360 games for the pc gamer

February 29, 2008 7:50 AM

Suggest some Xbox 360 games for a PC gamer!

I have read some of the similar questions already asked, but my case is a bit different.

I just bought an xbox 360 to satisfy my need to rock out with Rock Band, and now I'm looking for some other games to pick up.

But... I have a sweet gaming PC that can handle anything coming out in the forseeable future, so I'm really not interested in any games I can play on the PC unless they happen to be fantastically better on the console.

For reference, I have the Pro model and Xbox Live gold. I never had the first xbox so I am open to those games and also open to buying games through Live.

No Halo please. :)


Games I own:

Rock Band
Skate
NHL 2K7


Games I am considering:

Dead Rising
Virtua Fighter 5


Games that are right out because I have them on PC, or I am planning on picking them up for PC when they come out:

Guitar Hero 3
Gears of War
Call of Duty 4
Bioshock
Assassin's Creed
Mass Effect
Overlord



I am very interested in picking up an RPG and at least one good fighting game. I am open to any genre.

Please and thank you for all who can help with this far too specific request :)

posted by utsutsu to sports, hobbies, & recreation (30 comments total)

Gripshift is a fun "arcade-y" racer/puzzle game on the Live Arcade. I have had loads of fun with this.
posted by imjosh at 7:56 AM on February 29

For the price, I really like Rez HD (available on Live). It's not a huge lengthy extravaganza, but it makes me happy.
posted by edd at 7:57 AM on February 29

Forza M and Project Gotham Racing N for whatever largest values of M and N you can find (2 and 3 at the moment, I think, respectively). Totally different approaches to racing games, both fun. I second Rez HD, if you "get" it, but you can try the demo to see if it works for you.

COD4, Bioshock, and Mass Effect were going to be the top 3 otherwise.
posted by kcm at 8:01 AM on February 29

(I just looked, PGR4 has been out for awhile - just ordered a copy myself!)
posted by kcm at 8:04 AM on February 29

I'm not a RPG fan myself, but my buddy who lies and dies by RPGs says that Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata are the only good RPGs for Xbox 360.

Oh, and while not in your genres of choice, the Katamari games are just freaking kickass. And you'll find nothing like them for PC.
posted by General Malaise at 8:20 AM on February 29

Do you have that hooked up to an HDTV? A lot of games (namely Dead Rising) use super-small text that's nearly impossible to read on SD. I had the game, and not being able to read the text in the game made it impossible to progress.

Oh, and get the Orange Box.
posted by booticon at 8:22 AM on February 29

Oh, yeah. Even if you just get it for PC, definitely look into Orange Box. Portal is about the coolest game ever.
posted by General Malaise at 8:23 AM on February 29

Adding support for the Orange Box and Rez.

Eternal Sonata is a solid (and quite beautiful) RPG by Tri Crescendo, the team who developed the Baiten Kaitos series.

Also, if you pick up Virtua Fighter 5, drop me a line on Live (gamertag Zang Zip). It's a great game. If you're a fan of the series, you won't be disappointed.
posted by Dr-Baa at 8:34 AM on February 29

Sorry! Forgot to add Orange Box to the list of PC games I own.

And yes, my box is hooked up to a 37 inch 1080p LCD with VGA cables, so the small text thing is not an issue.

I will definitely check out the rez demo and will be researching the RPG suggestions.

Between forza and project gotham... which one is more "arcadey"? I don't care too much for the ultra in depth simulation racers.


Dr-Baa, good to know I'd have someone to play against online occasionally. One of the things stopping me from picking up vf5 is the fact that almost none of my friends would want to play it :/

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, please keep them coming if there's anything else to add!
posted by utsutsu at 8:42 AM on February 29

You'll get a lot of bang for your buck with Oblivion as an RPG. I bought my 360 specifically for that game and was not let down.

And Blue Dragon was innovative and a lot of fun. Dead Rising was a good time... But I agree with Booticon. The text is insanely difficult to read. Very small. Also, give Bully some consideration.
posted by thewalrusispaul at 8:53 AM on February 29

I'd suggest getting Oblivion for the PC, myself. Can't beat all the mods and such.
posted by Justinian at 9:09 AM on February 29

If you've got the HDTV, Dead Rising is insanely good.

Strangely, Rockstar's Table Tennis is also loads of fun. I was shocked when I discovered how good they did Table Tennis.
posted by grumpy at 9:24 AM on February 29

If you're looking for arcade-y racing, don't bother with forza. PGR is OK, but c'mon, guys, why has there been no mention of Burnout Paradise? It quickly took over my life until I broke the races in two and swept up the pieces. When I spend 50 hours on a game in less than three weeks, it's good. Really really good. P.S., take advantage of the demos to get a feel for what you're interested in. The demos have saved me all too many times. May I ask why you're dismissing Halo? Brush aside all the hype, it truly is a fantastic game.
posted by incessant at 9:45 AM on February 29

May I ask why you're dismissing Halo? Brush aside all the hype, it truly is a fantastic game.

IMHO, it really isn't. I've played 1 and 3, and deep down they're really just mediocre FPSs. To each their own, though.
posted by booticon at 9:54 AM on February 29

Yeah, I agree with booticon. I've played Halo 3 online at a friend's place and was underwhelmed.

