Best Xbox Games Turning 20 In 2025

The PS2 dominated this console generation with the Xbox and GameCube falling a bit behind. Microsoft was at a bit of a disadvantage when they released the original Xbox in 2001 since it was their first console and it debuted a year after the PS2. They did have a killer app though via the first Halo game which sold like gangbusters.

By 2005, the original Xbox was pretty much done as the year led to the launch of its successor, the Xbox 360. Between the two systems, Microsoft and others helped produce and launch quite a few key titles in 2005. Let’s get through the best ones to celebrate in 2025 for their 20th anniversary.

8

Call Of Duty 2

A Showcase For The 360

Call of Duty 2 was one of the launch games for the Xbox 360 in November 2005. It did grace other consoles too but this was definitely the premiere version of the classic setting of World War 2. Compared to modern Call of Duty games, this one may seem archaic but it still plays well especially emulated via the backwards compatibility options on the Xbox Series X. Players could command soldiers with the Russian, British, and American forces which gave the war a more diverse voice. The series would go back to WW2 often even after the modern games, but this one may still be among the best adaptations.

7

Castlevania: Curse Of Darkness

The Xbox Gets A Metroidvania

The original Xbox did not get the first 3D entry in this era of the series, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, which was a PS2 exclusive. They did get the next one though, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, which tied in directly following the events of Dracula’s defeat in Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse on the NES. The game stars Hector, an alchemist who can forge both weapons and demons. He’s on a quest to avenge his beloved one monster at a time in an evolving Metroidvania RPG adventure. The game was made available digitally later on the PS3 but Xbox fans can’t emulate it on modern hardware despite there being a plethora of other Castlevania games available.

6

Condemned: Criminal Origins

A Brutal CIA Murder Case

Condemned: Criminal Origins was another launch game for the Xbox 360. This one was developed by Monolith, creators of the F.E.A.R. franchise, so they were getting to be well-known for horror games at this time. It’s also in first-person but instead of emphasizing shooting, players get more melee weapons.

It was the type of horror experience that one could liken to the Saw film franchise. It was brutal and grotesque which also helped it stand out. It’s never been remastered but the original game is available to buy and enjoy easily but the sequel is a bit lost to time on consoles.

5

Jade Empire

BioWare’s Martial Arts Epic

Jade Empire was a BioWare RPG that followed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on the original Xbox. Instead of turn-based combat with automatic actions, characters could fight in real-time. The setting was a fantastical version of China like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon but unfortunately with less wire-fu. The game can be played via backwards compatibility on modern Xbox systems and it’s on PC too. It’s never been enhanced and ported to other consoles though despite its quality and relevancy to BioWare as it was their last project right before beginning Mass Effect for the Xbox 360.

4

Kameo: Elements of Power

A Long Time Coming

Kameo: Elements of Power is the last big launch title worth bringing up for the Xbox 360. It was made by Rare who also put out Perfect Dark Zero on launch day. Both games had divisive responses at the time and they still have wildly varied opinions now. Kameo: Elements of Power is the more interesting of the two because it took a long time for this action-adventure game to come out. Planning began on the N64 which then shifted to the GameCube, then the original Xbox, and finally the Xbox 360. Amazingly, it turned out well at all but despite it not getting a sequel, Kameo: Elements of Power still has its fans and it can gain new ones too because the game is easily accessible on Xbox consoles.

3

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath

A Different Type Of Oddysey

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee was the first game in the series that hit the PS1, among other systems, in 1997. Eventually, the series went to the original Xbox whose fans were treated with one of the franchise’s best offerings, Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath.

Instead of a puzzle-based platformer, this one was a platformer with first-person shooting. As the titular Stranger, players would go out and hunt bounties with live ammo including bees and spiders. The technology was wildly inventive and the game did receive an HD upgrade in 2013 but never a direct sequel.

2

Psychonauts

The Mind-Bending Adventure Begins

Psychonauts was one of those late console games that took a while to heat up. As a platformer, it got its fans right away but for a decade it was kind of one of those niche hidden gems. It always seemed like the developer, Double Fine, wanted to make a sequel and then the motions finally started to get on track in the mid-2010s. First, there was Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin which began as a PSVR exclusive in 2017 and then Psychonauts 2 was finally released in 2021. It reviewed incredibly well, higher than the original, so it just goes to show that patient fans will get rewarded. For those who missed these games the first time around, it’s a good time to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

1

Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Improving On The Original In Every Way

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is an incredibly easy game to get into in 2025 because it was just remastered in 2024 via the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. Originally, this game got on major consoles like the PS2 and original Xbox in 2005 and then Xbox fans could emulate it on the Xbox One and beyond. For a while, that’s all that seemed possible as EA was more preoccupied with the future of this series instead of the past. Thankfully, that collection preserved what was great about the series even with some hiccups at launch. It’s still fun to jump into the game and fight as various factions like the Rebel Alliance or Clone Troopers either offline or online.