So you unwrapped (or treated yourself to) a brand new Xbox One S or Xbox One X yesterday. Hopefully, it was updated and ready to go and perhaps included a bundled game. Even if it did, you’re probably wondering what to play next so here’s the top ten Xbox One games of 2018 as listed by Metacritic.
Xbox Play Anywhere
Before we begin, there are a couple other features worth mentioning first. Some games come with the Xbox Play Anywhere logo which means you can buy it once and play it on your Xbox One and Windows 10 computer. This includes games like Forza Horizon 4, Cuphead, ARK: Survival Evolved, and many others.
Backward Compatibility
If you have an Xbox 360, you may already have a lot of games that you can already play on your new Xbox One. With well over 550 Backward Compatible games, you can play many of your existing games like older Assassin’s Creed titles, Bioshock, Borderlands, Mass Effect, and many, many others on your new console. Simply insert the game disc and you’re good to go. If you purchased an Xbox 360 game digitally, you can head to the Store on your Xbox One to download your compatible digital Xbox 360 games.
Xbox Live Gold
To get the most out of your Xbox One, you’ll want to sign up for Xbox Live Gold. For starters, this will let you play online with other gamers for games that have multiplayer. Second, you’ll be able to download five free games a month — three Xbox One and usually two Xbox 360 titles — to play on your Xbox One with the Games with Gold program. The caveat here is that if you let your XBL Gold subscription lapse, you will no longer have access to those games. However, if you start up your subscription at a later date, you’ll regain access to those games and will have just missed out on games made available in between.
Xbox Game Pass
This is easily my favourite feature of the Xbox One. With Xbox Game Pass, you pay a monthly subscription fee and get access to over 100 games. These games started including Microsoft exclusives like Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4 on the day they are released. While you have an active Xbox Game Pass subscription, you can play the base version of any game in the library and save on the actual game purchase or any DLC for the game. While some games come and go from the service, there are quite a few that have been available since the day the program launched. Even better? The first month usually only costs you US$1.
Xbox One X Enhanced
Many games are now Xbox One X Enhanced, meaning that they offer 4K and/or HDR graphics capabilities as well as higher framerates in some cases, further enhancing the gaming experience on the Xbox One X. These games will still play on the original Xbox One or Xbox One S, they just look and play better on the Xbox One X.
Top Ten Xbox One Games
Now for the list. Just a quick word, these are the top ten Xbox One games that were released in 2018 according to Metacritcs combined reviewer scores, starting at #10.
#10. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Write your own epic odyssey and become a legendary Spartan hero in Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey, an inspiring adventure where you must forge your destiny and define your own path in a world on the brink of tearing itself apart. Influence how history unfolds as you experience a rich and ever-changing world shaped by your decisions.
*Xbox One X Enhanced
[button link=”https://amzn.to/2BFBxJg” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button][button link=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/assassins-creed-odyssey/bw9twc8l4jcs?activetab=pivot:overviewtab” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]#9. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
From the makers of Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DmC: Devil May Cry, comes a warrior’s brutal journey into myth and madness. Set in the Viking age, a broken Celtic warrior embarks on a haunting vision quest into Viking Hell to fight for the soul of her dead lover. Created in collaboration with neuroscientists and people who experience psychosis, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will pull you deep into Senua’s mind.
*Xbox One X Enhanced
[button link=”https://amzn.to/2BJE59h” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button][button link=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hellblade-senuas-sacrifice/c4z7qm8fsxm2?activetab=pivot:overviewtab” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]#8. The Banner Saga 3
[button link=”https://amzn.to/2RnnuBM” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button][button link=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/banner-saga-3/c308tkbjmz8w?activetab=pivot:overviewtab” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]Banner Saga 3 is the final dramatic chapter in the mature, story driven Viking RPG series which has won over 20 awards and has been nominated for 4 BAFTA awards. As the world continues to crumble around you, who can you trust, how will you protect your allies and what choices will you make as the Darkness draws near?
Witness the Banner Saga as you’ve never seen it before as a dark force takes over and effects everything you’ve come to know in the beautifully hand-painted finale of the trilogy.
Choose new playable characters to join your party, including dredge heroes! Take advantage of new upgrade options as they progress in battle.
Deeper strategic combat with the new battle waves system against a myriad of new enemies. The valka spear and heroic titles let players customize their playstyle even further.
Drive your own narrative as you carry over your choices from both Banner Sagas 1 & 2, leading to different climatic endings in this final chapter. No hero is safe.
An all-new original score from Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory.
#7. Monster Hunter: World
Welcome to a new world! Take on the role of a hunter and slay ferocious monsters in a living, breathing ecosystem where you can use the landscape and its diverse inhabitants to get the upper hand. Hunt alone or in co-op with up to three other players, and use materials collected from fallen foes to craft new gear and take on even bigger, badder beasts!
