Be Sure To Revisit These Backward Compatible Xbox Games
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There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the sudden deluge of new additions to Microsoft’s Xbox Backward Compatible Games library. Seeing your old favorite titles shine with a newly doubled framerate and checking out classics that you never got around to playing are just a couple of them.
Check Out the Xbox Backward Compatible Library
However, it’s safe to say that some of the included games are truly relics of their time. They may not live up to the standards of a modern gamer playing them for the very first time. To save you the disappointment of a burst nostalgia bubble, we’ve highlighted a few Xbox backward compatible classics that are definitely worth a play.
7 Backward Compatible Xbox Games Worth Revisiting
You can’t go wrong with tried-and-true early entries from well-known game series like Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil. But there’s little question as to whether or not these games are worthwhile. But what about the underappreciated gems from an otherwise popular series? And how about the oddball games that never made it to the next console generation? After all, many beloved games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360s eras are memorable because of their quirks, not in spite of them. Check out these backward compatible picks.
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (2009)
Real-life celebrities occasionally make cameo appearances in video games. But 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand might be the only game that allows you to play as a famous rapper roaming through the desert in search of a crystal skull. BotS is not known for its advanced graphics or thoughtful storytelling. It is in fact quite vulgar, which only adds to its appeal. But who can resist the sheer ridiculousness of leading Curtis Jackson III himself through a taunt-riddled desert showdown? Yes, a game starring 50 Cent is worth playing as a backward compatible title.
Manhunt (2004)
Rockstar Games is responsible for series like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead, but some developers drew the line at Manhunt. The violence depicted in the stealth-survival horror game was objectionable enough to warrant a failed piece of legislation. It would have required game publishers to update cover packaging to include “WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior.”
Regardless of how you feel about violence in video games, this scandalizing context makes Manhunt sound pretty cool. Especially if your parents never let you own it. If you’ve always preferred the aggressive GTA objectives over casual joyriding, you’ll be happy to know that this stealth-execution-style thriller exists in the same universe.
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee (2001)
It might not look like much by today’s standards, but Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee was a visual and technological marvel in its time. The second entry from the Oddworld series didn’t have the same sticking power as its contemporaries. Still, this offbeat 2001 Xbox classic certainly possesses many unique characteristics that set it apart from the rest. For example, it has an orb-powered remote NPC control system, a funky TB-303 acid bassline-driven soundtrack. We can’t forget the salient environmental stance on the perils of over-industrialization, either. Perfect for a backward compatible pick.
Otogi Series (2003)
If you’re a fan of modern FromSoftware works like the Souls series, you’ll notice a lot of parallels playing a couple of the studio’s older relics: Otogi: Myth of Demons and Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors. Set in demon-infested feudal Japan, this hack-and-slash action series follows Raikoh Minamoto through the Imperial Capital and the Underworld. He’s on a quest to prevent darkness from enveloping his world. These older FromSoft titles don’t share many other characteristics with their recent counterparts. But Sekiro fans will feel right at home in the melancholy, gloomy natural world of Otogi.
Red Dead Revolver (2004)
Compared to the prestige surrounding Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2, the original Red Dead game never really took off. Now that the Red Dead series has cemented its place in the action-adventure canon, an entirely new generation of fans can discover Red Dead Revolve. Thanks to the backward compatible catalog, they can soak up some the popular old Western shooter’s rich lore. Granted, both Red Dead Redemption games are “spiritual successors” more than they are true sequels for the original, but creative director Dan Houser suggested that the events from Revolver exist in a similar universe to the rest.
ThrillVille Series (2007)
If you love the Roller Coaster Tycoon series but lack the patience required to manage a theme park, you should definitely check out ThrillVille and ThrillVille: Off the Rails. You’ll still be on the hook for designing your park and getting the whole operation moving, but ThrillVille offers multiple ways to participate in the merriment that you’ve created — playing your park’s arcade games, socializing with your guests and even riding your own roller coasters.
TimeSplitters Series (2002)
The TimeSplitters series is both dated and timeless — its comic book-style graphics and quick, quippy storytelling provide a perfect time capsule of what felt fresh and new throughout the original Xbox generation. Fittingly, the premise of the TimeSplitters follows a wacky ensemble of characters on their nonlinear quest to complete retrieval missions in the distant past and future.
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