Two decades have passed since the Xbox 360 first launched in the UK on 2 December 2005, marking the beginning of a transformative era for console gaming. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, we look back at the 15 most important, influential, and unforgettable games that defined the platform's legacy, from groundbreaking exclusives to titles that found their first home on Microsoft's console.
The Pioneers of Digital and Design
The console's digital marketplace, Xbox Live Arcade, was revolutionised by Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved (2005). This frenetic, vector-graphics twin-stick shooter, originally a mini-game in Project Gotham Racing, proved standalone digital titles could attract massive audiences and set the standard for indie success.
Meanwhile, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) redefined the open-world RPG. Players lost millions of hours in the sprawling province of Cyrodiil, prioritising exploration and emergent adventures over the main quest, setting a new benchmark for player freedom.
In a surprise hit, Uno (2006) became a cultural phenomenon. It pioneered webcam play on consoles and was a wildly addictive, socially driven downloadable title that often derailed plans to play more traditional blockbusters.
Exclusives and Genre-Defining Masterpieces
Microsoft's first-party studios delivered unique experiences. Viva Piñata (2006) disguised Darwinian garden management within a deceptively colourful family-friendly facade, while Fable II (2008) offered a heartwarming, distinctly British fantasy RPG full of charm and personality.
The console also hosted third-party exclusives of immense quality. Gears of War 2 (2008) perfected the cover-based shooter and introduced the iconic Horde mode. Lost Odyssey (2008), from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, delivered a classic, story-rich JRPG experience. The brutally difficult Ninja Gaiden II (2008) set the bar for precision action combat long before the Souls genre rose to prominence.
Blockbusters and Shared Experiences
The Xbox 360 was home to era-defining blockbusters. BioShock (2007) blended immersive sim gameplay with a profound philosophical narrative in the doomed undersea city of Rapture. Halo 3 (2007) concluded the original trilogy with epic scale and a peerless multiplayer suite, bolstered by the revolutionary Forge map editor.
BioWare's Mass Effect (2007) launched a seminal sci-fi saga, mixing RPG depth with squad combat and a gripping narrative. For party play, nothing surpassed Rock Band 2 (2008), the ultimate social music game that had friends singing and playing plastic instruments together.
The Indie and Innovation Showcase
Xbox Live Arcade further proved its worth as a platform for innovation with Limbo (2010). Playdead's monochrome puzzle-platformer was an atmospheric, critical, and commercial success, proving a mass market for avant-garde gaming experiences.
The racing genre was reinvented with Forza Horizon (2012), which traded circuit racing for an open-world Colorado festival of driving. Finally, Trials Evolution (2012) captivated players with its fiendishly tricky, physics-based motorbike stunts and a powerful level editor, fostering a dedicated community.
As the Xbox 360 turns 20, its legacy is cemented not just by hardware sales, but by this incredible library of games. These 15 titles showcase a period of daring experimentation, genre evolution, and pure entertainment that shaped the expectations of a generation of players and developers alike.
