It’s funny how easily we can get wrapped up into different gaming ecosystems as a kid based on events that are likely somewhat outside of our control. I don’t think many kids or even teenagers are doing deep dives of research to determine which gaming console is going to be the best for them. And I think for most kids, there was no way in hell you were getting two (or three!) different video game consoles so that you could experience every single video game out there.
Before I had the money to buy my own consoles, I was gifted two different consoles off mostly arbitrary events. My parents bought me an N64 over a Playstation because my neighbors had an N64, and we loved playing it with them. When the next console generation came around, we ended up being an Xbox family. This was almost exclusively because the tool and die shop that my dad worked at had a hand in making the Xbox. Thus, that was my system. I didn’t end up owning a PS2 until the PS2 era was almost over, and I had a job to buy one myself.
If you think console wars are bad now, you didn’t live through gaming message boards back then. This was an era where an incredible portion of games were exclusives. This means tensions were especially high with other console owners trying to justify their purchases. This all also combined with internet forums becoming much more popular. As the newcomer, the Xbox probably took the biggest beating online in my experience. Just identifying as an Xbox owner could get you flamed into oblivion on GameFAQs.
This was the one era of gaming where I kind of “fought” console wars. I never shit on other consoles, but I was more than willing to defend the original Xbox. Because honestly, there was a lot of really cool stuff here. If you loved Western RPGs, the original Xbox was easily the best console to own. If you wanted to play online via console, Xbox was probably the best console to own. If you liked first-person shooters, Halo was a serious must-own. The Xbox certainly fell way behind when it came to great Japanese games, but it still had some gems there as well. I think it was a legitimately great console. I even like the original massive Xbox controller (this is me letting you know that I have massive hands. Also, I’m 6’3. Figured I’d throw that in as well)!
With that, here are my top 10 games from the original Xbox. Apologies to GTA, Splinter Cell, Top Spin, Project Gotham Racing, Chronicles of Riddick, and several others for just missing out.
Past Lists:
My Top 10 SNES Games
My Top 10 GB/GBC Games
My Top 10 PS1 Games
10. Jade Empire
Man, this was just one hell of an era for Bioware. They could literally do nothing wrong in my eyes for something like a decade.
After the fantastic KOTOR, Jade Empire was a hint of where Bioware was planning on going, with its more action-focused combat system. It also had a relatively unique setting, with it being inspired by Chinese mythology. Jade Empire doesn’t quite reach the highs of KOTOR, but it was a lot of fun to play, had an entertaining plot, and the element of player choice that you’d hope for from a Bioware game. It seems almost impossible that we’d get another one at this point, but it sure would be a welcome surprise, as this game ruled.
9. Jet Set Radio Future
The Jet Set Radio franchise is one of the few where I can genuinely say, “There is just about nothing like this out there.” The mix of style, music, exploration, and skating gameplay was so unique and fun. The level design also aids the gameplay greatly I always liked that the skating isn’t quite as intense as something like a Tony Hawk, as it’s so easy to string together cool moves and keep long grinds going without tons of effort.
There’s also just a genuine joy with this game that not many others have. Everything about it hit, and it’s one of several franchises on this list that I’m sad isn’t around anymore.
8. Halo 2
Like just about anyone who owned an Xbox, my hype for this game was absolutely through the roof when it came out. The midnight release was a must, and vibes were high.
As I played the campaign, I remember it just not fully clicking with me. Halo: Combat Evolved blew my mind, and Halo 2’s just didn’t. There were cool moments, and it was certainly good overall, but it never captured the highs of the first game.
But that’s OK because it ended up being the defining Xbox Live experience for most people (it was my 2nd most defining Xbox Live experience personally). Most of us loved playing the first Halo with friends at LAN parties and such, but finally being able to easily do it online was just incredible. The gameplay and map design were both as strong as you’d hope for, and this was a clear go-to for years and years after its release. I have a hard time even estimating the number of hours I put into this game. This was one hell of a multiplayer experience,
7. Half-Life 2
I completely forgot that I played Half-Life 2 on my original Xbox until I started doing my research for this list. Usually, the console release of this game is more associated with The Orange Box that came out for Xbox 360 and PS3. But I certainly have never forgotten the game itself. Half-Life 2 is a legendary FPS, often considered one of the best of all time, and it absolutely deserves that acclaim.
The mixture of story, setting, and set piece moments all take this game to a level that few FPS make it to. I’m not sure if the shooting itself is quite on the level of some of my other favorite shooters from this time, but it is considered a classic for a reason. Also, Gordon freaking Freeman is a legend. Hell yes, nerds.
6. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
One of the craziest parts about Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge is that if you want to experience something like it, you have almost no choice but to boot this game back up. Perhaps something else is out there, but I definitely haven’t played an arcade dogfighting open world game since this game came out.
