With the eight console generation set to end sometime in the next two years, the hardware's best games have mostly already been decided. When it comes to a game's quality, Metacritic serves as something of an authority, even if critic and user scores frequently fail to complement each other.
The Xbox One has been overshadowed by the PlayStation 4, but that hardly means Microsoft's console does not have its fair share of great titles. Today, the focus is squarely on sequels, with each franchise being limited to a single entry.
10 NBA 2K17 (90)
The only sports game to earn a spot on this list, NBA 2K17 represents arguably the pinnacle of 2K's franchise. The gameplay is complex, addictive, and captures the beauty of the game, while the microtransactions are slightly less pronounced than in the latter entries.
NBA 2K17 is not going to win any non-believers, but it is a fantastic game for basketball fans seeking to either play through a robust career mode or online. It is a sports sim done right, offering both accessibility and gameplay depth.
9 NieR: Automata - Become as Gods Edition (90)
As a sequel to NieR, Automata improves in nearly every department. Thanks to PlatinumGames, the combat is dynamic, endlessly entertaining, and fluid. While not particularly expansive or visually unique, Automata's world is soaked in history and personality, with every pixel telling a story. The narrative is the only part that could be viewed as a downgrade from NieR, but that is more of a testament to the latter's brilliance than anything else.
The Become as Gods Edition includes all the DLC, although they are primarily cosmetic; however, the most important part is that Square Enix's decided to port NieR: Automata to the Xbox One. Microsoft's console has traditionally struggled to attract Japanese publishers, so this was a step in the right direction.
8 Monster Hunter: World (90)
Monster Hunter: World brought Capcom's franchise back to consoles after almost a decade. While not a sequel in the traditional sense, World is unquestionably a Monster Hunter title. Even if the campaign has been made more approachable to cater to a wider audience, the license's challenging combat and gameplay loop remain firmly intact.
Along with the fantastic Iceborne expansion, Monster Hunter: World serves as the perfect blueprint for how to refurbish a beloved product for a modern audience while preserving the franchise's core appeal.
7 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (91)
Regularly described as the greatest RPG of all time, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt raised the standard for the genre and gaming as a whole. Accumulating a myriad of awards and praised for its emotionally engrossing writing, particularly with regards to its side quests, The Witcher 3 brings Geralt's story to a satisfying and epic conclusion.
Even if the combat requires some adjusting to, CD Projekt RED still crafted a massive RPG packed with memorable characters, distinct but thematically consistent explorable areas, and remarkable gameplay depth.
6 Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition (92)
As a successor to 2014's Divinity: Original Sin, Larian Studios' sequel proved that even near-perfection can be surpassed. As far as western RPGs are concerned, few come close to matching Original Sin II's complex tactical combat, respect for player choice, and its impressive roster of characters.
Like its predecessor, Original Sin II has a steep learning curve, with the RPG seldom opting to hand-hold its player base. The main-storyline is long and fascinating, but this is one of those games that rewards players who try to follow their own path.
5 Forza Horizon 4 (92)
Forza Horizon 3 also ranks among the best sequels on the Xbox One, but 2018's entry just has the edge over its Australian counterpart. Set in Scotland, Forza Horizon 4 is an open-world arcade racing game that only cares for realism in relation to the environments and car models. Otherwise, anything goes!
Forza Horizon 4's new feature is a weather system to reflect the changing seasons, an addition that offers far more than just a new coat of paint. Some areas become drastically different in winter, and picking the ideal car to handle the challenges presented by the condition of the tracks becomes essential.
4 Resident Evil 2 (93)
A remake and sequel, Resident Evil 2 earned Capcom a great deal of goodwill. Updating a classic is always a risky move; luckily, 2019's remake cut absolutely no corners. With the original's tank controls replaced with the more action-oriented system used in the post-Resident Evil 4 games, the remake is unquestionably the best Resident Evil 2 has ever played.
Although the plot mainly covers the same beats as 1998's sequel, Capcom added a few surprises to keep veterans of the franchise guessing. The sound work is excellent, the graphics are nothing short of breathtaking, and - most importantly -Â Resident Evil 2Â is genuinely terrifying.
3 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (95)
The Phantom Pain finds Hideo Kojima's beloved franchise at the height of its power, at least, when it comes to the gameplay. While Metal Gear Solid has generally always had competent mechanics, The Phantom Pain is arguably the only entry to truly live and die by its combat.
Told from the perspective of Punished "Venom" Snake, the narrative is surprisingly unintrusive, which can be disappointing for those expecting more of that famous Metal Gear Solid storytelling.
2 Grand Theft Auto V (97)
Rockstar Games seem to exist solely to push consoles to their absolute limits. Grand Theft Auto V is among the best-selling video games of all time, an honor that is fully earned. Set in the intricate and pulsating Los Santos, the single-player campaign follows three criminals with widely different goals and dispositions.
Rockstar has primarily focused on GTA Online, which is still going strong after all these years. As a sequel, GTA V is bigger and arguably better than anything previously created by the developer.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2 (97)
Unsurprisingly, Rockstar Games take the two top spots, with Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V being the highest-rated games on the Xbox One. Released nearly a decade after Red Dead Redemption, the sequel follows an outlaw called Arthur Morgan, who happens to be a member of the Van Der Linde gang.
It should go without saying, but the open-world is a marvel to behold. By this point, there is no reason to expect anything less from Rockstar. That said, the story is Red Dead Redemption's true crowning achievement, which is further serviced by random events that help make the adventure feel more spontaneous and natural.