Since we're getting so close to the launch of the first of the next-generation consoles, the Xbox 360, we've decided to take a look back at some of the games that have helped to make the Xbox a worldwide phenomenon. Our editors have sifted through all of the titles that have landed on the system, then argued and brawled with each other until we came up with the 25 games that best embody the spirit of the system. Don't agree with our rankings? See something we missed? Just want to compliment us on our hard work and dedication to our readers? Drop us a line and let us know what you think! 
Riddick: Escape from Butcher BayAs a platform, you can say that the Xbox is a bit deficient in a few areas, but if you say that it's lacking in quality shooters, then there's clearly something wrong with your brain. Forget about the
Halos and
Unreal Championships of the world for a moment, and reminisce about
Chronicles of Riddick. What could have very easily been a half-hearted movie license emerged as one of the most exciting and inventive first-person action games ever made. When you consider the arguably questionable quality of the source material, this is no mean feat.
But even to call
Riddick a first-person shooter would be more than a little bit fallacious. All sorts of RPG-style elements inform its design, and as a result, the game feels more like a streamlined version of
Deus Ex (minus all the "transparent" dice rolling, of course) than something like, say,
DOOM 3. All these elements help to immerse you in a world that, despite how shoddily it might have been realized on celluloid, is actually quite well-developed and compelling. The environments are dank, confining, and dehumanizing, and the characters that inhabit them are menacing, desperate, and, simply, human.
Hence, it's very fun to pummel them in the most brutal of ways.
Riddick's action by no means plays second-fiddle to its more cerebral elements. Far from it. You'll realize the first minute you beat a trifling inmate within an inch of his life with a knuckleduster strapped to your fist. Frankly, games like
Chronicles of Riddick don't come to consoles very often, and when they do, they just beg to be experienced.
Bryn: I had the pleasure of reviewing
EfBB for GameSpy, and it still ranks up there as one of the coolest games I've played on the Xbox. I loved the subtle blend of stealth, smart puzzle solving, and all-out gun-blazing action. And it didn't hurt that the visual approach of the game was equally stunning. I really felt as though
EfBB did an excellent job of conveying the cold-blooded nature of Riddick who cared literally for nothing else other than his own hide, and the sci-fi backdrop of the prison planet was nailed perfectly.
My only real issue was the game was over too fast and that there was no multiplayer component at all. I think
EfBB would have been an excellent online deathmatch candidate, but you can't win 'em all. It's likely that gamers could pick this one up for a reduced price, but it's still worth paying full whack for this very slick mature space saga. And for what it's worth, I really liked "Pitch Black" but wasn't so keen on "The Chronicles of Riddick." The game is definitely the best part of the trilogy, hands down.
Will: As an early champion of the movie "Pitch Black," I was one of the first in line when
Escape from Butcher Bay landed on store shelves. After getting it home and tearing off the plastic, I sat back and spent hours engaged in one of the most immersive experiences ever to hit the Xbox. In many ways, the game felt more like an interactive movie than a game, and the full experience left me wanting more. Alas, the subpar movie that was released last year did nothing to satisfy my jones, so I'm hoping that this won't be the character's only video-game appearance.
Part of what made the game so special was the sheer grittiness of the proceedings. The developers at Starbreeze were early adopters of the normal mapping technique, and every object in the world manages to look shiny and dirty at the same time. The combat was extremely visceral, too, especially the brutal hand-to-hand (or hand-to-shiv) sequences. I've never actually shanked anyone (as far as you know), but
Riddick made me feel like I could stick it to the man with style.
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