Back in 2000, it might appear that Sony and its PlayStation would dominate the console market for the foreseeable future. But then came Microsoft, and their Xbox was a major competitor. The strengths of the Xbox were obvious, as it was a powerful console that could display incredible graphics, especially for the time.
It had a solid roster of games and some key exclusives undoubtedly helped console sales. Some of these games are all time classics that everyone remembers, Halo being the most striking example. But others are a little more obscure in today’s generation. These games were exceptional, but they were largely forgotten by the general public.
ten Sudeki (2004)
Hardly anyone remembers Sudeki. In fact, hardly anyone even played it when it first released, as the game encountered painfully low sales that pretty much killed any project straight away.
Released exclusively for Xbox before receiving a PC port, Sudeki is a retro RPG reminiscent of the glory days of the genre. It takes place on the planets Illumina and Akloria and contains traditional JRPG gameplay. While the story has often been criticized for being derivative, much praise has centered on the game’s unique combat system.
9 The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay (2004)
Although it was one of the best games of its time, many people don’t remember the surprising success that was The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Video games based on movies never tend to perform well critically, but this is the amazing exception.
The gameplay was an exciting combination of shooter, stealth, and RPG, with intuitive shooting and combat controls. It was also praised for its incredible graphics, which rivaled the likes of Halo 2, a title released the same year.
8 Galleon
For some reason pirate games like Sea of Thieves are quite rare. Even if the theme lends itself perfectly to the video game format, very few have taken advantage of its potential. Galleon is the exception.
Released as an Xbox exclusive in June 2004, Galleon is essentially Grave robber set in a world of pirates. Although this is a very inexpensive imitation of Grave robberit still contained all the imaginative adventure and incredible sense of scale that gamers have come to expect from the popular series.
7 TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (2005)
At the end of the life of the Xbox, Free Radical Design’s TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. Despite its apparent popularity throughout the 2000s, the TimeSplitters the series was unfortunately lost in time.
It’s a shame, because they were some of the best first person shooters of their time. Perfect future was exceptionally good, with an imaginative story, smooth and rewarding FPS mechanics, fantastic level design, and a fun multiplayer component.
6 Gun (2005)
Like pirate games, the Western genre is woefully underused. Maybe it’s because Red Dead Redemption staked out such an unbeatable claim in the genre. But, every once in a while, gamers are given a fun and rewarding western video game, and Firearm was one of them despite his unimaginative title.
It was one of the best Western games of its time, and it was nominated for numerous industry awards that recognized its voice acting, music, and history. Unfortunately, a sequel never came, and Firearm fainted in the dark.
5 State of emergency (2002)
Rockstar has developed and released some amazing games. Unfortunately everyone tends to forget Emergency state. This game was only released by Rockstar, having been developed by a company called VIS Entertainment.
There wasn’t much in the gameplay, but it received great reviews nonetheless thanks to its wonderful sense of humor – a Rockstar staple – its simplistic yet addicting gameplay and technological prowess. Additionally, like many titles backed by Rockstar, it has sparked significant controversy for its violence.
4 Blood Harbinger 2 (2002)
Although it was developed and published by prominent names — Crystal Dynamics and Eidos, respectively—Blood Harbinger 2 is not widely recognized within the modern gaming community.
The game was part of the Kain’s legacy series, taking place in an alternate timeline from the first Harbinger of blood. While he hasn’t broken new ground on the show’s lore, Blood Harbinger 2 was nonetheless a solid action-adventure game with a fun story and an amazing atmosphere.
3 Brothers in Arms: Road To Hill 30 (2005)
World War II video games cost a dime a dozen in the early 2000s, and it was hard to compete with the likes of Call of Duty. But, the developers kept trying, offering their own unique versions on the well-trodden genre. Gearbox has created a great game called Brothers in arms: road to hill 30, which emphasized tactics rather than shooting.
The unique and refreshing gameplay combined with advanced production values to create an exciting new addition to the genre, and he’s launched his own franchise in the process. Although it no longer exists, the Brothers in arms franchise is worth remembering.
2 Cold Fear (2005)
After the historic release of Resident Evil 4, many developers were creating their own version of the game in order to take advantage of the craze. Darkworks created Scared, which came out two months later. Although they clearly did not copy Resident Evil-with the output window being far too close for this to be the case, the games nonetheless have some surprising similarities.
While it obviously wasn’t as good as the legendary game, it nonetheless contained solid third-person shooter mechanics that offered more Resident Evil 4 experience for those who had recently completed it.
1 Oddworld: Wrath of the Stranger (2005)
Oddworld: The Wrath of the Stranger was undeniably one of the greatest original Xbox exclusives. The game has received continued love over the years thanks to endless ports including a mobile worm for Apple and Android, but Strange world never really broke into the mainstream.
Upon its release in 2005, the game received high praise for its history, unique setting and level design, as well as the fun gameplay mechanics of its “live ammunition” system. He never competed with the likes of Halo in terms of popularity, but it was just as fun for many Xbox gamers.
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