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At a Glance:The Best Xbox Series X/S Games
EDITORS’ PICK: Hi-Fi Rush
BEST RACING: Forza Horizon 5
BEST ROLE-PLAYING: Diablo IV
BEST MULTIPLAYER: Halo Infinite
BEST OPEN-WORLD: Starfield
BEST FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER: High on Life
BEST SIM: Microsoft Flight Simulator
BEST FIGHTING GAME: Mortal Kombat 1
BEST ROMANCE: Boyfriend Dungeon
Microsoft’s Xbox gaming console has been around for decades since the release of the original Xbox in 2001. The latest model, Xbox Series X/S (Series X takes physical discs, Series S is digital download only), shook the gaming world with 4K graphics, best-in-class gaming controller, and wide range of excellent games.
Meanwhile, the Series S model has become a prized possession of video game lovers —thanks to its affordable price and overall simplicity. In fact, the digital-only version of the current generation of Xbox is considered one of the best values in gaming, especially when paired with a subscription to Xbox Game Pass.
We’ve been proud owners of both the Xbox Series X and Series S, so our editors had the chance to play a bunch of games. And after spending hours upon hours of gaming, here’s what we think are the best Xbox games available to play in 2024.
In This Article
What Are the Best Xbox Series X/S Games?
Buying Guide; How to Pick the Best Xbox Series X/S Game
What Are the Best Xbox Series X/S Games?
There are a few things to consider before purchasing your first Xbox game. Here’s everything we took into consideration while preparing our list, below.
1. ‘Hi-Fi Rush‘
Editors’ Pick
$29.99 Buy Now at Xbox.com
Published by Bethesda Softworks and developed by Tango Gameworks, Hi-Fi Rush is an extremely fun action game that mixes platforming with rhythm-based gameplay. You play as Chai, a wannabe rockstar who accidentally gets his music player implanted into his chest during a highly experimental cybernetic surgery. The result is the world around him moves to the beat of his favorite song, including music by Nine Inch Nail, The Black Keys, Zwan, The Flaming Lips, The Joy Formidable, Fiona Appleand others.
In the game, with the help of your cybernetic friends and the adorable cat 808, you have to escape from the evil Vandelay Technologies, the company responsible for the botched operation. The action in Hi-Fi Rush is rhythm-based, so the best attacks and jumps involve going to the beat of the music.
In our play through, we thought Hi-Fi Rush is fluid and fun with a small learning curve to get the rhythm elements of the game just right. But, with the character learning new abilities throughout the game, players are also learning how to play the game as it progresses.
2. ‘Forza Horizon 5‘
BEST RACING
$44.97 $59.99 25% off Buy Now at WAlmart
For fans of racing and an open-world design, it doesn’t get better than the latest in the series, Forza Horizon 5.
Each Forza game is set in a new landscape, and this time, the developers chose Mexico, recreating the ancient ruins of Ek’ Balam and the lush beaches of Playa Azul. Right now, the game also has more than 580 cars available, from top brands like Ferrari, Mercedes and Ford.
Similar to its predecessors, Forza Horizon 5 comes with sprint races, dirt racing, cross country trails, road tracing circuits as well as a huge set of PR stunts including speed traps, danger signs and speed zones. Apart from that you’ve got multiple story accolades to complete, meaning you can choose to embark on multiple mini-adventures, or just drive your car around all day with your friends.
As for multiplayer modes, in Forza Open you’ll encounter other players as you drive around the vast map and you’re welcome to challenge them if you wish. You can even form convoys with your friends to take part in Horizon Arcade events or races.
This game is Xbox Series X/S enhanced, which means if you have a newer console the colors and graphics will be bigger, better, and brighter with 4K compatibility and faster load times. Plus, it’s E-rated and available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, so if you have a subscription it’s an easy download onto the console.
3. ‘Diablo IV‘
BEST ROLE-PLAYING
$39.67 Buy Now at WAlmart
Diablo IV for Xbox Series X/S is a dynamic isometric action-RPG (ARPG) that’s set in the realm of Sanctuary where angels and demons face off against each other, while demonic forces try to return. You play in the Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, or Sorcerer classes, while you can use your combat and strategy skills in a fantasy world. The game also has online multiplayer access, so you can join others in a party (up to four players) to work together to complete quests. Additionally, Diablo IV is available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for subscribers only.
4. ‘Halo Infinite‘
BEST MULTIPLAYER
$18 $59.99 70% off Buy Now at Walmart
For fans of first-person shooter games, it doesn’t get better than Halo Infinite. It’s got an open-world format, dropping players into the game after a quick tutorial, where you start off on foot, slowly learning the ropes and of course, fighting some enemies along the way.
The graphics themselves are gorgeous, and if you grapple your way to the top of a mountain, you’ll know exactly what we mean. The combat is one of its best parts, with a wide variety of guns to choose from and even amped-up vehicles that can help defeat your enemies.
The final fight is clearly one of the hardest parts for most players, having many of us screaming in frustration. Once you’ve completed the finale though, you’ll be transported back to the open world, giving you a chance to complete any side quests.
For those of you, who’ve been waiting for a semi-open world game in the franchise, Halo Infinite certainly lives up to expectations — even exceeding them at times. While most of our experience was playing in the single-player campaign, there is also a Halo Infinite multiplayer mode where you can play with your friends or engage in combat with total strangers. There are a bunch of cool weapon options, a great map and a variety of modes you can game in for an extremely competitive adventure.
5. ‘Starfield‘
BEST OPEN-WORLD
$69.99 Buy Now at WAlmart
From Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield is an open-world game that’s set in the Settled Systems, just on the outskits of the Milky Way galaxy. It’s described as “Skyrim in space,” you join a group of space explorers who travel to the far corners of the galaxy to find mysterious artifacts, while it also features elements of first-person and third-person perspectives.
