Ten Best Xbox One Games of 2023 (so far)

Video games are released every year, with some serving as a follow-up entry to a popular franchise, and some becoming a hype simply because of how the developers and publishers promote them. Sometimes, when the game is officially released, it would be able to live up to its hype, but there are also times that they don’t. Since videogames require you to spend money to play the game, spending it on disappointing games may result in frustrations among gamers. This is why many of these gamers read videogame reviews beforehand, and even “let’s plays” to  check if a game is worth buying or not.

On this page, we have listed down 10 of the best Xbox One games that were released during the first and second quarter (and part of the third quarter) of 2017 to help you out in deciding which games were able to live up to its hype.

The games listed below are not Xbox One exclusive, which means that if you own a PlayStation 4 or a PC running on Microsoft Windows, you may also refer to this list for the best games that were released since January of this year. If you are looking for iPhone games, then you may refer to our list of the best iPhone games of 2017. But if you are looking for PS4 games that have yet to be released, you may also want to check out our list of the ten most anticipated PlayStation 4 games for the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2017.

What Remains of Edith Finch

Developer : Giant Sparrow

Publisher : Annapurna Interactive

Other Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : April 25, 2017 ; July 19, 2017 (Xbox One)

What Remains of Edith Finch is a narrative adventure game presented in a first-person perspective. It was released worldwide on April 25, 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. It tells the story of a family living somewhere in Washington that is somehow cursed. For the past five generations, every member of the Finches have died an untimely death and from those generations, only one from each was able to survive.

The player controls the protagonist Edith Finch, who is the youngest child of the last remaining member of the Finch family, Dawn Finch. The player will be exploring the Finch estate, both inside the house and the area surrounding it, and will be able to progress through the game by experiencing how each family member has died, which can be done by interacting with shrines that were dedicated to each deceased family member.

Reception

Steam : 10 out of 10

IGN : 8.8 out of 10

Metacritic : 88%

Injustice 2

Developer : NetherRealm Studios

Publisher : Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Other Platforms : Android, iOS, PlayStation 4

Release Date : May 11, 2017 (Android iOS) ; May 16-19, 2017 (PS4, Xbox One)

Injustice 2 is a sequel to the highly acclaimed 2013 videogame, Injustice: Gods Among Us. This one was released on May 11, 2017 for Android and iOS devices, and on May 16 to 19, 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. Just like its predecessor, this is a fighting video game which allows to take control of DC superheroes or super villains, which range from Superman to the newcomer of this game, Darkseid.

Though numerous gameplay mechanics were retained for this game, including environment interactivity, unique character traits, and the super meter which allows you to perform “super moves”, there are new features added to this game. One of these new features is the “gear system”, which is inspired from RPG-games, and this offers upgrades to characters after obtaining experience from matches.

The synopsis of this game continues where Injustice: Gods Among Us left off, but unlike the first game wherein it takes place in multiple universes, this one is focused entirely within an alternate universe. Here, just as Batman and his colleagues try to fix the world after defeating Superman, a new faction led by Gorilla Grodd called “The Society” reveals itself and plans to dominate the world. It is now up to Batman and his new team of superheroes to try and stop The Society from taking over the world.

Reception

GameSpot : 9 out of 10

IGN : 9 out of 10

Metacritic : 88%

Resident Evil VII: Biohazard

Developer : Capcom

Publisher : Capcom

Other Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : January 24, 2017

While this may seem like the seventh entry to the main franchise, this game is actually the eleventh main entry and the twenty-fourth overall game in the entire Resident Evil series. For the first time, the entire game is played from a first person perspective. This game marks the franchise’s return to the survival-horror genre, which was lost and changed to survival action in the last two entries (Resident Evil 5 and 6). Since this game is played in the first-person perspective, it is fully compatible with the PlayStation 4 VR which can be used to play the entirety of the game.

This game introduces an entirely new set of characters which are unrelated to the ones from previous entries. The player will control the protagonist, Ethan Winters, who is a civilian and has very minimal combat skills, though he does have the capability to handle a variety of firearms including pistols, shotguns, and explosives.

Unlike Resident Evil 5 and 6, this one focuses more on the horror and puzzle-solving elements, which the first few games were well-known for. Just like the old Resident Evil games, this one is not all about shooting every enemy you come into contact with since there are lesser ammo here than the actual number of enemies, so you really need to learn to conserve your ammunition. Lastly, there is one thing about this game that fans of the old ones will rejoice for, and that is the return of the item boxes, which is the main storage system where you can leave your stuff if your inventory is already filled up.

If you are playing this game on a PC, you may want to consider using additional accessories to fully immerse yourself to this game. If you do, then refer to our list of the best PC gaming accessories of 2017.