Crimson Skies executes so well on everything it does. The open world structure is a lot of fun (for the era it was in), the combat is strong, and the story is pretty cool, too. The alternate history timeline leads to some interesting stuff. This game just operated on such a high level in damn near every way. And the fact that I haven’t experienced anything like it since has me wanting to boot it up all over again.
5. MechAssault
When Xbox Live initially launched, there were several options for people to play, but one game stood alone as the clear best online experience, and that game was MechAssault. I spent something like a year playing it consistently. Everything about the multiplayer was so well done. While some mechs were certainly more used than others, I was able to succeed in the game with a mech that was way less used than most, so I thought the game was pretty well balanced. The map design, modes, and overall feel of the gameplay were all on a higher level than most games from this era. It just felt great on the sticks. Playing as a team really required a level of coordination that meant there was a lot more communication in this game than most others at the time. When I think about the start of Xbox Live, I, of course, have tons of great memories from Halo 2. But I would honestly say I had the most fun with MechAssault.
4. Shenmue 2
Between Jet Set Radio Future and Shenmue 2 being on this list, I clearly royally screwed up by not owning a Dreamcast. Without ever playing the first game, Shenmue 2 somehow felt life changing to me when I originally played it.
There is such a fun mix here between exploring a slightly open city, doing mini games, combat, and some really cool QTE segments that can change depending on how you perform. The story is also very heartfelt, emotional, and badass in spots. This was designed to be a slow burn epic coming of age story, and this was a very cool chapter in a story. It’s sad that it was never quite able to come to fruition the way that it was planned.
There are some undeniably bad design decisions here, and some really bad English voice acting. But the magic really shined through for me each and every time I turned it on. I absolutely adored this game.
There was a long stretch of my life where Shenmue 3 may have been the game I wanted most in life. Sadly, by the time that game actually released, I wasn’t even interested anymore. But that doesn’t take away the magic that Shenmue 2 had for me.
3. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
I’m not sure if “immersion” was really a word I thought all that much about when it comes to video games back in the early 2000s. Yes, there were plenty of amazing video games in these times. But I don’t know if I can say any truly sucked me into their worlds in a way in which I felt like I was there (outside of maybe the first Halo). Graphics aren’t everything, but the tech just wasn’t there at that point to make me feel that way.
And then I played Morrowind. It’s tough to put into words how mindblowing this game was for me back in 2002. Just looking at some screenshots before writing this gave me chills all over again. This world felt alive like nothing else I had ever played before. The freedom, the RPG elements, the organic exploration, and the storytelling were all just unbelievable to me at that time. I felt like I was living in this world like no other game before. I’ve played plenty of games now that are 10 times more immersive than this, but it’s tough to let go of the first time I felt that way. Oblivion and Skyrim are both far better games than Morrowind, but Morrowind blows both those games away in terms of how they made me feel the first time I played them.
2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
KOTOR was the start of an amazing decade-long stretch where Bioware was easily my favorite developer in the world. KOTOR has the Star Wars setting, but it is so much more than that.
The elements of player choice are so fantastic and fun here, the writing and characters are excellent (HK-47 is still one of the best Star Wars characters ever in my view), and god damn this story absolutely cooks. When I think about the greatest plot twists of all time, my first thought usually goes to Bioshock. After that, I think about KOTOR. Also, I’m a big Pazaak stan. What a tremendous video game, and it was just the start of even more greatness to come from Bioware.
1. Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved did it all. It delivers in every possible capacity. It has excellent core gameplay, an awesome main hero, a surprisingly strong story, with a kind of “neutral” ending that I really adored. It has big moments, including an awesome plot twist. It has fantastic enemy design and strong level design (outside of re-using some of those levels). Co-op was also a blast, as well as the competitive multiplayer.
I might have more “core memories” attached to this game than literally any other. I can vividly remember so many moments from this campaign. I remember being in awe when I was on the Halo for the first time and looking up at the sky and the world around me. I remember seeing the Flood for the first time, the epic fight on the beach, and I remember being absolutely thrilled by the epic ending sequence.
But there might be even more memories from the multiplayer, and there’s one huge reason for that, the lack of online play.
LAN parties are an absolute pain in the ass to set up. The mixture of getting everyone to show up and also getting the necessary equipment there and hooked up is just a process no one wants to do. That’s why it died off the second online play started. And playing online is a lot of fun, don’t get me wrong. I still have plenty of great memories from playing online with friends over the years.
But there is absolutely nothing like playing 4 on 4 capture the flag with everyone under the same roof, and having your team go nuts after a successful flag capture. I have plenty of faint memories from playing Halo 2 online, but the way I can just vividly remember every detail of some of those Halo LAN parties is pretty crazy. I hate to sound like an old man, but it’s sad to think that many younger gamers might never have any experiences quite like that. I will treasure some of those memories for the rest of my life, and they are the best memories I had on a console that was very influential in my gaming journey. Halo: Combat Evolved was a really special experience.
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