On May 22, 2013, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One and the world promptly responded with a collective sigh. Announced during the same E3 Expo as Sony’s PlayStation 4, the Xbox 360’s successor stumbled out of the gate and smacked its face onto the pavement. Despite being the weaker of the two consoles, Microsoft priced the Xbox One at $499, an astonishing $100 more than its nearest competitor. Fans may argue this discrepancy was merely due to the Kinect accessory, but the console’s launch model could not be picked up without the discontinued adapter. With hero shooters and Fortnite dominating the industry, Microsoft’s initial ruling to demand a constant online connection seems almost prophetic, but this decision implied that single-player experiences were not on the company’s agenda.
With the eighth generation approaching its twilight years, there is no disputing that the Xbox One has played second-fiddle to the PlayStation 4 and, to a lesser extent, the Nintendo Switch. That is not to say Microsoft has utterly failed to contribute anything worthwhile, but the brand’s most noteworthy victories center around services rather than actual games. The Xbox Game Pass is comfortably the greatest gaming subscription on the market, and the Play Anywhere feature is neat. There are various exciting titles coming to Microsoft’s device, but the vast majority of them are multi-platform, so there is little reason to pick up an Xbox One. The Xbox One X may be the most powerful console, but the performance upgrade is hardly enough to justify buying a new console that will soon be obsolete.
For those who own Microsoft’s console, here are 25 upcoming Xbox One 2018 games we need to play!
25 Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Release Date: September 21, 2018
Motivated by the lucrative Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Activision announced that Spyro Reignited Trilogy is coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Developed by Toys for Bob, this collection remasters Insomniac Games’ PlayStation One games, which continue to be among the best platformers of any generation. Due to the more open-world design of the levels, Spyro Reignited Trilogy may be a taller task than Crash Bandicoot’s recent revamp, but we cannot wait to revisit the Dragon Realms! Gnasty Gnorc and Ripto should ready themselves, as they are in for a beating.
24 Shenmue I & II
Release Date: August 21, 2018
On paper, Kickstarter sounds like the ideal avenue to loosen the grip of corporations over the gaming industry; unfortunately, there have been too many failures to count. Due to games like Mighty No. 9, it would be wise to limit expectations for Shenmue III, but Sega’s upcoming remasters are a completely different matter. Expected to be released during August, this compilation promises to offer 2018’s best value for money, so long as the developers do a decent job of polishing the originals. Shenmue I and II are still worth playing today, but certain aspects have aged rather poorly.
23 Soulcalibur VI
Release Date: October 19, 2018
Street Fighter V delivered an enjoyable combat system but forgot to create a game around it, while Tekken 7 stuck a tad too close to the franchise’s established formula to truly stand out. Project Soul’s first numbered entry since 2012, Soulcalibur VI marks the return of the legendary weapon-wielding fighter. Bandai Namco Entertainment has already confirmed that The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia will be included with the base game, and the gameplay appears to be as smooth as ever! Fighters are not for everyone, but Soulcalibur VI is worth a gander!
22 This Is The Police 2
Release Date: August 2, 2018
Tasking players with managing a clean police station, This is the Police was a solid enough start to a potential franchise. Adding elements of turn-based strategy and combat, This is the Police 2 blends the original’s micromanagement with mechanics that would not be out of place in an XCom title. Be it the noticeable lull between story moments or a sense of monotony, This is the Police had a couple of issues, but the sequel may be able to iron out some of its wrinkles!
21 Strange Brigade
Release Date: August 28, 2018
There is hardly a shortage of multiplayer games, but only a handful genuinely promote cooperation between players. Set in the 1930s, Strange Brigade pits four players against waves of mythological monstrosities, including mummies and minotaurs. Split into a variety of levels, Strange Brigade could prove to be the perfect stop-gap until Valve overcomes its fear of the number “3.“Visually, Rebellion Developments appears to have put together a somewhat pretty game, but we will have to wait and see if this is something worth playing. Hopefully, Strange Brigade manages to find a dedicated audience.