Reception

GameSpot : 8 out of 10

IGN : 7.7 out of 10

Metacritic : 86%

Prey

Developer : Arkane Studios

Publisher : Bethesda Softworks

Other Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : May 5, 2017

Prey is a futuristic first-person shooter game with some RPG and stealth elements that serves as a reboot of the 2006 video game of the same name, which was actually developed by Human Head Studios and published by 2K Games. The latter game was planned to have a sequel, Prey 2, which was still developed by Human Head, but will be published by Bethesda Softworks this time. Sadly, this sequel encountered a lot of issues and was eventually cancelled, which led to the team who was able to purchase the rights to work on a reboot of the franchise instead doing a sequel. This rebooted game does not make use of any of the original game and its sequel’s elements, except for the fact that it uses the title of the game and the idea of being hunted by alien creatures.

The game takes place in an alternate, fictional timeline wherein the former US President, John F. Kennedy was able to survive from his assassination attempt, which allowed him to direct more funds to space programs. Because of the disturbance caused by humans, a group of different alien species collectively attacks Earth as a way of sending a message to stop the activities in space.

The player will be controlling the protagonist, Morgan Yu, who is aboard a space station trying to survive from the hostile aliens present. Morgan will be able to find weapons and other equipment all over the station and use them to defend himself from the aliens. Aside from this, the player may also be able to explore outside the station in zero gravity, and may even use these as a shorter method of moving from one part of the station to another. The hostile aliens have attributes and skills which are unique from one another, and these skills may even be gained by the player as the story progresses.

Reception

Steam : 9 out of 10

IGN : 8 out of 10

Metacritic : 84%

Little Nightmares

Developer : Tarsier Studios

Publisher : Bandai Namco Entertainment

Other Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : April 28, 2017

Little Nightmares is a horror-adventure platform video game with some puzzle-solving elements that was released in April 2017 for the Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 4. When it was released, it immediately gained positive reviews because of its creepy atmosphere, wonderful sound effects, and more importantly, its storyline.

The player will take control of a little girl named Six, who is trapped in a mysterious ship that houses a variety of creatures. The player will need to get Six out of this frightening place, and this can only be done by solving a lot of puzzles along the way and surviving attacks coming from the creatures who are also aboard the ship.

The game received “generally positive” reviews from Metacritic, which gave it an 83%. According to Destructoid, the games was able to hypnotize them with “ever-present suspense”, and gave the game an 8.5 out of 10 score. VideoGamer.com gave the game a 9 out of 10 score, saying that “Little Nightmares is frightening”, and has a way of keeping you awake all night.

Since this game has been heavily praised by critics for its atmosphere and sounds, you may want to check out our list of the best gaming headset designs.

Reception

Steam : 9 out of 10

IGN : 8.8 out of 10

GameSpot : 8 out of 10

Tekken 7

Developer : Bandai Namco Studios

Publisher : Bandai Namco Entertainment

Other Platforms : Arcade, PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : March 18, 2015 (Arcade) ; June 2, 2017 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

Tekken 7 is a 3D fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It serves as the 9th entry to the franchise, including the two “Tag Tournament” spin-offs. It was first released on limited arcade systems in Japan back in March 2015, but eventually found its way into international consoles in June 2017.

The story of the game takes place shortly after the events of Tekken 6, wherein it focuses on the ongoing conflict between Heihachi and Kazuya Mishima. Throughout the franchise, bits by bits of the true reason why Heihachi wanted to kill his son are slowly revealed, and that is because of the Devil Gene that Kazuya inherited from his mother, Kazumi, whom Heihachi killed shortly after Kazuya was born.

Much like its predecessors, this game involves a one-on-one fight between two combatants, with one being controlled by a player (for single-player story mode), and to be able to progress through the game, the player should be able to win a wave of competitors. But some new features have been added to the game, and these are the Rage and the Power Crush systems that allow their characters to have increased power during a fight.

For another fighting game that has been highly anticipated, you may want to check out Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite on our list of the ten upcoming Xbox One games.

Reception

GameSpot : 8 out of 10

IGN : 9.5 out of 10

Metacritic : 81%

Sniper Elite 4

Developer : Rebellion Developments

Publisher : Rebellion Developments

Other Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : February 14, 2017

The fourth entry to the popular stealth-shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments, Sniper Elite 4 is the sequel to Sniper Elite III, and was released on February 14, 2017 for the Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4. This game is played from a third-person perspective, and is a strategic and tactical shooter which focuses more on stealth than just shooting up every enemy that appears.

Making a return to this game are the X-ray kills, which activate when the player is able to shoot down an enemy from long distances using the sniper rifle. This X-Ray kill shows the bullet traveling all the way from the barrel of the gun to its point of impact, which then exposes body parts via X-ray mode.

