When Microsoft launched the original Xbox in 2001, the video game industry changed forever, and its impact is still felt more than 25 years later. Three successors, the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, eventually followed, all of which had their highs and controversies. Currently, Xbox is probably at its lowest point ever, and there are even fears that Microsoft might move out of the console business sooner or later. Will there ever be a fifth console, as the rumors suggest, or will it be something entirely new, like an app downloadable on a computer similar to Xbox Game Pass?
It’s hard to predict the future since technology is odd right now regarding parts and storage, but for now, let’s look back at what games defined these four consoles. The Halo franchise will make an appearance, but on what console? All of them? Let’s go on and find out.
Original Xbox: Halo: Combat Evolved
The Xbox’s Reason For Success
Halo: Combat Evolved launched with the original console, forever cementing the idea that Halo is THE Xbox franchise. It wasn’t just a good launch game; it redefined what first-person shooters could be on consoles and became the blueprint for them going forward. There is a reason why studios tried to make “Halo Killers” in the 2000s, and this game, along with its sequel, is it. The game had everything from solid controls that felt right, a story that felt epic and immersive, and a leading character that, while quiet, was completely badass. Master Chief became iconic even though he was just one of many super soldier marines in a space shooter.
Somehow, Master Chief managed to stand out, thanks in part to his enormous size, shiny green armor, and AI companion, Cortana. The alien enemies, The Covenant, also became iconic, from the wails of the scared Grunts to the gibberish uttered by the Elites. Another great thing about the game was the more open level design, allowing players to explore on foot or in one of several vehicles. Whether players pop in the original version or enjoy the remaster as part of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo: Combat Evolved holds up incredibly well as one of the best first-person shooters of all time. If not for this game, it’s hard to think of another Xbox original that could have skyrocketed the brand on launch day.
Xbox 360: Gears Of War
Chainsawing Up The Competition On Xbox 360
While several Halo games were released on the Xbox 360, the next generation was more about highlighting a certain cover shooter. Gears of War was the next evolution in Microsoft shooters, taking place on a fictional planet called Sera with gruff soldiers fighting brutal enemies known as the Locusts. Everyone in the game looked like they had been jacked on protein since they were twelve, giving them an iconic look. Another iconic thing was the main rifles that had chainsaw attachments, which will forever be known as the Gears of War guns. Players could run up to Locusts and chainsaw them in half, and the developer, Epic Games, was not holding back on the gore.
That’s something that differentiated Gears of War from Halo even more: the excessive blood and language. Beyond the gruff stuff, the core cover-based shooting and team tactics were also solid. Players could take cover, blindly fire, or take a precise kill shot before ducking back to safety. And if ammo ran low, an active reload feature refilled guns more quickly. Everything about Gears of War was well-thought-out, leading to a great trilogy, one fine Xbox 360 prequel, a solid tactics game, a new era with two pretty great games, and the upcoming E-Day.
Gears of War finally left Xbox consoles for the first time via Reloaded in 2025, allowing PlayStation fans to finally get a taste of this remarkable first entry.
Xbox One: Cuphead
An Indie Hit On The Xbox One
Cuphead was not designed by a Microsoft studio, but it was set up as a console exclusive for the Xbox One, and it was one of the biggest games of this generation. Its effects have slowly trickled into other games, including the recently released Mouse: P.I. for Hire and Into the Unwell, which should hit Early Access fairly soon. The developer, Studio MDHR, has yet to make another game other than DLC and later ports of Cuphead, but there have been other expansions, including a Netflix cartoon. Indie games rarely get this big this quickly, but it’s easy to see why this happened with Cuphead. First, the visual style was striking.
There are a lot of games with hand-drawn animations or cel-shading that make players reflect and think that it looks like a cartoon in motion. Truly, Cuphead was on a whole new level since its inspirations were going back to the 1930s. The challenge was also a factor, and it found a niche fanbase who sought out punishing but rewarding games. The focus on bosses was also unique for this type of platform shooter, and all the fights are pretty epic. Not a first of its kind, but the way bosses evolved during rounds, and the ways players could counterattack, was ingenious. Cuphead may be a smaller game in scope next to something like Halo 4, but it certainly had more of an impact.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
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