Mass Effect 2 2010
Why it still holds upYour squad keeps it worth playing today: you spend time on your ship, the Normandy, learning their pasts and doing their optional missions, and those choices carry through to the end.
Xbox 360 third-person shooters that still hold up
First released on the Xbox 360
Games
Mass Effect 2 2010
Why it still holds upYour squad keeps it worth playing today: you spend time on your ship, the Normandy, learning their pasts and doing their optional missions, and those choices carry through to the end.
Red Dead Redemption 2010
Why it still holds upThe restraint helps it now, since the world is full of life and your attention stays on varied, well designed missions.
Mass Effect 2007
Why it still holds upYou shape Shepard's personality through the dialogue, and Paragon and Renegade points unlock more options as you go, which keeps the choices worth making now.
Dead Space 2 2011
Why it still holds upIts atmosphere is why it still works: the lighting and the sound design keep you on edge from start to finish.
Dead Space 2008
Why it still holds upBecause the interface is in the world and the game never pauses, the Ishimura never lets you step away, which keeps it tense today.
Mass Effect 3 2012
Why it still holds upCarrying choices from game to game is the reason to play it today, in order from the first game.
On sale
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain 2015
Why it still holds upWhat it still offers is a big sandbox where you choose how each infiltration goes, and where the base, the soldiers and the weapons you research feed into the next mission.
On sale
Grand Theft Auto IV 2008
Why it still holds upToday it is still a satirical Liberty City full of radio, TV and side activities, with a story of conflicting choices.
Gears of War 2 2008
Why it still holds upCover, a short list of weapons and a partner to revive still make each firefight a matter of positioning today.
Spec Ops: The Line 2012
Why it still holds upOrdinary shooter systems turned toward the protagonist's choices, with missions, hints and environment all pushing one theme, still make it play as one argument today.
On sale
Max Payne 3 2012
Why it still holds upWeighty animation, destructible cover and bullet time saved for set pieces still make each gunfight feel physical today.
On sale
Tomb Raider 2013
Why it still holds upBalancing stealth, action and puzzles, with fast travel that turns backtracking into a reward, still lets you set the mix today.
On sale
Mafia II 2010
Why it still holds upToday you still get a period feel from a city dressed in cars and music of its years, with cars that handle differently on ice.
Gears of War 3 2011
Why it still holds upEach firefight is a decision about where to stand, since an active reload rewards timing and cover can be destroyed, and the tension is there today.
On sale
Alan Wake 2010
Why it still holds upBecause your flashlight is both your aim and your weapon, every dark stretch is a choice of where to point it, and the tension survives even now.
Gears of War 2006
Why it still holds upEvery firefight is about timing and teamwork, with active reloads and revives, and the tension is the same today.
Sleeping Dogs 2012
Why it still holds upIts fights and chases still sit in context, in a city you can roam between story missions.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist 2013
Why it still holds upEach level can still be played as the kind of operative you want, between silence and aggression.
On sale
Vanquish 2010
Why it still holds upThe knee slide still scores you for not using the cover.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game 2009
Why it still holds upTrapping a ghost is still the reason to play it now: weaken it, wrestle it with the capture stream and drag it into the trap, with the films' cast and music around you.
On sale
Stranglehold 2007
Why it still holds upThe style score still marks you for how you came through the door.
On sale
Red Faction: Guerrilla 2009
Why it still holds upA world full of structures to level still makes each mission a choice.
On sale
Just Cause 2 2010
Why it still holds upThe tether still ties any two things together with a rope.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction 2010
Why it still holds upThe last known position still shows you the mistake the guards are about to make.
On sale
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2011
Why it still holds upThe Fury still answers an Ork horde by walking into it with a chainsword today.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2006
Why it still holds upA drone's live picture still lets you plan a fight before it starts.
On sale
Tomb Raider: Legend 2006
Why it still holds upA grapple that swings and pulls still turns each gap into a puzzle.
The Saboteur 2009
Why it still holds upThe color still shows a Paris you free a street at a time, and can see freed.
On sale
Saints Row 2 2008
Why it still holds upCo-op still works for the whole main story.
Sniper Elite V2 2012
Why it still holds upA patient shot with a reward at the end still gives each mission its own rhythm.
On sale
Saints Row IV 2013
Why it still holds upPowers that make its own city unnecessary are the game laughing at itself, which is still its charm today.
On sale
Resident Evil 5 2009
Why it still holds upIt is designed for two-player cooperative play, and a partner covering your back is still the way to play it.