Starfield is for gamers who like to collect and scavenge, while players build their own spacecraft and weapons to find success in the galaxy. It’s completely and immersive, but be warned, it takes hours upon hours of commitment to play.
Meanwhile, Starfield is also on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for subscribers only.
6. ‘High on Life‘
BEST FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER
$39.99 Buy Now at Xbox.com
Created by Justin Roiland, High on Life for Xbox Series X/S is a first-person shooter that feels like one-half Metroid Prime and one-half Rick & Morty. It’s starts with an alien invasion where you quickly become part of the action when you pick up a sentient alien gun named Kenny (voiced by Roiland), while you’re tasked to become a bounty hunter to take down the G3 Cartel, an alien gang who turns humans into a powerful drug for the galaxy.
The game features an all-star cast of comedians, including Laura Silverman, Hal Lublin, David Herman, Jennifer Hale, Tom Kenny, Echo Kellum, Betsy Sodaro, and J. B. Smoove.
In our testing, we found that High on Life is hilarious with nods to sci-fi popular culture that’s fully aware that it’s a video game. Gameplay is fun with easy-to-learn mechanics, while each level increases the difficultly that’s manageable, yet challenging. If you’re a fan of Rick & Morty, then High on Life is a must play. It’s essentially Rick & Morty: The Video Game.
High on Life is also on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for subscribers only.
7. ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator‘
BEST SIM
$59.99 Buy Now at Walmart
This one’s a classic and it’s certainly aged well. If you’re an extremely nervous flyer, then playing this game and learning how to fly, cruise mid-air, and land flights — even in extremely difficult conditions — can help curb flight anxiety a bit.
Everything is incredibly detailed, from the controls inside the aircraft to the recreation of popular Boeing and Airbus aircraft themselves, and the airports you’re taking off and landing at. Once you’ve got the hang of the controls — bear in mind this will take a while and you’ll need to be patient — you’ll be able to fly anywhere, including iconic destinations like New York or far-off lands like Sydney, Australia.
You can customize your assisted settings depending on how experienced you are, however turning assists fully off is as close to the real thing as you can get. You’ll be able to control your airplanes with just the Xbox One generic controller, but you can spring for a dedicated joystick for more accurate controls.
Bear in mind once again, that if you have no prior flying experience there is a steep learning curve, which can be frustrating at times. Plus, while there is a flight school you can attend to learn the basic controls, a lot of airplane-specific training is only possible during take-off and landing challenges, and we do suggest you try attempting those before your first solo flight.
It is available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, so give it a go if you’ve got an active subscription.
8. ‘Mortal Kombat 1‘
BEST FIGHTING GAME
$59.75 $69.99 15% off Buy Now at WAlmart
The 12th installment in the franchise, Mortal Kombat 1, which is developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games is a cheeky title for the second reboot in the series and direct sequel to Mortal Kombat 11. It’s one of the best fighters for Xbox Series X/S, thanks to its detailed graphics, roster of fan-favorites —including Liu Kang, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, and Kitana, as well as the Megan Fox-voiced vampire heroine Nitara —and over-the-top violence and action.
In our testing, Mortal Kombat 1 is fluid, responsive, and a fun fighting game for beginners and advanced players, alike. We like its quick start menus and speedy loading times, while performing special attacks and combos is easy to learn and execute. It’s fantastic in either single-player story mode, two-player battle mode, or online multiplayer.
9. ‘Boyfriend Dungeon‘
BEST ROMANCE
$19.99 Buy Now at XBOX.com
If you’re looking for a game you can binge in one day that’s absurd and incredibly fun, go with Boyfriend Dungeon.
At its crux, it’s a dungeon crawler plus a dating simulator game, where your weapons transform into intriguing characters you can date. You’ll date, level up in love ranking and in turn, end up with more powerful weapons. In total, there are seven different characters you can romance and therefore seven different weapons you can wield.
The game takes place in a seaside town called Verona beach where you arrive to spend the summer with your cousin Jesse. At the end of the game, after you’ve fought through the dungeons, and figured out the town’s mystery, you’ll get a big blowout summer party where you’ll evaluate your relationships with the characters.
The whole game took me just about five hours from start to finish and if you’ve got Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, it’s free to download. Not to mention, the soundtrack is extremely relaxing, making fighting the monsters that much more cathartic and fun.
Buying Guide; How to Pick the Best Xbox Series X/S Game
There are a number of factors to think about when choosing the best Xbox Series X/S games. Ahead, you’ll find a few important factors that we considered when putting this list together.
Genres: Whether you’re looking for a relaxing open-world racing game or an action role-playing game that will test your wits, we’ve included options for every type of player.
ESRB Rating: The Electronic Software Rating Board determines which games are appropriate for which age group. It’s the equivalent of movie ratings like G, PG, PG-13, etc. Our guide contains games that span that spectrum, depending on what you’re looking for.
Backward Compatibility: Many games originally created for older Xbox models, should still be available to play on the newer Xbox Series X/S consoles. Some older games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, have even been enhanced for newer consoles. Either download these games or pop in the disc if you’ve got an Xbox Series X.
Online Play: Xbox players can easily access online multiplayer mode on free-to-play games. However, for all other games, you’ll need at least an Xbox Game Pass Core subscription ($9.99 a month) to access multiplayer mode.
Game Pass included: Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s online gaming library that comes at a cost of $9.99 a month. We recommend springing for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership (priced at $16.99 a month) which includes hundreds of playable games, allowing you to play in multiplayer mode.