As for the upgrades of this game, the enemy AI has also been significantly improved, wherein enemies are able to actively react to the player’s actions. They also have an attribute that lets them look after their colleagues constantly that when you shoot one of them; others will try to look for their fallen colleague and begin searching around the area for clues on who’s responsible.

Sniper Elite 4 takes place in Italy in 1943, after the events that occurred in the previous game. The player will control Karl Fairburne, who is a fictional SOE sniper sent to the island of San Celini who is tasked at assassinating Nazi officers who are responsible for recent attacks that happened at the start of the game.

Reception

Steam : 9 out of 10

IGN : 8.3 out of 10

GameSpot : 8 out of 10

Outlast 2

Developer : Red Barrels

Publisher : Red Barrels

Other Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : April 25, 2017

Outlast 2 is a first-person survival horror video game by Red Barrels which was released on April 25, 2017 for the Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and the PlayStation 4. This game is a follow-up to the very positively reviewed Outlast, which was released in 2015. Similar to the first game, this one focuses on stealth and evasion, with the main character incapable of defending himself from enemies, and the only way to survive an encounter is by running away from them, or by taking advantage of the environment and hiding yourself from enemies.

The player controls the protagonist Blake Langermann, an investigative journalist and cameraman who works together with his wife, Lynn. As they try to investigate a murder that occurred somewhere in the Arizona desert, their helicopter’s engine fails and crashes, which separated the two of them. Blake now has to go through caves and villages filled by hostile cultists that are trying to kill him to find Lynn.

The night vision camcorder marks a return on this game, as well as the limited battery power if the player activates the night vision mode. But as for the new features of this game, Blake’s camcorder has a sensitive microphone capable of detecting sounds from far away. Blake also has bad eyesight, and is dependent on eyeglasses to be able to see clearly. As for Blake’s stamina, it is much more limited than Miles’ from the first game or Waylon’s from the Whistleblower DLC, and this limited stamina forces the player to manage the duration of their sprint to avoid the risk of getting exhausted. Lastly, aside from the battery pickups, you can also find med kits spread throughout the game that you can use to heal Blake, as opposed to the automatic health regeneration feature from the first game.

Reception

Steam : 9 out of 10

IGN : 8.3 out of 10

Game Revolution: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Developer : Ubisoft Paris

Publisher : Ubisoft

Other Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : March  7, 2017

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, is a third-person tactical shooter video game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was released on March 7, 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows, and serves as the tenth installment in the Ghost Recon game series.

Unlike the previous entries in the franchise that were more on the futuristic theme, this one goes back to the present setting, similar to the first Ghost Recon game. For the first time in the series, this one features an open world environment, and is considered by the Ubisoft as one of the biggest open world games that they have published.

This game’s setting is in Bolivia in 2019, with a Mexican drug cartel called the Santa Blanca gaining more power and influence in the country. Because of this, the United States Army dispatches the “Ghosts”, which is a team of elite special operations unit, in order to destroy the cartel and expose its reported connections with the local government.

Reception

Steam : 7 out of 10

Game Informer: 8.25 out of 10

GamesRadar : 4.5 out of 5 stars

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Developer : BioWare Montreal

Publisher : Electronic Arts

Other Platforms : PC, PlayStation 4

Release Date : March 21, 2017

Mass Effect: Andromeda is a third-person action-adventure game with RPG elements which is developed by BioWare Montreal and published by Electronic Arts. This game was released on March 21, 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. It is the fourth entry in the Mass Effect game series, and serves as the sequel to Mass Effect 3. which was released in 2012.

When compared to the previous titles, this game has a more lighter tone, and focuses more on exploration by featuring an open world environment. Though most gameplay elements from previous entries have returned for this one, modifications have been made to others as well, such as the combat system, which now focuses more on mobility and less on the cover-and-shoot mechanic. Since this game features open world elements, it has been considered as the largest in the series, and gives the player more freedom to choose between the main quest or the side quests.

The game takes place in between the events of Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. The player can choose to control either Scott or Sara Ryder, who are twins that were recruited to help their father, Alec Ryder, in the Andromeda Strategy. This is a plan initiated by different races and species to scout for other planets in the Andromeda Galaxy that may be able to hold life so that these species will be provided a new home.

Though many would say that this game is a good addition to the franchise and that fans of the series may still enjoy it, there are also others that say that this game can never surpass the original trilogy, but is still worth playing.

Reception

Game Informer : 8 out of 10

IGN : 7.7 out of 10

PC Gamer : 80%

So, do you agree with our list of this years ten best Xbox One video games? Or do you think that there are other games that deserve to be in this list? Well, any gamer has their own opinion, but we sincerely hope that this article was informative and entertaining enough for you.

Before you go, you may want to check out our list of ten of the best mobile games of 2017.