Underrated Xbox 360 games that aged the best

Not all Xbox 360 games, whether first-party or third-party, cross-platform or exclusive, could reach the status level of Gears of War or Halo 3. For every AAA experience that was flagged, another one was thrown under the bus.

The funny thing today is that many of these more polished experiences last less because they went for cutting edge graphics rather than focusing on what makes the games so special: the gameplay. While the following Xbox 360 games aren't perfect, they hold up better than many Xbox 360 games and were criminally underrated when they were released.

Asura's Wrath

Dragon Ball in all but name

Asura's Wrath is an action game at its heart, but it also relies heavily on Quick-Time Events. The basic plot involves Asura being betrayed by the gods and then seeking revenge to save his daughter.

There is some action against mobs of enemies and some light exploration, but by and large this game is about boss fights which are essentially set pieces. This is the game that would come out about The God of War and Dragon Ball Z dated, and that's not a bad thing.

Binary domain

On the brink of the end of humanity

Binary domain takes place in the future where androids live peacefully among humans, but thanks to a virus, they all started to turn. On missions, players will control a squad that follows the leader, Daniel, who can issue commands.

Performing well on missions will raise the ratio between these characters, and there's also some gear tweaking between rounds. It's a one-and-done example of a game that was perhaps too niche for its own good, but it rules as a cover shooter fighting an army of robots.

Bulletstorm

Spice Up Shooters

Bulletstorm is almost a parody of the first-person genre, but what it didn't tone down was the gameplay. Players can get a variety of weapons along the way, but there are only two mechanics that really matter: your boot and an electric tether.

With the tether, players can pull an enemy in and then kick them off cliffs, into cactus groves to remove them, into traps, and so much more. The game rewards creativity between the guys too, so the more wild players are, the more fun they'll have overall.

Dante's Inferno

The God of Catholicism

Dante's Inferno was an adaptation of the famous epic poem The Divine Comedy. It was another The God of War clone, but a bit more 1:1 compared to Asura's Wrath.

As a night of the cloth, players will dive into the underworld and fight demons with their scythe. The combat and exploration weren't amazing back then, and at the time it got tarnished for looking like it was just a mindless clone, but now looking back it's a better game when players add up all its parts.

Dragon Age 2

Actually a pretty good sequel

Dragon Age 2 was a disappointment too Dragon Age fans because it was shorter and mostly set in a town that branched off into different dungeons. Compared to the original game, which had many branching paths and customization options, it was a valid idea to have in the sequel, but it's so much better than all the negative rhetoric at the time.

What Dragon Age 2 does with its city is good for an RPG. The combat was more action-oriented, and it felt better to play, and the character interactions were just as satisfying. Sometimes a shorter sequel isn't a bad thing, and sequels don't always have to be better than their previous iteration, just as long as the game is fun.

Enslaved: Odyssey To The West

Horizon Minus Zero Dawn

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is less impressive Uncharted game, but so did the beautiful post-apocalypse aesthetic before The last of us or Horizon Zero Dawn. Players control Monkey, who is forced by a girl, Trip, to accompany her on an adventure through ruined civilizations.

There's plenty of platforming, pole swinging and even surfing. The robot enemies aren't too tough, and the combat is somewhere in between The God of War and that Batman Arkham game, so it's fun overall.

The saboteur

Taking back Paris

The saboteur is a World War II game set in Paris, shown in black and white because the Nazis have taken it over. As a rebel spy/race car driver working with the resistance, players can save neighborhoods and in turn restore color to the world.

It's a great effect that feels rewarding every time players complete a mission, but it also robs the game of its killer black and white aesthetic, so it's a double-edged sword. Regardless, this chaotic open-world game holds up better than others in this era thanks to style and substance.

Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron

Autobots vs. Decepticons

Transformers: War for Cybertron is one of the few originals Transformers games that don't feel like a cash grab. Players can choose to play as Autobots or Decepticons, and each side has its own campaign and playable characters.

The third-person shooting is good enough, but the real hook is quickly transforming into other machines at the touch of a button. Its sequel, Transformers: Fall of Cybertronis also good, but unfortunately it is very difficult to play both games these days.

Defeat

Shoot to kill

Defeat is one of the few PlatinumGames titles that is strictly a shooter, but with a twist. The story doesn't matter, because all you need to know is that you're a space soldier fighting a war with an experimental suit that allows you to bend time. W

If players dodge attacks or do a powerslide between cover points, time will slow down. The gunplay and time mechanics are incredible, even if the story isn't winning awards. Defeat is still fun and unique as a shooter today, between the original version and its remaster.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines

Gears Of Space War

It's hard to keep track of everyone Warhammer games, because they come out often enough, which is how titles like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines flew under the radar. Thanks to its sequel, this original game gets a second look, and it holds up, maybe even more than the sequel.

Players will enter linear levels and battle hordes of orcs with all manner of weapons from bolt-firing guns to chainsaw swords. The best equivalent of that is Gears of War in terms of tone, except with more forward action and less time in cover.