20 F1 2018
Release Date: August 24, 2018
Over the last couple of iterations, Codemasters has finetuned its craft to a nearly unprecedented degree. Known for the Grid and DiRT franchises, when it comes to racing games, this experienced studio always leads the pack. As we are dealing with a driving simulator and not an arcade racer, F1 newcomers may initially find themselves slightly overwhelmed, but practice makes perfect. For those who are not keeping up with the latest seasons, F1 2018features a ton of classic vehicles from yesteryear! Apparently, the Career mode is receiving a shake-up, with the media playing a more significant role.
19 One Piece World Seeker
Release Date: 2018
Eiichiro Oda’s manga seems tailor-made for an ambitious RPG, but the franchise has had to make due with a string of adequate Dynasty Warriors clones. One Piece World Seeker may prove to be the game that fans have been waiting for, although little information is truly known about Bandi Namco’s action-adventure epic. While open fields and expansive areas are promised, One Piece’s gaming track record leaves something to be desired. At the bare minimum, One Piece World Seeker is destined to be the prettiest looking anime-inspired game on the market!
18 Black Desert
Release Date: Fall 2018
Xbox One owners have been anticipating Black Desert for quite a while, but the wait should be over by the end of 2018. The MMORPG boasts arguably the most visually pleasing combat in the genre, while there is more than enough content to keep customers entertained for hundreds of hours. Black Desert Online suffers from an underwhelming endgame grind and the RNG elements are rather toxic, but we cannot wait to try out the console version. Unlike some other MMORPGs, Black Desert was designed to be played with a controller.
17 We Happy Few
Release Date: August 10, 2018
Post-apocalyptic worlds are always in abundance, but We Happy Few stands out from the rest of the fodder. Who can resist that terrifying policeman? An indie survival game which received a big boost after Gearbox stepped in as a publisher, We Happy Few must justify its new $60 price tag. Set in a pseudo-1960s Britain, this first-person survival horror game sees the player try to escape from a city overrun with drugged-out inhabitants. In 2016, an early access version was made available on PCs, but We Happy Few has come a long way since those ancient days.
16 Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Release Date: September 14, 2018
Building on the success of 2013’s Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider, Square Enix’s Survivor trilogy is coming to an end. Hopefully, Shadow of the Tomb Raider continues to refine the exploration and combat elements that made its predecessors such a blast to play. While a fantastic game in its own right, Rise of the Tomb Raiderlaunched with some technical difficulties that hindered the gameplay. Square Enix cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes, as this series deserves to go out on a high note.
15 Valkyria Chronicles 4
Release Date: September 25, 2018
Similarly to the Yakuza franchise, Sega has played it fast and loose with Valkyria Chronicles. Featuring unique gameplay and a fascinating military storyline, 2008’s role-playing video game was a breath of fresh air. For some strange reason, Valkyria Chronicles II & III were developed exclusively for the PlayStation Portable, and home consoles had to wait until the release of the bland spin-off Valkyria Revolution to revisit Sega’s alternative version of Earth. Valkyria Chronicles 4 takes place during the events of the original game, so knowledge of the sequels is not necessary.
14 Life Is Strange 2
Release Date: September 27, 2018
Dontnod Entertainment is back with its proper follow-up to Max and Chloe’s emotionally charged adventure. Published in 2015, Life Is Strange was something of a sleeper hit, but the episodic experience’s reputation has grown steadily since its initial release. Even though it has a couple of cool moments, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm felt like little more than a stopgap to distract fans while the developer put the finishing touches on the upcoming sequel. With the first episode coming out in September, there has never been a better time to try out Dontnod’s series!
13 Forza Horizon 4
Release Date: October 2, 2018
The best racer on the market is set to release its latest iteration towards the end of this year. Playground Games’ Forza Horizon is a near perfect arcade open world racing series, one that has started to eclipse the license’s main franchise. While Forza Motorsport is a demanding driving simulator, the spin-off series strips back the difficulty and elevates the insanity. Set in Britain, Forza Horizon 4’s graphics will undoubtedly be picturesque, but the title’s main selling point is the staggering amount of content available to partake in. As always, players can create and share their own races.
