The Xbox One has entered its tenth year on the market alongside the PS4, and it may not be long before Microsoft phases out the old console completely in favor of releasing games only on Xbox Series X/S. The one thing it has in common with its successor, though, is that it has become the first console to be carbon aware thanks to a new firmware update, which defaults it to an energy-saving mode when downloading games and updates, among other functions. Now you can save energy while playing your favorite Xbox games, especially our selection of 25 Xbox One games.
These games were selected by the entire IGN content team (after plenty of internal debate) and represent what we believe to be the very best Xbox One has to offer.
The most recent updates were made in May 2021.
More on the best of Xbox:
25. The Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds may be a Sci-Fi game, but it has a strange sort of magic to it. Its open-ended nature could leave you drifting through space (and often into planets at literal breakneck speed) without much idea of what to do, but this handcrafted solar system is filled to the brim with enticing breadcrumbs, tantalizing story teases, and some downright incredible sights that constantly draw you into one breathtaking moment after another.
It’s a world begging to be explored, and the time loop mechanic at its core both consistently leaves you wanting more and adds a terrifyingly tense pressure to its otherwise serene exploration. It may take you a moment to get your space legs, but Outer Wilds is a trek absolutely worth taking for yourself.
Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye, an expansion we called "a wonderful return to the clockwork solar system of Outer Wilds," is available for $15 USD. A free 4K/60fps update is also available for Xbox Series X|S owners.
24. Destiny 2
Destiny 2's new seasonal model was met with a bit of hesitance at first, but what Bungie has delivered is instead a compelling narrative that intertwines story beats from season to season. The fact that it has been added to Game Pass only sweetens the deal by bringing more players into the fold. Whether you're looking to push back the darkness with Stasis or just shoot things with cool guns Destiny has proven the test of time and keeps players coming back.
Over two weeks after the release of the Lightfall expansion, Guardians gathered around Commander Zavala at the Tower to pay tribute to his voice actor Lance Reddick, who passed away at the age of 60 on March 17. Bungie said Reddick’s voiceover performances will live on in Destiny 2.
23. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a masterclass of atmosphere, storytelling, and the marriage of mechanical and conceptual design. The care and attention Ninja Theory has clearly poured into Senua and her story has created something amazing. Hellblade’s beautiful presentation and dense story reinforce its serious subject matter in this vivid tale of harrowing darkness.
Senua's Sacrifice is now optimized for Xbox Series X|S. Our performance review concluded that Hellblade for Series X outperforms high-end PCs.
22. Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a revolutionary take on the Yakuza game formula. Not only does it feature a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, but the series' classic beat ‘em up action transforms into a turn-based RPG. Add in a whole cast of laughably fun misfits behind Ichiban and hilarious side missions of delivering formula to diaper-wearing gangsters, and Like a Dragon takes Yakuza's absurdity to the next level.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is also just as much a drama as it is a comedy with its main storyline revolving around betrayal. The game also touches on themes of those who are marginalized from immigrants to sex workers.
The series' next mainline game, due out in 2024, is officially called Like a Dragon 8. Yakuza’s samurai spin-off, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, is available now.
21. Gears Tactics
Just as Halo ended up making an excellent real-time strategy game in the form of Halo Wars, so too does Gears of War brilliantly make the leap to becoming an XCOM-like turn-based strategy game in Gears Tactics. All of the classic Gears of War gameplay is here – cover-based combat, up-close executions, e-holes, and much more – just in a more strategic form. The formula works fantastically, and the story is pretty good too, thanks to the usual high-quality character development and plenty of gorgeous in-engine cutscenes. Franchises rooted in one genre don't often make the leap to a completely different one so seamlessly, but Gears Tactics pulls it off.
The original Gears made our list of the all-time best Xbox exclusives.