I really don't plan on playing any FPS's on the console unless they *really* stand out from their PC counterparts, and frankly, Halo 3 doesn't. I vastly prefer the mouse / keyboard for these kinds of games anyways.

Good call on the demo suggestion though, I'm going to have to dl a bunch tonight and will soon be regretting not splurging for the big hard drive, i'm sure :)
posted by utsutsu at 10:06 AM on February 29

Halo 3 isn't about the campaign, it's all about the multiplayer.
posted by Justinian at 10:08 AM on February 29

Don't overlook the Arcade titles if you like quick and easy old school fun. My favorite Arcade title is Pac-man Championship Edition, but I also like Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD, Puzzle Quest, Rez HD and Every Extra Extend Extreme (E4). I think most every arcade title has a free demo, so sample away.
posted by MegoSteve at 10:28 AM on February 29

I'm in a very similar situation as you utsutsu, except I haven't quite crossed over the 360 line yet. Rock Band + Dead Rising + Mass Effect + Assassin's Creed almost did it, but with the latter two getting PC versions and rumors of a Wii version of the former, I can't quite justify the 360 purchase yet.

If I were to get a 360, I'd definitely be picking up Dead Rising though.

Halo 3 isn't about the campaign, it's all about the multiplayer.

IMHO, if you've got COD4 and TF2, you needn't waste any time with Halo. Anything Halo 3 does, COD4 or TF2 does better.
posted by Nelsormensch at 10:43 AM on February 29

I have fun with Kane & Lynch
posted by matteo at 10:59 AM on February 29

Anything Halo 3 does, COD4 or TF2 does better.

First let me say that I have been a PC gamer since I was a young 'un in the early 80s. I still consider myself a PC gamer and feel that the shift in emphasis to console gaming has been an almost unalloyed disaster for all right-thinking people who like (what I consider) the best sorts of games. Consoles have in many ways dumbed down gaming and made it a shadow of its former self. Unless you like sports games and arcadey type stuff. Which I, except for hockey games, don't like.

That said; COD4 or TF2 certainly don't do what Halo 3 does, much less do it better. They are very different types of shooters with emphasis on different stuff than Halo 3. Halo 3 is much more of a lone-wolf twitch reflexes arcade kind of shooter. But it's a damn fine twitch arcade shooter. A better comparison would be the Unreal Tournament series, not COD4 or TF2.

I'm much more a fan of tactical shooters but I recognize that Halo 3 is good at what it does.
posted by Justinian at 11:28 AM on February 29

(which was a way of saying; check out Halo 3 if you're at all interested in what's big in 360 games)
posted by Justinian at 11:29 AM on February 29

Kameo was worth playing.

So were Stranglehold and Viva Pinata, oops, those are on PC now too.
posted by teki at 11:47 AM on February 29

An RPG not to overlook is Lost Odyssey. It a classic slower-paced JRPG with a lengthy story.

It's getting mixed reviews, but the art and story are top notch IMO.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 11:58 AM on February 29

If you like NHL 2K7 you really should pick up NHL 08. I know, EA? But this one is... different.

Rez HD is a must. Lumines Live too, if you're into that sort of thing (and don't have a PSP). There are a lot of gems on XBLA.

And yes, seriously, get Burnout Paradise.
posted by mkn at 1:30 PM on February 29

Assassin's Creed and Crackdown are both well done sandbox games, but somewhat repetitive. I would recommend both if you can get them at a discount. The former is quite impressive visually, while the latter has terrific gameplay qualities.

BioShock and CoD4 are fun, though the former is superior in story-terms as well as length of play (as I recall, though I beat CoD4 with friends, and it may have seemed shorter as a result) and originality.

Bypass Halo 3. The single player campaign is not even of average quality, in my book.

If you want to buy classic games online, let me recommend Sid Meier's Pirates! and Psychonauts. These are fantastic games, if a tad dated. The latter is especially noteworthy; it is funny, original, and the gameplay is not bad (I have the PC version, and had to jerry-rig an old Xbox controller into a USB controller in order to properly enjoy the game - buying it on the Xbox marketplace will allow you to skip the middle part).
posted by Tullius at 1:42 PM on February 29

Here's another vote for Dead Rising. It kicks serious ass. I played thru to the end (plus overtime mode, and infinity mode to 7 hrs) about a year ago and I am planning to replay again soon.
posted by jockc at 2:48 PM on February 29

Geometry Wars

Available for download in the Xbox arcade for something like $6.99

I have probably put more time into this entertaining little game than just about any other game I own. With its two stick controls, it really can't be duplicated with a PC. Also, upon searching for the link, it looks like they are coming out with a new version as well.
posted by clearly at 3:01 PM on February 29

Halo 2 is all I played until Halo 3 came out. Halo 3 is all I played until Call of Duty 4 came out. I'm starting to long for Halo 3 again, but COD4 is still fantastic. I have a lot of fun playing first-person shooters on XBL. I dip back into Gears of War every now and then, but didn't play it much after beating the story mode.

I am also a big fan on the NCAA football games, for the atmosphere more than anything else.
posted by tomorama at 5:35 PM on February 29

If you want a good fighting game, wait until the summer when Soul Calibur IV comes out.
posted by phaded at 1:21 PM on March 1

You can't go wrong with call of duty. 4 just came out and it is amazing.
posted by canopyman at 8:48 AM on March 17