The Xbox One has had a great year. With a huge price drop, the option to purchase the console without the Kinect and game bundles galore, Microsoft’s console is picking up steam, even outselling the PlayStation 4 this month. The Xbox One offers a robust lineup of exclusives as well, from Titanfall to Sunset Overdrive. There’s no better time than now than to dive into what the Xbox One has to offer.
Whether you get a brand new Xbox One for Christmas, purchase one yourself or have had one since launch day, here are five new Xbox One games you should have in your library.
1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
The Call of Duty series isn’t the best-selling first-person shooter franchise for no reason. With huge set piece moments, movie-like campaigns and first-in-class multiplayer matches, the series is renowned by shooting game fans everywhere. The franchise started in World War II and has slowly made its way to present day combat. Advanced Warfare is the first entry in the series that actually moves into the near future, where hovering grenades, booster packs and exoskeleton suits are commonplace in war combat. If you’re looking for more Call of Duty or want to see what all the fuss is about, don’t pass Advanced Warfare up.
Price: $47.95
Buy Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare here.
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Origins was the original fantasy RPG by powerhouse developer BioWare that first grabbed gamers’ attention. After the thrilling success of the first game, people were excited for more, but many felt left down with the sequel, Dragon Age II. For the third game, Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare wanted to go all out, and that’s exactly what they did, crafting the best fantasy role-playing games of this console generation. Honestly, what do you expect from the guys that brought us the Mass Effect series? If you’re a fan of swords, sorcery or dragons, Inquisition is a necessary addition to your library.
Price: $49.99 (17 percent off MSRP)
Buy Dragon Age: Inquisition here.
3. Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 gives players exactly what they’ve wanted since Far Cry 3 released in 2012: more Far Cry. The game looks and feels exactly like its two-year-old sibling, with only a new setting to change things up. But that’s not a bad thing. Everything you loved about the last game is back, from outposts to hang gliders to dangerous wildlife, and new attractions like vehicle takedowns and the ability to ride on the back of elephants are enough to spice the formula up. Give our review a read if you want to know more.
Price: $51.87 (14 percent off MSRP)
Buy Far Cry 4 here.
4. Grand Theft Auto V
Okay, so Grand Theft Auto V isn’t exactly new. It released originally for last year for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but Rockstar Games decided to port the game to new-gen consoles with updated graphics and the exclusive first-person mode option. That’s right: You can play a Rockstar game from the eyes of its characters rather than the traditional third-person view, and it totally changes up how the game feels and plays. If you like open worlds, fast cars and violent action, look no further. You just have to wait patiently for the long-awaited online heists to go live.
Price: $59.70
Buy Grand Theft Auto V here.
5. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
What’s great about Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is that it’s a blast to play whether you’re a fan of Tolkien’s work or not. Plenty of lore and nods to the franchise are apparent to Hobbit-lovers who delve into this fantastic game, but even if you ignore the story, you’re still going to get a phenomenal gaming experience. That’s all thanks to the fluid, dynamic combat and the addicting nemesis system that essentially turns the enemies that best you into bosses with strengths, weaknesses and roaming bodyguards. No two playthroughs are alike, and that alone makes Shadow of Mordor worth a look.
Price: $47.90 (20 percent off MSRP)
Buy Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor here.
