After entering the console market with the original Xbox in 2001, Microsoft’s sophomore platform, the Xbox 360, made even bigger waves. To date, the 360 is the best-selling Xbox console, with 84 million units sold worldwide during its lifespan. Launched in 2005, the 360 featured extensive third-party support and went head-to-head with the Wii and PlayStation 3. This led to a robust library of games released for the console before it was succeeded by the Xbox One in 2013.
With that in mind, we’re looking at the games that propelled the Xbox 360 to success. The games that we’re including here aren’t necessarily the best-selling titles for the console overall, but helped 360 take hold in the industry. This includes a mix of console exclusives and third-party franchises that had a prominent presence in the 360’s library. These are five video games that defined the Xbox 360’s rise as serious competition for the PlayStation 3.
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
One of the big innovations that the Xbox 360 brought to the table was the concept of consoles having their own digital storefront. For the 360 specifically, this was the Xbox Live Arcade, which featured plenty of digital titles to purchase and download directly to the console. For a time, the best-selling Xbox Live Arcade title was “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved” as players embraced the platform’s possibilities. Developed by Microsoft subsidiary Bizarre Creations, the game is a top-down space shooter with arcade-style gameplay as players blast various geometric shapes attacking them from all directions.
“Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved” is a reminder that the most technically advanced games don’t always equate to the most fun experience. Despite its simplistic design and scope, the 2006 game is an addictive title, inspiring players to constantly try to top their high score. The game’s vibrant display, unrelenting action, and pulsating soundtrack elevates the whole experience, along with its accessibility, making it easy to pick up and play. An early standout from XBLA and console-based digital games overall, “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved” proved the space shooter was still alive and well.
Gears of War
Before the “Halo” franchise made the jump to the 360, the console’s big blockbuster exclusive was “Gears of War.” Released in 2006, the “Gears of War” story takes place in a world where subterranean monsters have overwhelmed the surface world. The gameplay itself is a third-person shooter experience as players control soldiers Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago as they try to repel the enemy forces. While the game is perfectly enjoyable on its own, it truly excels with its two-person co-op mode as players work together through the story campaign.
“Gears of War” spawned its own franchise that continues to stand among the Xbox’s marquee properties 20 years later. The game became the fastest-selling title for the 360 at the time and went on to sell over five million copies. It brings a bit more horrific spectacle than the “Halo” series, epitomized by the characters’ signature weapon being outfitted with a chainsaw. Intense and offering its own multiplayer thrills, the original “Gears of War” is a standout from the 360’s early years.
Halo 3
When “Halo” did inevitably make its way to the Xbox 360, it felt like a bonafide event. 2007’s “Halo 3” takes place immediately after the preceding title on the expansive “Halo” timeline, with humanity facing total defeat as the Covenant continues its invasion of Earth. Master Chief and his allies work to repel the invasion while stopping the monstrous Flood from overwhelming the universe. The game also features a wealth of multiplayer modes, including the ability to customize and share multiplayer maps online.
Nearly 20 years after its debut, “Halo 3” still ranks highly among the “Halo” games as a highpoint in the series. This comes from a truly epic campaign mode that feels like the culmination of the trilogy elevated by the franchise’s best technical presentation at the time. And as with its predecessor, “Halo 3” takes full advantage of the online multiplayer possibilities through Xbox Live. Maintaining its position as Xbox’s flagship franchise, “Halo 3” is one of the best titles for the 360.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
“Halo 3” wasn’t the only pivotal first-person shooter game released for the Xbox 360 in 2007, with “Call of Duty” taking a big leap forward. After its initial titles took place during World War II, “Call of Duty 4” took the franchise into modern warfare. The campaign follows a global conflict as the United States invades an unidentified Middle Eastern country while the British military contends with Russian ultranationalists. The game also completely revamped its online multiplayer modes, setting the broad foundation that the series still uses today.
“Modern Warfare” is the moment when “Call of Duty” went from a “Medal of Honor” clone to a yearly success for Activision. By 2008, the game sold over three million copies on the Xbox 360 alone and subsequent entries in the series similarly saw commercial success. “Call of Duty” was always a multiplatform title, but it maintained a particularly strong presence on the 360 moving forward. “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” took the series out of its period piece trappings and considerably bolstered online multiplayer through Xbox Live.
Kinect Adventures!
As incredible as it may sound, the best-selling game on the Xbox 360 is the 2010 title “Kinect Adventures!”. The game was a pack-in title for the Microsoft Kinect, the console’s motion and voice control peripheral. Just like “Wii Sports,” the title features a collection of minigames, all showcasing the different motion control peripherals possible through the Kinect. This includes variations of handball to more nonsensical experiences like players plugging a leaking glass underwater.
While the Microsoft Kinect was a complete failure in the long run, the 360 peripheral itself was a commercial success. With 24 million Kinect units sold by 2013, that means the same number of copies of “Kinect Adventures!” were shipped through its pack-in status. The peripheral and its accompanying game gave Xbox 360 something of its second wind and set the stage for the Xbox One incorporating Kinect technology. This wouldn’t ultimately prove nearly as successful, but marked its own turning point in the 360’s history.
