Top 10 Xbox Games of the Century (So Far)

Released through the Xbox Live Arcade service, "'Splosion Man" came as something of a surprise in 2009, especially since Microsoft's brand has never been particularly known for platformers. With a story consisting of 50 single-player levels and a coop mode featuring another 50 multiplayer levels, "'Splosion Man" packs a lot of high-quality content into a small package. While it has all the makings of a traditional platformer, the central gimmick, which involves making the main character self-explode to perform jumps or influence the environment, turns platforming sections into mini-puzzles. "'Splosion Man" might not be the biggest game ever, but it was one of the Xbox 360's highlights.

Developed by Insomniac Games and one of the standout exclusives on the Xbox One, "Sunset Overdrive" boasts satisfying combat, incredibly fluid movement, and a cartoonish art style that complements the story's comedic tone. Although not a commercial hit for Microsoft, "Sunset Overdrive" is a game that simply feels fun to play and makes great use of its small but dense open-world, demonstrating that size does not always matter. Like many of Insomniac's other titles, "Sunset Overdrive's" array of weapons are a delight, as they offer explosive and creative ways to spread mayhem across the streets of Sunset City.

The "Crackdown" series delivers the ultimate power fantasy. While they may not have the best stories or the smartest AI, few games capture that feeling of being a superhero among mortals like these Xbox exclusives. Building on the fantastic foundations of 2007's "Crackdown," 2010's sequel offers more of the same cathartic gameplay as the player's Agent smashes zombies, collects an arsenal of cool weapons, and continuously improves their five core skills. Although the base game is perfectly enjoyable, "The Toy Box" DLC elevates "Crackdown 2" to a whole other level.

Due to being made by Valve, "Left 4 Dead" is intrinsically associated with Steam and PC gaming to the point that it can almost be forgotten that it was also available on the Xbox 360. Recognized as one of the best shooters of the 2000s, "Left 4 Dead" delivers a thrilling coop experience that harnasses the minute-to-minute thrills offered by Hollywood zombie blockbusters. Launching with a storyline spanning four campaigns, "Left 4 Dead" has strong characters and memorable environments while smartly avoiding restrictive set pieces that might diminish replayability. "Left 4 Dead" comes pretty close to being a perfect zombie game.

Leaving a good first impression is key, something that "Killer Instinct" did not quite manage to land. A launch day title for the Xbox One, "Killer Instinct" hit the scene with deep gameplay that provided satisfying combos and enough over-the-top silliness to please fans of the '90s franchise. Unfortunately, a lack of content at launch hurt "Killer Instinct's" reputation, however, the game would improve greatly over the coming years. By the time the third season and the "Definitive Edition" rolled out in 2016, "Killer Instinct" had transformed into one of the most complete fighters on the market.

As great as the sim-oriented "Forza Motorsport" series is, especially 2009's fantastic third entry, there is just something irresistible about "Forza Horizon's" arcadey goodness. Set in and around Edinburgh, Playground Games' "Forza Horizon 4" sets players loose on a gorgeous and diverse open world based on the UK, packed with over 600 cars, ludicrous Showcase events, and enough races and challenges to last seemingly years. The fourth entry also introduces a weather system that cycles through the four seasons and is a huge game-changer, in that it literally changes "Forza Horizon 4's" world and forces players to adapt to its dynamic climate. As a bonus, “Forza Horizon 4” also has LEGO-themed DLC.

Five years after "Ori and the Blind Forest," Moon Studios' sequel arrived on the scene to show that even near-perfection can be improved upon. Revamping its predecessor's visuals and even throwing in some melee combat, "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" goes above and beyond to make sure it feels like a proper sequel while remaining a logical continuation of "the Blind Forest." As a platformer, "Will of the Wisps" is challenging and incredibly responsive; as an action title, 2020's game has solid combat and versatile skill trees; as a Metroidvania game, "Will of the Wisps" gets exploration right.

Released in 2003 on PC and the original Xbox, "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" is a masterwork of storytelling and engineering. A massive RPG set thousands of years before the movies' timeline, "Knight of the Old Republic" represents BioWare at the height of the studio's powers. Along with being an important addition to the "Star Wars Expanded Universe," "KOTOR's" morality system was hugely influential, and the well-written story offered character depth, great world-building, and one of gaming's best plot twists. "KOTOR" was one of the main reasons to own an original Xbox.

Over five years, Epic Games crafted a gripping saga that set the standard for third-person shooters. As the conclusion of Marcus Fenix's original trilogy, "Gears of War 3's" campaign blends gloriously outlandish set pieces and emotionally effective story beats to create a splendidly paced experience that seldom takes a step wrong. With a highly polished single-player and a wonderful multiplayer that brought "Team Deathmatch" and "Capture the Leader" to the series, "Gears of War 3" might be the most flawless entry in a franchise known for delivering excellence, especially during the Xbox 360 era.

"Halo" is Xbox. "Combat Evolved" announced Microsoft's entrance into the console market with a bang, "Halo 2" confirmed the Xbox brand was here to stay, and "Halo 3" made the Xbox 360 a must-own system. After two games of near perfection, Bungie only had to fine-tune the series' formula and give the single-player campaign an ending to make "Halo 3" the definitive FPS title on the market. With 10 levels, the campaign is short but highly replayable due to its various difficulties and coop options; however, "Halo 3" shined the brightest in its multiplayer that featured some of the greatest maps ever released. To learn more about “Halo 3,” check out the MojoPlays video explaining why Bungie’s FPS is the best Xbox game of all time.