'Xbox Tax' is a theory that there is a bias against Xbox games, particularly when it comes to awards. Some people feel that Xbox exclusives don't get the appreciation t🤪hat PlayStation and Nintendo ones do. It is a bit of a wild conspiracy theory, but some stand by it.

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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 8 Cross-Platform Games Best Played On ✱Xbox

These games may be available on multiple platforms, but they feel most at home🌱 on Xbox.

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Whether true or not, there have certainly been some Xbox titles over the years that haven't got as much respect as they deserve. Several are great games that have received a mediocre response or decent titles that have been hated for some reason. Here are ♐a few examples of Xbox games that deserve more appreciation.

8 Halo 5: Guardians ༺

Cortana returning at the head of a Forerunner army in Halo 5.
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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Halo 5: Guardians
Systems
Released
October 17, 2015

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL

ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Vi𝐆olence 🐽
Publisher(s)
▨ Micr✱osoft Game Studios
Engine
ꦡ 🎃 Blam engine
Platform(s)
Xbox One

Out of all the main Halo games, Guardians is the one that typically gets the most criticism. A lot of the hate is directed at the story. After Cortana's emotional goodbꦗye a💞t the end of Halo 4, she comes back as a villain in Halo 5. Plus, Master Chief shares the main protagonist role with the fairly bland Locke.

These are understandable criticisms. However, as a full game, Halo 5 is still a solid title. The 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:fast-paced movement mechanics are unusual for Halo, but they're fun and f🦩eel very satisfying to pull off. On top of that, the general shooting mechanics are as great as always.

7 🐎 Ki💦nect Adventures

Riding a raft in Kinect Adventures.

Because the Kinect, in general, was never the most popular piece of video game hardware, pretty much every game designed for it has been written off, too. Yet, there are 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:some excellent Kinect games out there.

One of them is Kinect Adventures, which is a really good party game. It contains several different game types, mostly inspired by sports. Each one is generally well-designed and enj𒊎oyable to play. It isn't the deepest game by any means, but it is still a good Xbox 360 title.

6 🦩 ဣ ReCore: Definitive Edition

Main character of Recore, holding their robot friends' hand.
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ReCore
Action-Adventure
Systems
Released
September 13, 2016

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

ESRB
T For Te♚en Due To Violence 𓆉
Developer(s)
🅺 🌄 Armature Studio, Comcept
Publisher(s)
꧒ ൩ Microsoft Studios
Engine
Unity
Platform(s)
PC, Xbox One

Recore is a 3D action-adventure game that launched with several big technical issues. These h🐼ave plagued the game's reputation ever since, even though a Definitive Edition was released that fixed many of those problems. It's a game that deserves a second chance, as it's very different from many other Xbox titles out there.

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The story isn't anything special, but the combat and exploration feel original. In battle, you have little robot companions an𒁃d color-coded weapons to counter specific threats. When you aren't fighting, you have surprisingly well-crafted platforming sections to complete and a few fun puz🐭zles to solve.

5 High On Life 🌜

The player points Kenny at Slumsley in High on Life.
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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: High on Life
Systems
Released
December 13, 2022

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

ESRB
M For Mature 17+ due to Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of ☂Drugs, Str💎ong Language, Crude Humor
Developer(s)
🐼 Squanch Games
Publisher(s)
Squanch Games, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Xbox Game Studios
Engine
Unreal Engine 4 ♉

The opinion of High on Life is fairly mixed. Some love it, while others hate it. Overall, though, it deserves a bit more love. The game is a very creative shooter that involves talking guns. The fact your weapons speak t♔o you throughout the game is likely what hurts its appeal for some, as you may expect that to be annoying.

However, the guns are generally entertaining and oftentimes very funny. Not all the jokes land, but most do, and they generall🌺y add extra personality to the game. Of course, talking weapons isn't the only thing this game has going for it. These weapons also function differently from one another, adding a nice bit of variety to combat.

4 🍒South Of Midnight 🔥

Hazel looking surprised in South of Midnight.
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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: South of Midnight
3.5/5
Released
April 8, 2025

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

ESRB
rp
Developer(s)
Compulsion Games 🐼
Engine
𝔉 Unrea⭕l Engine 5

South of Midnight hasn't received an awful response, but the user reviewꦦs for the action-adventure game are rather underwhelming. This is despite it being an excellent game. Much of its greatness comes from its storytelling and world. The game puts you into the shoes of a young woman named Hazel, who gets separated from her mother during a hurricane. Her ultimate goal is to find her, but a lot happens along the way.

Throughout the game, you have to traverse an interesting world that is the contemporary deep south mixed with gothic fantasy. As such, there's no other gaming world quite like it🌳. The core gameplay isn't particularly special, which is likely the reason for some of the more negative reveiws. Yet, the combat and traversal are still solid, even if they aren't e🍎ntirely original.

3 Fable 3

Logan from Fable 3, reaching for his sword.
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Fable 3
Action RPG
Systems
Released
October 26, 2010

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Use of Alcohol, Blood, Sexu෴al Content, Violence, Langಞuage
Developer(s)
🌠 Lionhead Studios
Publisher(s)
Microsoft Game Studios 🔴
Engine
havok
Platform(s)
PC, Xbox 360

Fable 3 doesn't have a horrible reputation, but many fans of the first💖 two Fable titles do look down on it. There are certain ಞthings the third game is lacking compared to the others, particularly when it comes to social interactions and the morality system. Yet, just as an individual game, Fable 3 is a really good RPG.

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In it, you lead a rebellion against your evil tyrant of a brot🍬her, who also happens to be the King. Along the way, you meet some great characters and complete a bunch of creative quests. There is plenty of humor and good writing to appreciate. Also, the combat is enjoyable.

2 ♕ Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl

Player with a gun in one hand and a device in the other, looking at a tunnel in Stalker 2 Heart Of Chronobyl.
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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of 👍Chornobyl
Released
November 20, 2024

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL

ESRB
ꦬM For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, ܫBlood, Use Of Drugs And Alcohol, Language, Crude Humor
Developer(s)
ꦰ ꩵ GSC Game World
Publisher(s)
𝓡 ෴ GSC Game World
Engine
Unreal Engine 5 ⭕ 🐻

Stalker 2 is one of 168澳洲幸运5💫开奖网:the best survival games that Xbo✤x has to offer. However, not everyone seems to agree with that, as theও general response to the game has ⭕been middling. It is a game where you need to survive in the highly toxic exclusion zone in Chornobyl.

You must keep yourself fed and stop yourselꦆf from becomingꩵ exhausted while also defending yourself against any monsters or hostile humans you find in the zone. Both the gunplay and survival mechanics are good. Plus, the world is visually impressive and interesting to roam around.

1 𝐆 Quantum Break 💫

Jack Joyce aiming a gun at an enemy in Quantum Break.
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168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Quantum Break
Action
Adventure
Systems
Released
April 5, 2016

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL

ESRB
M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Strong Lanꦉguage
Engine
Northlight Engine 𝕴 ✱
Platform(s)
PC, Xbox One

Quantum Break received a fairly lukewarm response from players upon release. It deserved better than that, though. It's a unique third-person action-adventure game. The narrative revolves around time travel, and you play as a character with time manipulation powers. Therefore, you can do things like freeze time, speed y𝓀ourself up, slow enemies down, and a few other things. Mixing these powers with decent third-person shooting mechanics makes for an entertaining shooter.

Speaking of original, something else the game does is include full live-action TV episodes between levels. This may be off-putting for some players, but they're aဣctually well-made and do a good job of furthering the game's story.

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