2024 was a phenomenal year for Xbox fans, as a number of high-profile exclusives such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and on the first day Game Pass drops like Hinterberg Dungeons have made it a worthwhile platform. Although the Series X/S got off to a rocky start, potential buyers and longtime fans now have more than enough to get their hands on. Of course, not every game is exclusive, but even third-party games tend to run better on the Series X.
From some of the best open-world Xbox games to surprisingly unique indies, there are plenty of phenomenal 2024 Xbox games worth playing. Of course, while it may be tempting to add all the great games to a backlog, sometimes it's better to narrow the list down to just the best ones. Happily, It's easy to choose some of the best Xbox games of 2024 which is worth playing.
10
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (Ninja Theory)
A beautiful narrative-driven adventure
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 had the difficult task of following up on the excellent first game that perfectly explored its themes of loss and mental health. Fortunately, despite some big boots to fill, Hellblade 2 more than lived up to its predecessoroffering players a comparable and often superior experience with some of the most stunning visuals ever seen in video game history.
Its greater scope and scale allow it to be a much more ambitious gamewith an expanded cast helping to flesh out the story and also guide Senua herself on her new adventure. It's also a much more cinematic experience, despite the original already being incredibly cinematic, thanks in large part to the greatly improved visuals. Although they are not everything, Hellblade 2 It's absolutely worth playing for the stunning views alone.
9
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (Asobo Studio)
It's smooth sailing after a rocky takeoff
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 got off to a bit of a rocky start thanks in large part to incredibly long load times and an over-reliance on texture streaming. This is a fairly common problem in modern games that served as a quick fix to prevent game file sizes from increasing further. Players were encountering a multitude of glitches, struggling to get into the game, and watching as the world sprung up around them or remained an obscure mess.
However, despite this unfortunate start, Asobo Studio has done a remarkable job fixing and improving Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024becoming the valuable experience it always should have been. It's a much more dynamic and impressive game than its predecessors, making it the ultimate flight simulator and the perfect way to cruise around for a few hours.
8
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl (GSC Game World)
One of the best survival horror games
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl was easily one of the most anticipated Xbox games of 2024 thanks to the plethora of delays and extremely eye-catching early gameplay reveals. Fortunately, apart from some bugs at launch, STALKER 2 delivers absolutely in virtually every way, offering a fully immersive adventure through a frightening apocalyptic wasteland peppered with anomaliess that want nothing more than to kill the player. It's the best lone wanderer simulator and is perfect for Precipitation fans.
STALKER 2 was one of many big AAA titles launching on Xbox Game Pass in 2024, but it easily made the biggest impression thanks to its attention to detail, immersive world that feels genuinely alive, and excellent gunplay. It's a tough game that doesn't hold the player's hand, but also rewards you for curious exploration and a keen understanding of fundamental systems. STALKER 2 is an excellent FPS game and one of the best Xbox games of 2024if not all the time.
7
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (Capcom)
A truly creative action game
Capcom has been playing a role lately, with titles like Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 6, Dragon's Dogma 2and many more, not only proving to be commercial successes but also critical darlings that impress newcomers and dedicated fans alike. Happily, Capcom also saw value in unique and creative experienceslike its wonderfully original action title, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.
It's hard to describe Kunitsu-Gami for it is more than it may seem on the surface level. It is perhaps best exemplified by its dance-like combat, in which the player runs around the battlefield eliminating Oni as they desperately try to defend their soldiers and defenses. It's a well-crafted mix of tower defense and an action-packed third-person experience with some of the most stunning art directions in gaming history.
6
Dungeons Of Hinterberg (Microbird Games)
Persona 5 meets the Legend of Zelda
Hinterberg Dungeons It established itself as one of the best indies on Game Pass when it launched exclusively for Xbox and PC in early 2024. It achieved this feat thanks to its incredible combination of Person-like social simulation gameplay and Legend of Zelda dungeon exploration. Hinterberg Dungeons it often feels like an obvious game that should have been made years ago and replicated time and time again, and yet it still stands out as a truly unique experience despite its obviously phenomenal fusion of great gameplay styles.
