diagnosed with malaria, and you must contend with this as you fight for various factions throughout the game. The plot is a bit thin, but overall it does a passable job.
The gameplay is a challenging FPS experience that has you constantly managing the condition of your guns to ensure they do not malfunction during use. While you can pick up new guns at weapons depots, the gun’s durability will diminish over time, resulting in jams and eventually catastrophic explosions if you aren’t careful. Now imagine being shot at and affected with malaria at the same time. That’s what makes this a tough and challenging game.
If you’re looking for a challenge in the FPS space, you could do a lot worse than Far Cry 2.
27. Marvel Ultimate Alliance – Azza
Before the Avengers, there was this, I think…
Superheroes have never really been my thing; however, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is pretty good, and it’s definitely worth a play regardless of how you feel.
The game is a top-down brawler that allows you to assemble a team of four playable heroes and fight all sorts of villains, such as Galactus and Dr Doom. Depending on your party composition, you can gain a variety of bonuses, such as extra damage. The game does encourage you to use a variety of characters, which helps to change the gameplay up in a big way.
The story is quite well done, and while not being a Marvel fan myself, I understand there are a variety of references to comics throughout the game. Die-hard fans will feel right at home here. The number of locations and hubs you get to visit throughout is also pretty cool. With Stark Tower, Asgard, and Dr Strange’s Mansion being playable areas to explore and chat with the supporting cast.
Overall, I recommend the game for the quality of the story and the strength of the gameplay. It’s a must-play for Marvel fans.
28. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – Melty
I used to freak out when my amp caught on fire, but now I kinda dig the tone
Fans of the franchise may disagree with me here, but I believe that Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock is the greatest title. With songs ranging from the classic “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones to the more modern “When You Were Young” by The Killers, fans of all kinds of rock will enjoy this tracklist.
The pure joy in this game is definitely the cast of characters, though. Of course, we have the staples like Axel Steel, Judy Nails, and Johnny Napalm, but we also see previously unlockable-only characters appear as starting characters. This includes Izzy Sparks and Xavier Stone. But GHIII added a new character to the roster. Midori. What an absolute cutie! Midori is a Japanese musician who excels in the J-rock, Pop Rock, and Pop Punk genres—a woman after my own heart.
Get this, though! There’s even more!
Coining the subtitle “Legends of Rock”, the game had to include a couple of real-life legends, right? These characters are none other than Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Slash himself. That’s right, you can play as these two legends after defeating them in Battle Mode—a mode where you take turns playing riffs on your beloved guitar, all whilst trying to sabotage the other guitarist, throwing Power-Ups their way—then purchasing them in the shop. My favourite thing to do is to break their strings just as they’re about to start playing. Feels like when you remove the stairs to the pool in The Sims.
Oh, you can also unlock new guitars, the same as other entries in the franchise.
I could go on and on for hours about how much I love this game, but I’ll leave you with this: as a child, I didn’t know whether I wanted to be or be with Judy Nails. The same goes for Johnny Napalm. I’ll let you decide what my type is.
29. BattleBlock Theater – Melty
There was this huge whale, like “MWAAAHHH”
When Hatty Hattington and his friends go on a voyage aboard The Friend-ship, they are rudely interrupted by a wicked storm. During the havoc, Hatty Hattington unfortunately loses his friends as they drop from the ship in the commotion before crashing onto an island. At last, safety… Or so you think.
This island, inhabited by cats, is a prison. Playing as one of Hatty Hattington’s friends, you must make your way through the prison, solving puzzles, beating up cat-security, and collecting gems. To make your way through a level, you must collect at least three gems. Only then will the exit open up. Whilst jumping, bouncing, and drowning throughout the levels, you get the snarky comments from the narrator. This is such fun commentary; it’s what makes the game as great as it is.
Anyway, back to the story. Hatty Hattington gets an evil tophat placed upon his cuboid noggin, making him stab his friends in the back. This is where you come in, friend. You must save your fellow friends from the gatcha machines in the prison, whilst making your way through the clawed clutches of the cats. Oh yeah, and this is all just a theatre show where you are the star.
30. Torchlight – Azza
The Steampunk Diablo
Torchlight was once regarded as a steampunk spiritual successor to Diablo. It’s a great game that features a simple premise and design, borrowing heavily from the original Diablo, with one massive dungeon and a great evil lurking at its bottom.
The game had a surprising amount of depth mechanically, with map scrolls allowing the player to explore a small, randomly generated dungeon for loot before returning to the main level.
Combat is what you would expect out of an ARPG, with lots of skills to choose from and many builds to experiment with. Though even not creating a build as such is fairly viable here. The animation and graphics have dated somewhat, but honestly, they still look good and hold up quite nicely. I’d say that Torchlight is a small, fun game that’s worth your time if you like Diablo or Path of Exile.
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