Take Your Xbox Gaming a Notch Higher: Check out the Highest Rated Xbox Exclusive Games for Each Xbox Variant, Plus Important Factors to Consider Before Buying One (2021)

Before moving on to the games sections, you might first want to know exactly what consoles of Xbox there have been so far. If you are an Xbox fan, you will probably already know the answer. If not, well, there have been five different consoles till now:

The first one, the Xbox, was released at the end of 2001 and had to compete with other greats like the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo's GameCube. However, soon after its release, the only major competitor left was the PlayStation. The name was derived from DirectX Box, and the paid Xbox Live was later a success that allowed online gaming with or without a broadband connection.

The next one, the Xbox 360, was released four years after the first one, in November 2005. It was part of the seventh generation of video game consoles and was competing with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii. This was also a huge success and sold out completely upon release, selling over 80 million consoles in its lifetime. Xbox 360 also had various configurations coming in later and included a free version of the Xbox Live. With this, Microsoft also released Kinect. Two major revisions were offered instantly while the Xbox 360 S (Slim) replaced the base version in 2010 and was sold at the same price.

Moving on to the Xbox One, this was released in 2013 and had to compete with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U in the eighth generation of gaming consoles. This emphasised the internet-based features like streaming and recording of games and was criticised a bit due to some restrictions it placed on the sharing of games. These restrictions were criticised a lot and were later dropped. Its Kinect peripheral was also criticised as it could be used for surveillance which was again fixed later. This one also had an Xbox One S and then an Xbox One X console later, and these, together, sold a little over 47 million.

Moving on to the latest variants, the Xbox Series X and Series S were released on November 10, 2020. Here, as you might know, the Xbox Series X is the higher-end model while the other is a little inferior in the quality, features and price. Be that as it may, both were meant to be an improvement in performance from the Xbox One X by at least 200%. So, even though the CPU in both the variants is the same, the GPU is better in the Series X, resulting in better loading times, resolution, and real-time ray tracing. The Series S also has less internal storage and memory and lacks an optical drive. Both of these consoles are compatible with most of the peripheral devices and features of the previous generations, including their controllers, other accessories, and Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming as well as Xbox Game Pass.

Created by Dave Jones, the creator of Grand Theft Auto, this game has great visuals that make full use of the power of the Xbox 360. You are to help enforce justice with great cooperative gameplay. In addition to all that, it is three-dimensional free form gameplay with an urban background, exploiting great width, depth and height.

Most strategies and tactics are also acceptable, allowing room for thinking out of the box. Additionally, it includes over 100 licensed tracks that support 5.1 surround sound to increase engagement. It also includes various props for more fun and can be bought from Game Loot for ₹ 399.00.

This one is another great Xbox 360 game. Even though it costs more, it is known to be more engaging too. For instance, it has over 400 customisable cars and tracks like Suzuka, Nürburgring Nordschleife, and the Sebring. It also includes features like auto-tuning, gameplay rewind and auto-braking, hence allowing it to be enjoyed by both beginners and experts alike.

With Xbox Live, the fun is further enhanced and this game helps bring out your artistic part through customisation. It also includes various single-player as well as team modes and over 200 different events. You can get it from Desert Cart for ₹ 1,089.00.

Moving on to Xbox Series One games, Sea of Thieves is a great one. It offers an amazing pirate experience with lots of sailing, exploring, fighting, plundering, treasure-hunting, riddle-solving, etc. Also, it has no set rules, promoting freedom, and helps you to indulge in a shared-world adventure multiplayer action. The game's main objective is to become a pirate legend and you choose how to do that. Moreover, it includes exotic islands as well as natural and supernatural dangers, among other features to increase the excitement. It can be bought from Game Loot for ₹ 1,299.00.

Made available in mid-2020, this game includes a vast as well as a beautiful yet dangerous place that is there for you to explore. This will also test your abilities to build and survive and you will have to fight hordes of giant insects. The game is also known to be very immersive and will require you to craft things. You will also need to use shelters and tools to survive and you can play this with your friends or even alone. The game features various hidden surprises and it can be bought from Microsoft for ₹ 1,999.00.

