The best and worst Xbox Series X games you should (or shouldn’t) play

We’re still very early in the lifespan of new, next-gen consoles, and at the moment we only have a few launch window games to work with. The Xbox Series X (and S) is in a unique place as it had to delay its big flagship release, Halo Infinite, until sometime next year, so it relies mostly on third-party titles to sell the system right now.

As such, which games are worth playing and which are not? Well, there are only ten games in total that have amassed enough critical reviews to have Metacritic scores, and they range from very good to pretty bad it seems.

Here are the ten highest rated games on Xbox Series X right now. And in fact, the only matches marked:

1. Tetris Effect: Connected – 88 Metascore

It’s always been a fantastic game and while you might not imagine the Series X version bringing much more to the table, it’s actually a fascinating use of the game’s new power for smooth gameplay. and fast.

2. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – 86 Metascore

Valhalla has essentially run as Xbox’s most prestigious launch title due to a marketing deal with Microsoft, and if you take something for that, it probably should be this game, the best the series has produced in a decade. some time and it works wonderfully. X series.

3. Yakuza: Like a dragon – 83 Metascore

It’s technically an Xbox Series X-exclusive console in that it doesn’t appear on PS5 and is very well reviewed so far. Yakuza is a series that you might need to get used to, but once you’ve done that, it’s a good option for this launch window.

4. Dirt 5 – 82 Metascore

With Forza absent on the table, Dirt 5 is the best Xbox Series X racing option right now, although it doesn’t increase those Horizon level scores. Still something to check out if you like the genre.

5.NBA 2K21 – 80 Metascore

Obviously, this game is available for all platforms, but it’s rated well on the X Series in particular, which uses its newfound power to create an experience that’s even more immersive than ever before.

6. Observer: System Redux – 79 Metascore

It’s a game I guess not a lot of people have heard of, but I know it has its fans and it’s something good to check out if none of the more common titles grab your attention.

7. Gears Tactics – 79 Metascore

In a perfect world, we’d have a whole new, full Gears of War sequel with the Xbox Series X, but it’s not been long enough since Gears 5, so we have Tactics, a compelling turn-based strategy game that the most Gear fans should enjoy it even though this is not traditional Gears gameplay.

8. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – 76 Metascore

Bottom of that list, maybe, but with a score more or less comparable to what we expect from new Call of Duty installments these days. I know Xbox is the platform of choice for many COD fans, and the review scores don’t matter because it’s just an automatic annual purchase. To be fair, it reviews the same way on PS5.

9. The Falconeer – 65 Metascore

We’re now entering darker territory with lesser-known games that just aren’t great. This game literally puts you in the role of a hawk, which looks pretty neat in theory, but isn’t that fun in practice, it seems.

10. RAM – 55 Metascore

This game is known to have been created by an individual development studio, yet it is the lowest rated game on this list with a wide margin with a very low Metascore and an even lower user score. Looks like it’s definitely a jump.

That’s the list for now. In two weeks, we’ll have to add Cyberpunk here somewhere, but it’s a pretty limited pool right now. That’s why we have backward compatibility!

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