Can you recommend some good, lesser known XBOX 360 games?

May 19, 2008 12:18 AM

I've been keeping track of pretty much all the xbox 360 games out there, but i am sure i missed some great games. So, can you recommend some games that are lesser known? Also, games that got poor or average reviews, but are actually fun to play?
posted by PlayWithFire to computers & internet (18 comments total)

Overlord
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:26 AM on May 19, 2008

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Portal (from the Orange Box, sometimes overlooked but better than Half Life IMHO)
Rez HD
Crackdown
Lego Star Wars Trilogy
Zuma Deluxe (hey it's great!)
posted by rokusan at 12:32 AM on May 19, 2008

Ninety Nine Nights was considered a mediocre game (and rightly so), but it was a funny Dynasty Warriors clone and if you like the genre you should give it a try.

Skate. it's a niche game that is so much better than Tony Hawk series.

Two Worlds it's an unpolished Gothic-like RPG with many hints of unintentional comedy.

I still believe DOA Extreme it's a fun game to own and show to friends for casual play. Easy to learn, fast, cheap (used or platinum); don't bother with achievements (never!).

Also seconding the Overlord suggestion.
posted by darkripper at 12:47 AM on May 19, 2008

Also, I forgot Test Drive Unlimited. I'm not really into serious driving games so I liked this especially for the setting. Driving around Ohau it's so much better than driving around the kind of generical newyorkish cities that are featured in so many driving games these days.
posted by darkripper at 12:58 AM on May 19, 2008

Viking is fun. And Burnout Paradise. And Puzzle Quest.
posted by turgid dahlia at 1:39 AM on May 19, 2008

Retail:
- Crackdown - GTA minus the story but plus the superpowers. Truly addictive.
- Overlord - an RTS sendup of the fantasy genre that puts you in the role of a bad guy commanding hoardes of minions. It's third person over the shoulder in case the traditional overhead RTS isn't your thing.
- The Simpsons Game - if you're at all a Simpsons fan, this game is worth at least a rental. Unlike most Simpsons games, it's fun (I actually beat the damn thing instead of throwing it down in disgust) and has some pretty great video game parodies in it.

And if Burnout Paradise isn't on your radar, I can't recommend it highly enough. I got so much enjoyment out of this game and they're releasing multiple expansions to it for free that'll drag me back in.

Arcade:
- Pacman: Championship Edition. No, I'm not joking. This is hands down the best game available on XBLA. They've taken the already addictive gameplay of Pacman and improved the hell out of it. If you don't own it, buy it immediately.
- Puzzle Quest - if you want to lose a few months, this is your game.
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - if you're at all a fan of the Metroidvania-style GBA games, this is where they get their design from
- Lumines Live! - addictive music puzzle game. Buy the Genki Rockets Heavenly Star expansion and bounce in your seat.
- Rez HD - make sure to play through the whole thing to see why it's legendary. It won't take long and if you've got the three extra controllers to vibrate on interesting places on your body, you'll come away having enjoyed it that much more.
- Eets: Chowdown - a fun platform-based puzzler. Try it here or just download the demo.
- Alien Hominid - Stylistic game in the tradition of Contra. Prepare for many, many deaths.
posted by unsupervised at 4:40 AM on May 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Saint's Row was dismissed as a Grand Theft Auto clone, but I enjoyed it more than I did any GTA game. If you like tennis games, you can't go wrong with Top Spin 2. Not really obscure, but I loved the gameplay and the design of the cutscenes of Amped 3.

As for arcade titles, my favorites are PAC-MAN Championship Edition (I'm in the top ten all time scores for 5:00 Championship Mode), Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (disappointed by the lack of HD character sprites, though), Every Extend Extra Extreme (beautiful in HD, but might be a little too easy), and N+ (tremendous fun with two players).
posted by MegoSteve at 5:08 AM on May 19, 2008

There are many hidden gems available for download from Xbox Live. A few of my favorites are Assault Heroes 2, Geometry Wars, and Mad Tracks.
posted by Shoggoth at 5:40 AM on May 19, 2008

This view at Metacritic (all released 360 games, sorted by score) might help.
posted by Perplexity at 5:50 AM on May 19, 2008

Arcade, not already mentioned:
Bomberman Live
posted by box at 5:54 AM on May 19, 2008

Seconding:
N+
Skate
Rez HD
Portal

also, if you like explosive watermelons: Stranglehold
posted by soplerfo at 6:07 AM on May 19, 2008

Earth Defence Force 2017!!!

Bully's quite good now that they've patched it and quashed the bugs.
posted by Magnakai at 6:09 AM on May 19, 2008

Beautiful Katamari.
posted by tomboko at 6:29 AM on May 19, 2008

Here's the Metacritic list with the link corrected. Good place to look.

I really liked Viva Piñata, at least for about 10 hours. It's a Sims-sort of game; you build a garden and tend to the creatures there. The animation's beautiful and the gameplay is as challenging or relaxing as you make it. The downloadable demo will give you a good idea.

Space Giraffe is a unique and interesting XBLA title. Most people hated it, with some reason, but it's worth trying the demo.
posted by Nelson at 8:05 AM on May 19, 2008

In terms of party style games, Bomberman Live is possibly the most classic, time-tested and enduring 4 player game ever created. I have weekly saturday meetups with my friends just to play bomberman all day.

We also occasionally dip into Marvel Ultimate Alliance, which is just dumb fun.

Also, if you've never played Dead Rising: do it. do it now.
posted by shmegegge at 12:07 PM on May 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Seconding Pacman: CE. The first true sequel to Pacman.
posted by joedan at 12:47 PM on May 19, 2008

It wasn't well liked by a number of people, but I enjoyed the hell out of Bully: Scholarship Edition. In fact, the only things that were able to pull me away were the very well received Call of Duty 4 and GTA 4.

On the whole, I'd strongly encourage you to use Perplexity's link to Metacritic. I find their system to be a great indicator of what's worthy, and a useful tool for weeding out the chaff.
posted by quin at 2:03 PM on May 19, 2008

Thanks for all the great answers! I am still new to this site, so i am unsure of which answer to pick as the best one.

Out of the games recommended, i think i may pick up Dead Rising, since i can probably get a good deal on it.

As far as games recommended, i do agree with Crackdown and Portal. I own them, and they kick ass.

I've checked metacritic, but there's a lot of good games in the 70s, i am sure, but it's hard to pick them out.
posted by PlayWithFire at 3:55 PM on May 19, 2008