Made in the US and developed as well as published by Microsoft Studios, the Forza Horizon 4 is another game that we would highly suggest for your Xbox One. As you might already know, this is a racing and driving game that includes a huge range of dynamic seasons that help you experience a shared open-world. It includes over 450 cars that can be customised and there is great scenery too. This is the full game of the standard edition and can be played in multiplayer, online multiplayer, co-op and single-player modes. You can get it from Flipkart for ₹ 3,199.00.

Developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Studios, Halo Wars 2 is another great game developed specifically for Xbox One. This is the standard edition and the CD includes the full game. It promotes strategy-formation and the use of various tactics. And, with an action-packed story, it provides you with great engagement through a wide range of levels made by the game's AI. It also has single as well as multiplayer modes and you have to amass an army to fight the aliens. Get it from Flipkart for just ₹ 730.00.

Moving on to the best games for the latest Xbox Series X and Series S, the first one is Gears 5. This is made by one of the best gaming developers and provides an epic campaign as well as brutal action through five different modes. Through this, you will have to discover the connection of the main character to the enemy and find various dangers as well. In it, you will be part of a three-player squad made to fight the villain and it includes various maps and a lot of teams. You will have to endure over 50 waves of enemies and you can get this game from Amazon for ₹ 1,399.00.

In case you want a cheaper yet equally good choice, you can give this one a try. This game includes a vast and exotic world with towering enemies and various puzzles. Also, it has been fully optimised for the Xbox Series S and X and is known to be one of the most adventurous games. With stunning hand-painted artwork, this game is also somewhat emotional and immersive with amazing environments. There are also many fun weapons and spells which demand skills to handle. You can get it from Microsoft for ₹ 1,000.00.

Moving on to a couple of games that are highly awaited but have not been released yet, the first is the CrossfireX. Developed by Smilegate Entertainment, it is a first-person shooter game and a version of the Crossfire game. The multiplayer game is similar to CS: Go and includes two opposing teams with hostile private military factions. In the classic model, the attacking team is supposed to plant a bomb while the defending team has to stop them. The maps are great and the game is expected to be launched any time this year.

Halo Infinite is another stunning upcoming first-person shooter game made by 343 Industries and published by Xbox Studios. This is the sixth main game from the Halo series and the fourteenth overall which picks the story of Master Chief from the Halo 5: Guardians. This game is also said to be much more human than the earlier series and is to be exclusively available for the Xbox Series X and Series S. Even though it was to be launched with the release of Xbox, it was delayed till the end of 2021.

The first thing to consider when getting the games, of course, would be the console. So, even though some of the games made for Xbox One are available for Xbox Series X and S, most aren't. This is especially the case between the Xbox One and 360 series while near to none of the 360 console games work with the Series X and S. For this reason when you do get your game, we suggest that you make sure to check which consoles they are compatible with.

Another thing that you will need to remember is the price of the game. While most games have a really close price tag, some of them can get really expensive. Similarly, some others are quite cheap. So, when you are buying a game, we suggest that you make a list of the type of games that you want and arrange them according to your preference. Then, decide how much you can spend on each one and how many you actually want. This way, you can get your games without regretting later over spending too much on a particular one.

Even though this might not seem too important to you, it really is. Firstly, you might want to compete with your friends, and, if they are not playing the same game as you, you can't. Other than that, for some of the games, you will have to play in teams, and, if there aren't enough players playing it, you might face delays finding the right ones. Another negative of such games is that, if they continue to be not so popular, the makers might discontinue them, making you lose your effort spent on it, which can be quite annoying.

You might already know about this but there is an array of game types available, and each one is different from the other. So, if you are just starting up and are not sure of which one you might like, try and make a list of your hobbies, likes and dislikes. Then cross-reference them with various games and choose the one that you think you will like the most. Try it out and see if you like it, and, if you do, get more like those or try out some other types. If you do know the types that you like, again, make a checklist of exactly what you want from your games, and choose the ones that fit the description most.

This, again, might not seem so important to you, but it really is. While some games take a small to medium amount of space, some, like Gears Of War 4, or Halo 5: Guardians do take a lot of space and can fill up most of your available space with just three to four games. For this reason, if you can afford to add additional space to your Xbox, well enough. But, if you can't, we suggest that you keep this factor in mind when getting your games. You might even decide on the total number of games you want to download and assign space to each one before choosing them.