Last year, I made a list of games that should be backwards compatible for the Xbox One. To my surprise, most of the games that were listed eventually became backwards compatible, like GTA IV, Mass Effect 2 and 3, and most of the Call of Duty games. And while games like Dead Rising 1 and 2 have been remastered for both PS4 and Xbox One, Backwards Compatibility is still the best way to revisit games on modern consoles -- and a much better alternative than what Sony is currently offering.
With so many games in the Xbox 360 library, I yet again decided to limit myself to only five games, with the occasional bundling here and there. With that said, let's take a look at what other games should be backwards compatible on the Xbox One.
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Trilogy
This more mostly has to do with the later issues, since you can get a remastered version of Modern Warfare, with Infinite Warfare. While the original MW changed the multiplayer landscape, Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 refined the elements that made Call of Duty a household name. Modern Warfare 2's online play is often considered the pinnacle of the series. Everything from its perks to its kill streak abilities has been refined to a tee. Its story may have been hard to follow, but its campaign was filled with dozens of over-the-top sequences and tight gunplay.
MW3, Meanwhile, still has its charm. With its equally enjoyable campaign that does a decent job of wrapping up the trilogy and its expert multiplayer that's just as enjoyable as past games, MW3 shouldn't be missed out and worth a second look.
Sonic Generations
With Sonic Forces coming out this year, it would be a smart move by Microsoft to bring the lightning-fast hedgehog to the Xbox One. Considered to be on the very first 'good' Sonic game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 -- and one of the best 3D iterations of the franchise, having Sonic Generations on the Xbox One would be fantastic.
SEGA was finally able to pull off a winner with Sonic Generations, a game that effortlessly switched between the classic 2D gameplay of old and the more race-like, 3D levels of Sonic Colors and Sonic Unleashed.
The game's classic Sonic levels reminded us what made us love the little hedgehog in the first place, especially with its excellent speed and platforming. But on the flip side, Generations' modern Sonic managed to redeem himself by re-creating tons of the classic levels in 3D -- and astonishingly, managed not to control like garbage.
The game's exhilarating speed, coupled with its simple control scheme and great level design help Sonic Generations channel the very best of classic Sonic.
Even if Sonic Forces turns out to be bad, the Xbox One should at least have one game where fans enjoy a Sonic game one last time... because it will be light years better than Sonic Boom.
Batman: Arkham Origins
Before Rocksteady sent their Batman off with a bang in Batman: Arkham Knight, WB Montreal was tasked to make a game to keep the Arkham franchise on its bi-yearly release schedule. The result was an underrated prequel to the franchise, titled Batman: Arkham Origins.
Focused on the Caped Crusader's early years, this title is all about a young and slightly inexperienced Batman coming to grips with his responsibilities as Gotham's savior, learning to trust others, and meeting his arch-enemy, The Joker, for the first time.
Arkham Origins has some of the best Batman and Joker moments in the series (aided by the excellent voice over work of Roger Craig Smith and Troy Baker). On top of that, it also has the same excellent combat and stealth sequences from earlier games in the series, and it also has some of the best boss battles of any game in the franchise.
It's not perfect, of course. There are plenty of technical issues that were never fixed by the developer (because clearly DLC is more important than the actual game it's for), and it doesn't push the series forward in any monumental ways, but it's still an exceptional game that fans of Batman should give a shot.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
In an age where hack-and-slash style action games like Devil May Cry, God of War and Ninja Gaiden have all but been forgotten, the industry needs more games that require quick, twitch-like reflexes and fast-paced action. Metal Gear Rising was easily one of the best of this now near-dead genre.
Its entertaining story, fast-paced action, great boss battles and driving heavy metal music made for a fantastic treat for fans of the genre. What's more, Raiden's second time as a lead protagonist (redeeming himself after his iconic bait and switch with Solid Snake in MGS 2) made for a surprisingly deep story that delves into themes of power, strength, and weakness. Ultimately, it's a story just as rich and interesting as any other game in the series... and you get to fight a robot dog that becomes your BFF, so that's rad.
On top of all that, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a game that manages to balance its interesting themes with copious, over-the-top 90s anime violence. In an age where the only "hack-and-slash games" simply seem to ape the Dynasty Warriors style -- or make themselves in the mold of more difficult games about tedious tactics and slowly waiting to attack your cheap opponent (cough... Dark Souls... cough), we need more games like Revengence to make a come back.
The Tomb Raider Trilogy
Before Lara Croft became the brooding protagonist we know today -- and was stranded on an island and forced to fight the harsh winter of Siberia and nefarious goons that seemed to fall right out of a Nathan Drake story -- she was just a charming archaeologist searching for treasure for the thrill of it all. She wasn't some covert commando or herbalist who knew how to heal herself with plants. She was all brain and unremitting brawn. She could run up to a guy, jump off him, and put some lead in his face with her iconic twin pistols without a single misstep.
With Tomb Raider's popularity at an all-time high, it would make perfect sense to let younger generations re-experience some of the classic games in the franchise. For example, Tomb Raider: Legend successfully rebooted the series after the disastrous Angel of Darkness; Anniversary is a high-def remake of the original game from 1996; and Underworld ties up all the lose ends from Legends, refining the elements that made past games so great.
These games were a great mix of smart puzzle solving and great action sequences. Sure, the combat isn't nearly as refined as recent games, but Tomb Raider wasn't all about combat. It was all about using your brain to solve solid puzzles. Some might not like that, but there's a reason that formula stuck around for years before it was rebooted. So let's dial the angst back and let us relive the version of Lara Croft who had a sense of humor.
Some honorable mentions go to Saints Row 2 and 3, for embracing the silliness that GTA left behind in GTA 3, The Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy, as they were the first and only major FF titles on last gen systems, and Far Cry 2, so it can let both old and new fans (myself included) experience the most overlooked Far Cry game that many have either never played or have completely forgotten about.
Were there any games that I missed? Leave any game you want to see be made Back Compat in the comments below. With so many great games, I'm sure to have forgotten a few.
Published: Apr 20, 2017 07:37 pm