Eurogamer's Top 10 Xbox 360 Games
Our current favourites.
You read every review on the internet, play every demo and gorge yourself on podcasts and trailers, but sometimes you vanquish the final boss and you're faced with the question of what to play next and you still don't know where to turn. Fortunately we're here for you. This page lists Eurogamer's Top 10 Xbox 360 Games and a few personal recommendations from staff.
We will update this page periodically with new additions, although we won't add games to the list as soon as they are released - we'll wait for the dust to settle a bit and then make our minds up.
Top 10 Xbox 360 Games
Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
We ended up giving Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood a slightly higher score, but if you want to see what all the fuss is about then this is the best starting point. The rooftops of Florence and Venice are beautiful and addictive playgrounds and the use of historical events and characters enhances the mystery and suspense no end.
Assassin's Creed II review (9/10)
Batman: Arkham City (Warner Bros. / Rocksteady Games)
With Batman: Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady made the Batman game we'd always wanted. With Arkham City, the London developer made the Batman game we never dared to hope for - a controlled but open world that gives us all the tools to live up to the mantle of the World's Greatest Detective.
Batman: Arkham City review (9/10)
BioShock (2K Games / Irrational Games)
At its core, BioShock is a simple action game where you use a combination of explosive genetic powers and traditional weaponry to vanquish the crazed inhabitants of an abandoned underwater city. But it's much more than that: a haunted world of fascinating secrets, one of the best fusions of FPS and RPG since System Shock, and even a meditation on the illusion of free will.
BioShock review (10/10)
Gears of War 3 (Microsoft / Epic Games)
Marcus Fenix and his bull-necked comrades live on the precipice between pure awesome and pure cheese. The brilliance of Epic's gutsy shooter is that it knows just how close to the edge it can get before it reels things back in. Daft and daring in equal measure, Gears of War 3 is the beating heart of the modern squad shooter. And it's still one of the best multiplayer games ever, too.
Gears of War 3 review (8/10)
Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks / Bethesda Game Studios)
Epic to the extent that it can be overwhelming, at its simplest Fallout 3 is the story of a boy trying to locate his father in a post-apocalyptic wilderness. But it's much more than that: it's an intricate, occasionally savage and hauntingly memorable role-playing game where success and failure are always the sum of your decision-making rather than the game's.
Fallout 3 review (10/10)
FIFA 12 (EA Sports / EA Canada)
After a dip in form in 2010, FIFA reasserts itself as the best football game in town - a brilliant simulation of 22 men kicking a cowskin around a couple of grassy acres, embellished with more options and licences than ever and enough riveting potential that you probably won't tire of it until just before the next one comes out.
FIFA 12 review (9/10)
Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar Games / Rockstar North)
Still Rockstar's best game of this generation, GTA IV is the story of an East European immigrant hitting the streets of New York - sorry, Liberty City - and finding himself dragged into the depths of organised crime by his dysfunctional family and poor decision-making. Dark, subversive and funny, and the cellphone remains one of the best ideas in openworld city games since car-jacking.
Grand Theft Auto IV review (10/10)
Halo: Reach (Microsoft / Bungie)
How could Halo survive without Master Chief? Easily, at least on the evidence of this confident swansong for series creator Bungie. A prequel of sorts, taking players back to the Fall of Reach, this is more than just a reshuffle of existing assets, as the introduction of jetpacks and different armour types has lasting repercussions for the single player campaign, but most importantly the multiplayer. It's here that Bungie's genius shines, and where you'll be spending most of your time.
Halo: Reach review (9/10)
Mass Effect 2 (EA / BioWare)
After the quirks and systemic excesses of the otherwise-lovely first game, BioWare stripped things back for Mass Effect 2, producing one of the leanest, fieriest action-RPGs ever made. Assemble a team, save the universe, and do a lot of talking on the way; the over-earnest dialogue and clumsy flirting are all part of the charm.
Mass Effect 2 review (10/10)
Portal 2 (Valve Software)
The first game was a series of clever puzzles wrapped up in a neat little fable, and we all wondered whether it really needed a sequel. Valve's follow-up gently expands the idea without breaking it, introduces new characters and ends up being one of the best video game comedies ever - and proof that we can get along fine without guns.
Portal 2 review (10/10)
Personal Recommendations
Tom Bramwell, Editor at Large - Viva Pinata
"Tempt cute little animals to come live in your garden by making it beautiful and exotic. Then kill or sacrifice the cute little animals to get better ones. This is my favourite Rare game ever and contains more lovable new critters than even Nintendo has managed in the last decade."
Viva Pianta review (8/10)
Wesley Yin-Poole, News Editor - Super Street Fighter IV
"If Street Fighter 4 single-handedly revitalised the fighting game genre, Super Street Fighter IV perfected it. Rebalanced gameplay, eye-catching new characters and better online play made Super the definitive version of this generation's best beat-'em-up."
Super Street Fighter IV review (10/10)
Johnny Minkley, EGTV Editor - Rock Band 3
"Breathtaking in ambition and crafted with the skill of a studio that's been making music games for 15 years, Rock Band 3 is Harmonix's masterpiece - a towering achievement not just for the genre, but for the medium itself."
Rock Band 3 review (10/10)