Underrated Xbox Games That You Must Play
Tim
8/21/20253 min read
Ryse Son of Rome
Ryse Son of Rome is the last AAA game from Crytek that released day 1 when Xbox One launched.
Initially dismissed as just a mere tech demo, the game graphically holds up so well by today standards, it looks great on Xbox One consoles and with the scaleability of CryEngine on PC it looks gorgeous. The environments, lighting, facial animations, and Roman set pieces are still among the best in cinematic action games
While it's a linear game, the expectations of the gaming media drowned this game in unfair comparisons with other similar games like God of War and Assassins Creed.
It’s about 6-8 hours long which means it's a perfect weekend playthrough or an in between game between big RPG games. You get a complete story, satisfying arc, and gorgeous visuals without a 100-hour time commitment or level grind.
Lost Odyssey is the spiritual successor to Final Fantasy developed by the Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi
Released exclusively on Xbox 360 and now playable only on consoles through backwards compatibility this criminally underrated game was released on a platform that was known more for it's WRPG (Western RPGs) than the eastern counterpart and it didn't find the deserved audience.
The story and characters are emotionally charged, full of substance and subtlety, tackling themes like love, mortality, time and memories.
The gameplay is unique and deep that influenced games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (check out our review), the ring gameplay mechanic when executing basic attacks, how characters need to learn from each other skills and the lack of grinding for leveling it's the most accessible JRPG to date!
Sunset Overdrive
Lost Odyssey
Sunset Overdrive is the only Insomniac game that is not available to play on any of the PlayStation consoles and it's a damn shame!
A zombie game at it's core but with a very fun twist that makes a commentary on mega corporations kinda like Resident Evil but the goof meter is turned to 11!
Gameplay is very complex and while it is a bit difficult to get your grips on, once you master the movement you can become a literal bouncing ball of death that smashes hordes of monsters easily with wacky weapons.
This game might as well be the last fully original game that comes out of Insomniac considering they are now a Marvel studio making Spider Man games and the newly announced Wolverine game that fans are eagerly awaiting.
It's a massively underrated game that you can play for cheap on Xbox consoles or PC via Steam, go and try it out!
Age of Mythology Retold
Age of Mythology is a classic! Now being remade from the ground up with:
better textures and graphics,
more options in customising your game in Skirmish mode,
expanded campaign DLC with Chinese and Japanese pantheons,
reliable multiplayer,
mod support,
new game modes like the Co-Op campaign Arena of Gods
While the original campaign has a captivating story, with the newly added modes and goodies Age of Mythology Retold will definitely scratch that RTS itch and then some!
Legendary fun game that will enchant and provide a lot of content it's massively underrated and you should definitely play it since it's available everywhere, yes even on PS5!
Quantum Break
Quantum Break is a unique game that combined third-person shooter gameplay with live-action TV episodes that reacted to player choices. Yes the choices you make in the gameplay section you will see as easter eggs in the live TV episodes that makes the integration between these 2 different mediums very intriguing
Across the game there are player paths or junction points where the players must make a choice that will affect the story and gameplay of the game making replayability very inviting to see all the paths and see the consequences for every decision.
The time travel story is one of the best in the genre, even though it was layered and exploring paradoxes, it always kept my attention and didn't lose me in the sci fi mumbo jumbo throwing fake science on the player however it wasn't dumbed down, which may have alienated some players, but for those who enjoy sci-fi it was rich with lore.
The gameplay was also stellar making time manipulation powers seem grounded but powerful, freezing enemies, dodging bullets or rewinding objects, the combat always felt dynamic and refreshing.
Thanks for reading until the end!
Please let me know: did you play any of these games?
Do you plan on playing any of these games now that you know more about them?
Tim loves games. His gaming hobby comprises of RTS, RPG, Strategy, JRPG and Action Adventure games so if you are a fellow fan, or you never heard of these genres before, he hopes that through his writing, he can make you at least curious to try these amazing games that we all love and enjoy.
Tim - Find me on X
