While The Orange Box didn't mark the first time Valve Software released its games (or even Half-Life 2 itself) on an Xbox console, it set a new standard for value. Not only did Xbox owners get to enjoy the seminal Half-Life 2, a game comparable to other contemporary shooters in scale and length on its own, they also got both of the incredible Half-Life 2 Episodes as well as the hilarious and addicting Team Fortress 2 multiplayer game and a little thing called Portal. Aside from being a tremendous offering at the same price as other retail games, Half-Life 2 and its Episodes also featured one of the best narratives in games, with beloved characters like Eli and Alyx Vance stealing the hearts of players everywhere. And quite frankly, Portal on its own was a Game of the Year candidate, and it was the smallest part of a comprehensive $60 package – that you can find much cheaper these days. – Mitch Dyer
BioShock is this generation’s shining example of storytelling. In a medium that’s often criticized for not being art, Ken Levine and the team at Irrational created a world that’s not only beautiful and unique, but so fully realized it’s easy to forget it doesn’t actually exist. Rapture isn’t just the setting for a game -- it’s a world suffering through mental and environmental decay and unsettlingly realistic horrors that make wandering its dilapidated, leaky halls equal parts enthralling and terrifying. Few other game worlds come close to offering such a rich, captivating mythology, and that’s nothing compared to the secrets that are hidden as you sink both literally and figuratively deeper. BioShock is the rare game that uses violence not for shock value but for story, and it succeeds in a way that other franchises can only dream about. – Andrew Goldfarb
Video games tend to drive players toward narrow-minded goals, most of which involve slaughtering an army of evil grunts until you inevitably kill The Big Bad. It gives the player an excuse for their actions rather than legitimate motivation. Red Dead Redemptionbalances violence and narrative with a delicate care that few other games can compare to. Anti-hero John Marston’s tale isn’t violent because he’s angry, careless, or vengeful. He is a product of the turn-of-the-century west trying to escape his outlaw past. He’s so desperate to be back with his family that he’ll do anything to be with them again, even if it means falling back on his old ways. And yet, Red Dead Redemption isn’t a game about its plot. Finding and killing Marston’s former crew is the excuse – finding his family and letting go of his old ways is the motivation. The devices we as players use to accomplish these goals display Rockstar in its finest form. The mission design is believable while hitting the highest of Spaghetti Western notes, both in and out of combat. The careful pace keeps us enthralled by the gorgeous settings, while the addictive freedom to exploring a vast open world yields secrets, scenery, and side-quests well worth seeking out. Plus, Red Dead Redemption retains Rockstar’s signature dark humor, lending levity to a miserable world we’re not likely to forget, and features one of the largest multiplayer suites in any Xbox 360 title. – Mitch Dyer
Taking a brilliant three-hour concept and fleshing it out into a full-blown, 10-hour sequel – complete with an ingenious two-player cooperative mode – is no easy task. Particularly when it’s a puzzle game. And a legitimate comedy. It’s a job that would fail, or at least significantly falter, in a lesser developer’s hands. But Valve is a studio that’s as talented as it is mysterious and powerful, and the end result is a weakness-free game that not only took home IGN’s Game of the Year trophy for 2011, but is a title that even Roger Ebert, somewhere deep in his video game-hating heart, would have to concede is art. With art direction, scriptwriting, voice acting, and puzzle design all working in glorious concert to create a first-person experience that’s funny, challenging, and character-driven, Portal 2somehow manages to give us our cake and let us eat it too. And unlike, say, Call of Duty, no one will ever imitate it. And heck, outside of the original Portal’s lead designer (Kim Swift’s Quantum Conundrum), no one will even try. – Ryan McCaffrey
BioWare’s Xbox 360 debut – and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic follow-up – is another sci-fi opera that accomplishes a lot with its story, especially now that the trilogy’s complete. Your choices – whether related to philosophy, racism, religion, politics, or other very real matters – have heavy, long-lasting consequences that dictate the fate of people you’ll genuinely care about. You can relate to the villain and his motivations – you’ll disagree with Saren Arterius, but he isn’t maniacal or sociopathic like most bad guys. Mass Effect is, unlike its successors, primarily a role-playing game, and it does this so well that it’s superior to both follow-ups. The drama and tension between NPCs here create the most unforgettable moments in the grand scope of the Mass Effect story – you’ll never erase the images of Virmire, The Citadel, Noveria, or Ilos after the credits roll, whether for the first or fifth time. Mass Effect may not be the most technically proficient game on the Xbox 360 (anymore), and it’s definitely imperfect, but as far as must-have experiences go, this is it. – Mitch Dyer
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