Players venture to Hinterberg in search of adventure and a new life. They do this by entering creatively crafted dungeons, no two of which are alike, and solving puzzles while fighting challenging enemies. After beating a dungeon or exploring the open areas, players are sent back to the central area where they can hang out with the citizens of Hinterberg or participate in a fun activity like going to the movies. There's also a delightfully relatable story about finding your place in the world and following the passions for profits that help bring the entire experience together.
Nominated for GOTY in 2024
Metaphor: ReFantazio redefined Atlus' approach to game designoffering a completely original experience inspired by the developer's previous titles such as Personwhile also offering many of his own interesting ideas. Ultimately, this earned it a well-deserved GOTY nomination at the 2024 Game Awards, which, while it didn't win, shows exactly why it's one of the best Xbox games of 2024.
Metaphor: ReFantazio The mix of fascinating combat and meaningful exploration is greatly elevated by a plot full of twists and turns, as well as a cast of lovable characters that are perhaps some of the most developed in all of Atlus' work. It manages to maintain a consistently engaging level of intrigue throughout its nearly 100 hour running time. while also ensuring we constantly introduce new gameplay ideas to keep things fresh.
4
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (Saber Interactive)
The best third-person shooter
Warhammer 40,000: Marine 2 It probably came as a surprise to those who didn't40 thousand fans and those who missed the first game in the series. It absolutely dominated the charts for a considerable period of time thanks to its generous wealth of content and an entirely well-polished gameplay loop that kept players coming back for more. Of course, its biggest highlight is the gripping narrative centered on the burly Titus and his exploits to overthrow the Sorcerer Lord of Chaos, Imurah.
However, It's the constantly updated operations that make players want to replay the game over and over againas its infinitely replayable mission structure and engaging reward cycle make returning a genuinely exciting proposition. Warhammer 40,000: Marine 2 also introduces a new multiplayer mode that helps remind players of a better time in the game, where developers can experiment with additional modes.
A legendary strategy game
Age of Mythology: Retold I got the classic Age of Mythology experience and renewed it for a modern audience. It completely transformed the original gameplay loop, adding even more content, improving the overall visuals, and making it playable with a controller. There are over 50 missions for players to completeas well as multiple gods to choose from across the Norse, Greek, Atlantean, and Egyptian pantheons.
Age of Mythology: Retold it was also a showcase of Xbox's diverse lineup in 2024. It helped space out FPS titles and third-person action games with a strategy experience that appealed to newcomers and dedicated fans alike. Xbox truly released something for everyone in 2024, and Age of Mythology: Retold is the absolutely perfect game for anyone looking for a strategy game with significant depth.
2
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Treyarch, Raven Software)
One of the best COD games of recent times
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a back-to-basics hit that has impressed players around the world thanks to its impressive campaign and thoroughly fun multiplayer mode. While its inclusion in Game Pass certainly helped increase player numbers at launch, Black Ops 6 new approach to the COD the formula, as well as its many improvements, have had an absolute hand in the fact that it is one of the most successful titles in the long-running series.
Continued the Black Ops narrative, bringing back a handful of fan-favorite characters and further expanding its conspiracy theory-filled world. Black Ops 6 is being considered one of the best in its own subseries as well as the entire franchise as a whole, which is an impressive feat, especially considering the failure of the previous one COD games. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 It's worth playing for anyone looking for a fast-paced blockbuster FPS.
1
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (MachineGames)
A surprise successful franchise
Perhaps the biggest surprise coming to Xbox in 2024 is the wonderful creativity Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Of course, it had the iconic IP helping to sustain it and bring in a dedicated group of fans on day one. However, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle doesn't rely too much on this - although it does have plenty of fan service moments - and instead offers an incredible, independent game that more than lives up to the hype and expectations it promises.
Related
This is thanks to the wonderfully talented developers at MachineGames who had a vision for how Indiana Jones it would work as a first-person experience, and it worked with aplomb. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Not only is it an amazing Indiana Jones game, it's also a phenomenal, narrative-driven, action-packed game in general, and one of the best Xbox games of 2024.
Source: Capcom USA/YouTube, Xbox/YouTube