Xbox One Game Recs needed for old-school gamer

December 28, 2015 6:56 PM

I find myself with access to an Xbox One, but not a single game is jumping out at me. Can you make a recommendation based on previous console and PC games that I've enjoyed?

I've loved:
-Portal
-Red Dead Redemption (really, most Rockstar games)
-Sim City
-Bomberman
-Command & Conquer

Requirements:
-Please no first-person shooters. (I know that I listed Rockstar games. I find that I liked those games in spite of the shooting.)
-Games with a sense of humor are definite pluses... almost required.
-No Zombies.
-No Elves/Dwarves/Dragons/etc.
-No Aliens
-No sports games (I like the idea of them, but am *terrible* at them)
-An online one-on-one option would be nice, but not required
-No first-person war-games. (I did love the old PC Command & Conquer strategy war games, however)

Have I put enough restrictions on my gaming needs to result in ZERO games that I would like?

thanks in advance!

posted by jimmereeno to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (11 answers total)

Response by poster: I also loved the old "Twisted Metal" games on one of the old old Playstation consoles. Standard Driving games are unappealing to me, but the demolition-derby nature of Twisted Metal was fantastic.
posted by jimmereeno at 7:00 PM on December 28, 2015

I don't have a specific recommendation, but some Xbox 360 games are available in the digital marketplace or compatible. More info here.

I do really love both new Tomb Raider games (older one is revamped for the One.) But not sure if that's up your alley or if it's too "shooty."
posted by Crystalinne at 7:59 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

Since you liked C&C, I'll ignore the 'no aliens' rule and recommend Halo: Spartan Assault. Good isometric strategy game.

Based on Portal, have you looked at Fez?

I'm not a huge fan of pure racing games either, but I really enjoyed Trackmania as one of those quick racers, but when you're into it for a night, you can get competitive (for time) online.

From Sim City (it's not out yet) but Cities: Skyline will be available on Xbox One soon.
posted by youknowwhatpart at 8:30 PM on December 28, 2015

Definitely check out Ori and the Blind Forest
posted by pilibeen at 8:41 PM on December 28, 2015 [2 favorites]

Life Is Strange. Refreshingly not video-game-setting-y at all!
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:35 PM on December 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you liked Bomberman, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest Geometry Wars 3. I've been having a blast with it. I thought the first two were pretty good, but this takes an unexpected jump in quality and fun. Really nice to look at too, with just the right balance between fun and difficulty. I'll also throw out Pac Man CE edition, which has been around since the last generation, but it is pretty timelessly fun. A benefit to both of these is that they won't break the bank, either.

Keep your eyes peeled for the release of Cities: Skylines, which has gotton some high critical acclaim from the community that was pretty disappointed with the last Sim City release. I have personally found it excellent.

And I'm sure you're aware of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

This might be a helpful resource if you want to puruse all of the XBONE games currently available.
posted by SpacemanStix at 12:07 AM on December 29, 2015

The hilariously twisted city building/megalomania simulator Tropico 5 is reportedly coming to the Xbox One in early 2016.
posted by Sonny Jim at 3:45 AM on December 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you liked Red Dead and Rockstar games, what about Fallout 4? Open world, somewhat story-driven, and the VATS system can take away most of the fast-twitch first-person shooty-ness.
posted by craven_morhead at 8:12 AM on December 29, 2015

I came to suggest Fallout 4. If you liked Rockstar games, you should be cool with open worlds, and Fallout is one of the few game series I know that isn't based around zombies, aliens, or dragons. Plus, while you CAN play it as an FPS, you can also play in third-person mode and/or use VATS to get rid of the twitch factor. (VATS is a system where you hit a button and enter a slow-time screen where you can pick which body part of the enemy to target and your shot succeeds or fails based on stats.) Fallout 4 is also HUGE and gives excellent value in terms of hours of fun per entertainment dollar.

For sense of humor... these are all-ages games, so they aren't super challenging, but have you tried any of the Lego games? There are a ton of them (starting with Lego Star Wars and going through the upcoming Lego Avengers) and several are available for the One. They are fun, puzzley, and have a cute and charming sense of humor as well as excellent living room co-op. I love these games as stress-relieving, "just want to mess around" type games.

Also, look for the XBone release of Saint's Row IV. This series started out as a GTA-clone and then eventually became a completely over-the-top parody of GTA-clones. The 4th game DOES involve aliens, but not in a traditional way... since you like both Rockstar stuff and humor you may want to check out some play videos and see if it sounds like something you'd enjoy. (If you play, make sure to upgrade your Dubstep Gun with Explosive Wubs. You'll thank me later.)

MS has just started making 360 games backwards-compatible. They are being done in batches, apparently, so it's worth checking to see whether certain games are available, because there are some good ones in the previous generation (which, bonus, are cheap now!)

Portal 2 was for the 360, but it might be worth checking to see if it's backwards-compatible yet if you haven't played it, because it's great.

You seem to like many of the same things I like, so I will give you a few more suggestions that I enjoyed but are slightly outside your parameters. Poke around online and see if they sound like something you'd like:

Assassin's Creed Syndicate - my favorite AC game since AC2. Not first person, no zombies, aliens, or dragons. Set mostly in Victorian England, you spend your time wandering around an open world doing missions and looking for collectibles, so the part of you that liked Red Dead may enjoy it.

Tomb Raider (and now Rise of the Tomb Raider) - 3rd person action/adventure, you go around wilderness areas fighting enemies and, well, raiding tombs.

Dragon Age Inquisition - depends how much you hate the fantasy setting, but offers fantastic exploration RPG gaming. It does have dwarves, elves, AND dragons, though.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown - another 360 title you may want to look into. This one is about aliens, which is bad for you, but if you can stomach the alien part it has a really fun turn-based strategy/base management strategy gameplay.

Deus Ex Human Revolution - again, 360, check if backwards-compatible. This one has a sequel hitting in 2016 so I wouldn't be surprised if they are prioritizing it. Sci-fi third-person game but with a cyborg/human enhancement plot rather than an alien plot. Both stealth and aggression are possible in gameplay.
posted by oblique red at 8:58 AM on December 29, 2015

I loved Sunset Overdrive. Watch a few videos on YouTube to see if it is your speed.
posted by tacodave at 2:03 PM on December 29, 2015

My partner likes all the things you like and also enjoys Fallout and Assassin's Creed.
posted by gingerest at 2:52 AM on December 30, 2015