12 Pro Evolution Soccer 2019
EA continues to hog the limelight, but Konami’s football simulator has comfortably delivered the superior gameplay since Pro Evolution Soccer 2016. Adding a fatigue element and a new card system for its MyClub mode, PES 2019 needs to build on the solid foundations left by its predecessors. On the pitch, Konami will handily top EA, but the latter’s allure lays with the various game modes and addictive Ultimate Team; hopefully, Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 improves its presentation and adds a couple of neat touches to its by-the-numbers game modes. By this point, the Master League is practically ancient!
11 Mega Man 11
Wait, Capcom is actually producing another Mega Man game? We should presumably stock up on goods, as the end times are clearly upon us! Set to fill the void left by 2010’s Mega Man 10, the upcoming sequel propels the 2.5D action-platformer into the modern era. Updating the graphics and introducing the Double Gear system, Mega Man 11will probably not re-invent the wheel, and only needs to maintain the franchise’s high-level of quality. The entire series can be played via Xbox’s Game Pass, so it has never been simpler to jump into cyberspace.
10 Battlefield V
As the logical follow-up to Battlefield I, 2018’s sequel is set in World War II and focuses on some of the more obscure stories from this particular era. EA and DICE confirmed that the first-person shooter contains a single-player campaign, but the multiplayer will be the selling point for the vast majority of players. Prioritizing team play over Ramboesque heroics, everything points towards Battlefield V being a marked step-up from its satisfactory predecessor. Among returning game modes, the multiplayer features a slew of new options, including Tides of War and Grand Operations.
9 LEGO DC Super-Villains
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Consistently funny and endearing, the Lego games rarely ever put a foot wrong. Due to the recent Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 and Lego The Incredibles, Traveller’s Tales should consider taking a break from its superhero-themed licensed games, as the formula is bound to fatigue the franchise’s target audience. Nevertheless, DC’s expansive roster of super-villains should allow for a great deal of experimentation and variety. Taking place in a timeline that lacks the Justice League, the Injustice League is urged to step up to the plate when a strange new team rolls into town.
8 Red Dead Redemption 2
Release Date: October 26, 2018
Scientifically speaking, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Rockstar Games loves to play the long game! John Marston’s western epic hit the scene over eight years ago, so nobody can describe Red Dead Redemption 2 as a rushed sequel. Focusing on a fresh face, Arthur Morgan, Rockstar’s trailers have shown just enough to send the hype train into overdrive, but there is little doubt in our minds that the sequel will live up to expectations. As Grand Theft Auto V was merely a port of an older game, Red Dead Redemption 2 marks Rockstar’s eighth generation debut.
7 Ashen
Described as a Dark Souls style game, Aurora44’s action RPG seems destined to go by mostly unnoticed. 2018 is stacked to the brim with blockbuster releases, so AA titles face a rather uphill battle for attention. Right out of the gate, Ashen’s minimalistic visuals create a sense of weariness and mystery, while the fluid combat should feel second-nature to anyone familiar with action-RPGs. While this is a single-player game, there is a multiplayer component that appears to be a mishmash between Dark Souls and Journey. Even though gamers can hitch a ride to someone else’s adventure, they remain anonymous, so it is possible to not even run into the other player.
6 Fallout 76
Release Date: November 14, 2018
The mere mention of Fallout is enough to send gamers into rapture, but Bethesda’s upcoming release was met with a healthy amount of skepticism. Requiring a consistent internet connection, Fallout 76 is a multiplayer experience set within Bethesda’s popular post-apocalyptic world. Despite seeming like Fallout’s answer to The Elder Scrolls Online, the studio has stated that players can play solo and the focus will remain on exploration, but there will be no human NPC characters. Fallout 76’s premise centers around people coming together to rebuild the world, but it remains to be seen whether this spin-off is worthy of the Fallout name. If nothing else, the mods should be pretty great!
