Exclusive titles are the bane of many gamers' existence. Although competition between companies is inherently good for consumers, it can be frustrating when a new title releases on a console that many people don’t own. The eighth generation of home console had many exclusive titles that alludedXboxowners, one of which was Guerrilla Games’Horizon: Zero Dawn
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The 10 games on this list won’t be too similar toHorizonfrom a gameplay mechanics perspective, as the gameis fairly unique in that regard. However, they are similar in the sense that they all provide memorable third-person open-world adventures that will hopefully fill the void left byHorizon Zero Dawn’s exclusivity.
10The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntfired both CD Projekt Red andThe Witcherfranchise into the forefront of the gaming industry when the game hit stores back in 2015. CD Projekt Red’s open-world title impressed gamers with its stunning visuals, well-crafted RPG elements, and huge map that was filled with quests to complete.
Moreover, the game featured an impressive level ofcomplexity in its storytellingby letting playersheavily influence the layered narratives with their decisions.
9Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Generally speaking, stealth sections in open-world games tend to be tedious and frustrating, which is why many people were apprehensive when seeing footage ofThe Phantom Pain’s huge open-world environments. Thankfully, the game proved the doubters wrong and provided an open-world stealth experience that was thoroughly enjoyable while also feeling realistic, something that many developers had struggled to accomplish in the past.
Although the missions are well-constructed, there is much fun to be had inMetal Gear Solid Vby just trying out all of the different gameplay mechanics, a mark of a truly great game.
8Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise has essentially become the McDonalds of open-world games; they’re not the best available, butthere’s a lot of them, and you know they’ll offer a reliably solid experience. The latest game in the franchise,Assassin’s Creed Valhalla,doesn’t buck this trend, keeping the same quintessential Ubisoft gameplay that has proven popular over the years, predominantly because it appeals to both casual and hardcore gamers.
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Valhallais the third successiveAssassin’s Creedgame that implements numerous RPG elements, a trend that began withAssassin’s Creed Origins, presumably as a response to the success ofThe Witcher 3.
7Middle-earth: Shadow of War
An open-world gameset in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earthhad been on the wishlist of many gamers since the genre became popularized, and fans finally got their wish in 2014 with the Monolith Productions’Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.
The sequel,Shadow of War,was released just over three years later and kept the core gameplay similar toShadow of Mordor.Among the series' stand-out features is the Nemesis mechanic,which Warner Bros. has controversially patented.
6Watch Dogs 2
The second Ubisoft IP on this list,Watch Dogs 2was released in 2016 and clearly intended to impress those that were critical of the first game’s dreary environments by injecting life, charisma, and bright colors into the game world making it feel more likeGrand Theft Auto V.
Watch Dogs 2certainly doesn’t reach the immense quality of Rockstar Games’GTA V,but it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable open-world adventure that implements many interesting gameplay mechanics thanks to the franchise’s emphasis on futuristic technology.
Speaking of Rockstar, their latest title,Red Dead Redemption 2,is impossible to leave off of this list. Like any Rockstar release, the game had a huge weight of expectations on its shoulders. However, it didn’t disappoint; amazing fans and critics with its powerful story, memorable characters, andincredible open-worldwith a level of realism that has raised the bar for the genre.
Red Dead Redemption 2was a huge critical success, exemplified by its whopping97 Metascore, as well as an enormous commercial success,breaking numerous sales recordsalong the way.
4Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlandsis the third and final Ubisoft game to appear on this list. Ubisoft has always been shrewd when it comes to ditching an IP to fit in with modern times, so many people thought that theGhost Reconfranchise would suffer the same fate asSplinter Cellwhen the open-world genre began to overshadow linear action games. However, Ubisoft decided not to ditchGhost Reconand instead implemented an open-world into the series for the first time.
The game wasn’t a smash hit with critics, exemplified by its fairly lacklusterXbox One Metascore of 76. However, there are many fans of the game who still sing its praises to this day, making it worth considering when the game is on sale.
Surprisingly,Mad Maxisn’t a tie-in to the hit filmMad Max: Fury Road, despite the game releasing just a few months after the movie came to theatres. This was seen as a positive thing, as movie tie-in games are generally looked down upon due to gamers realizing that the developers often had to keep to tight schedules, resulting in a substandard product most of the time.
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Avalanche Studios’Mad Maxclearly benefitted from not being tied down to a movie tie-in schedule. The game offers an intense action-pact experience that can easily be enjoyed by those who aren’t fans of the films.
2Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Inquisitionwas developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts, the same combination that provided players with two of the threeMass Effectgames, including the modern classicMass Effect 2.
As forDragon Age: Inquisition, it’s the third entry into theDragon Agefranchise and marked a return to form following the disappointment overDragon Age 2, which failed to live up to the high standard thatOriginsset. The Xbox One iteration of the game scored85 on Metascore, and it was also awardedThe Game Awards' prestigious Game of the Year accolade.
1Nier: Automata
Nier: Automatawas initially released on PC and PlayStation 4 in March 2017, before coming to the green brand of console in June 2018. The game was developed by PlatinumGames, who are best known for theBayonettafranchise.
Nier: Automatadifferentiates itself from most other action role-playing games with its unique narrative, as well as its impressive variety in gameplay styles. Although the game is predominantlyhack and slash, players will be thrown numerous curveballs in terms of implemented genres. For example, the game’s opening features a brand of shoot ‘em up that will bring playersback to the arcade days.
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