*Xbox One X Enhanced
[button link=”https://amzn.to/2CyChkT” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button][button link=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/monster-hunter-world/bng91pt95lqn?activetab=pivot:overviewtab” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]#6. NieR:Automata BECOME AS GODS Edition
Invaders from another world attack without warning – unleashing the machine lifeforms. To break the deadlock, a new breed of android infantry is sent into the fray: the YoRHa squad. Highly-acclaimed and
award winning NieR:Automata ™ is a fresh take on the action role-playing game (RPG) genre that gracefully blends mesmerizing action with a captivating story.The NieR
:Automata ™ BECOME AS GODS Edition includes the action-packed 3C3C1D119440927 downloadable content* which features “Revealing Outfit” costume for 2B, “Young Man’s Outfit” costume for 9S and “Destroyer Outfit” costume for A2. After completing new sub-quests in this downloadable content, you can enjoy playing the game while wearing these costumes fromNieR Replicant. Sub-quests take the form of three different battle challenges at three different colosseums. Special music video: NieR:Automata meetsamazarashi “Deserving of Life,” from collaboration with rock bandamazarashi , is also included as part of the scenario.The NieR
:Automata ™ BECOME AS GODS Edition also includes the following content:
• Machine Mask Accessory
• Grimoire Weiss Pod
• Cardboard Pod Skin
• Retro Grey Pod Skin
• Retro Red Pod Skin*To enjoy this content you will need to have progressed a certain way into the main story of the game. There are also some scenes during the progression of the main game scenario in which this content cannot be accessed.
*Xbox One X Enhanced
[button link=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/nier-automata-become-as-gods-edition/bppzvt8bz15n?activetab=pivot:overviewtab” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]#5. Dead Cells
[button link=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/dead-cells/bqscns1t8phq?activetab=pivot:overviewtab” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]Dead Cells puts you in control of a failed alchemic experiment trying to figure out what’s happening on a sprawling, ever-changing and seemingly cursed Island. Tough but fair combat, responsive controls, challenging foes, permadeath and of course, the emergency panic roll to get you out of trouble, make for a demanding, visceral and cathartic action game.
Experience a Roguevania, mixing an interconnected world, branching paths and unlockable skills with the constant adrenaline-pumping threat of permadeath. No checkpoints. You either vanquish the final boss in one go, or you try again. However, you keep some of your progress for successive runs; new paths you’ve unlocked, access to new levels, mutations, abilities and weapons.
Speaking of weapons, Dead Cells features a plethora of ways to slay your enemies. A large variety of swords, bows and of course spells, but also whips, grenades and turrets, each one with its own unique twist. Plus, mutations and scrolls allow you to build and customize your character differently with each and every run.
At the end of the day though, it’s YOUR skills as a player that matter most! Roguelites are about constantly sharpening your skills, until what was an insurmountable obstacle becomes a walk in the park. Patience, you’ll get better!… eventually.
#4. Forza Horizon 4
Dynamic seasons change everything at the world’s greatest automotive festival. Go it alone or team up with others to explore beautiful and historic Britain in a shared open world. Collect, modify and drive over 450 cars. Race, stunt, create and explore – choose your own path to become a Horizon Superstar.
*Xbox One X Enhanced, Xbox Play Anywhere, Xbox Game Pass
[button link=”https://www.amazon.com/Forza-Horizon-4-Standard-Xbox-One/dp/B07DJZHQPX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1545850014&sr=8-1&keywords=forza%2Bhorizon%2B4%2Bxbox%2Bone&th=1″ icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button][button link=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/forza-horizon-4-standard-edition/9pnjxvcvwd4k?activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]#3. Divinity: Original Sin II – Definitive Edition
There can only be one God.
The Divine is dead. The Void approaches. And the powers lying dormant within you are soon to awaken. The battle for Divinity has begun. Choose wisely and trust sparingly; darkness lurks within every heart. Master deep, tactical combat. Join up to 3 other players – but know that only one of you will have the chance to become a God, in multi-award winning RPG Divinity: Original Sin II.
*Xbox One X Enhanced
[button link=”https://amzn.to/2CA1eN6″ icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button][button link=”https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/divinity-original-sin-2-definitive-edition/bw8pvl4cj2q6?activetab=pivot:overviewtab” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]#2. Celeste
[button link=”SOURCELINK” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button][button link=”SOURCELINK” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Xbox[/button]Help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of Celeste Mountain, in this super-tight, hand-crafted platformer from the creators of multiplayer classic TowerFall.
• A narrative-driven, single-player adventure like mom used to make, with a charming cast of characters and a touching story of self-discovery
• A massive mountain teeming with 700+ screens of hardcore platforming challenges and devious secrets
• Brutal B-side chapters to unlock, built for only the bravest mountaineers
• IGF “Excellence in Audio” finalist, with over 2 hours of original music led by dazzling live piano and catchy synth beats
• PieThe controls are simple and accessible – simply jump, air-dash, and climb – but with layers of expressive depth to master, where every death is a lesson. Lightning-fast respawns keep you climbing as you uncover the mysteries of the mountain and brave its many perils.
This is it, Madeline. Just breathe. You can do this.
#1. Red Dead Redemption 2
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed.
After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.
From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
*Xbox One X Enhanced
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Of course, this list was just of games released in 2018. Given the Xbox One has been out for 5 years, there are plenty of other great games to choose from, often at a discounted price. If none of the games above tickle your fancy, other great choices include Grand Theft Auto V, INSIDE, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Overwatch, Fallout 4, Minecraft: Xbox One Edition, Ori and the Blind Forest, and Cuphead.
Did you get a new Xbox One for Christmas? What game are you looking forward to playing the most? What do you think about the top ten games of 2018 as rated by critics? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
