Top Ten Stoner Xbox One Games; Stoner Blog
The Xbox One is a fantastic console, one packed with all the media functionality any stoner could ever need, and plenty of games to boot. After all, that’s why the console graces our entertainment stands–to play awesome games. Whether your still deciding between buying a PS4 or Xbox One, the question stands: what games should you play if you have an Xbox One?
There are many enticing upcoming Xbox One games we can’t wait to get our stoner hands on. But if you’re looking for something to play right now, we’ve ranked the best 10 games currently available, starting with…
Titanfall
Though Titanfall’s online-only campaign is sort of a bust, the narratives of each individual match are plenty exciting. The game’s unique elements all work together to craft compelling stories, be it the time you’ll barely escape on the evac ship, or the other time you’ll crunch a bunch of players under your titan’s feet. Each multiplayer battle is a story.
Titanfall doesn’t reinvent the first-person shooter–you’re still capturing flags, playing team deathmatch, and holding points–but it does a good job of making the standard formula feel fresh. How? Well, by letting you run on walls, fight against AI-controlled enemies, and drop giant robots from outer space. And those robots you’re dropping from outer space? You can make them land on enemy robots. It’s a beautiful thing.
Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct crashes into the Xbox One lineup with refreshing fury and fantastic potential. A reboot of the classic title of the same name, Killer Instinct may be one of the most gorgeous titles to be released at launch. That’s to say nothing about its gameplay which is fantastically refreshing in its own right. It welcomes all: from the noob button mashers to the skilled veterans of the fighting game genre. You’re able to dish out combos easily upwards of 10 hits, but unless you know how to finish, your opponent’s life bar will regenerate part of the damage.
To be fair though, this game was rolled out a bit before its time. What’s there is amazing, but we’re riding the wave of a really, really good demo. More characters, a solid single-player story mode, more levels, these are all things that are promised in the days to come. But since the game is free-to-play, there’s no reason not to pick it up right when you boot up your Xbox One for the first time. You won’t be disappointed.
NBA 2K14
The advantage of playing NBA 2K14 on a next-gen console like the Xbox One? First (and most obvious): It’s significantly prettier. Crowds are no longer composed of the same six character models, and the detailed players are creepy in just how realistic they look. Even things like My GM have received an interface overhaul, making navigation a far more enjoyable experience.
But the Xbox One’s hardware also translates into better gameplay. Animations and collision physics have been noticeably improved, making NBA 2K14 feel like a more substantial game compared to its last-gen counterpart. That’s not to say you won’t be a little weirded out when your teammates speak in magical subtitles instead of words, or that you won’t be a tad disappointed that the commentary (full of repeated lines) has been lifted straight from 2K14 on last-gen, but hey–this is still the biggest baller in town.
Dead Rising 3
Dead Rising 3 doesn’t have the shiniest pixels or the cleanest textures, but it doesn’t need them to impress on next-gen. Not when it can display thousands of zombies, items, and collectibles onscreen all at once, with virtually no loading across a massive city. That’s because Dead Rising 3 recognizes that it’s great at zombie-killing mayhem, and that’s precisely where Capcom Vancouver focused.
DR3 removes so many of the little (and big) annoyances of Dead Rising’s core gameplay, allowing you to enjoy killing zombies to the fullest. It might get a little old after your 7,000th kill, but combining weapons and exploring the city of Los Perdidos is fun for more than 15 hours of gameplay. If you’re looking for an Xbox One exclusive to keep you busy for some time, Dead Rising 3 is your best bet.
Ryse: Son of Rome
If Michael Bay directed Gladiator, the result would be something like Ryse: Son of Rome. This beautiful hack-and-slash outing is easily one of the best-looking games on next-gen, with absurdly realistic characters and environments that should help you justify your $500 purchase. But Ryse is more than a pretty face–the combat, though not very deep, is rewarding and brutal, and you’ll be jumping between smiles and cringes as you slice off the arms and legs of your opponents.
Marius’ quest for revenge is wrapped in occasionally corny dialogue, but that doesn’t stop it from being a surprisingly enjoyable tale. It dances around with mythology without ever going full-bore God of War, keeping its feet planted mostlyin reality for the entirety of the seven-hour campaign.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare
If the phrase “Team Fortress meets Plants vs. Zombies” doesn’t sell you on Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare… well, then there’s a good chance you hate fun. The charming PvZ universe is filled with colorful characters and imaginative concepts, and the transition from top-down strategy game to third-person shooter went as well as could be expected. Each of the three game modes provides different kinds of multiplayer fun, making for one of the better shooter experiences on the system.
The biggest success, however, comes with the addition of booster pack-style unlocks. Every class has a massive wardrobe of equippable items, from goggles to beards to freaking dolphin-powered shotguns. Oh, and it’s pretty–very pretty. It’s fun, polished, and takes advantage of the Xbox One’s power to make for some surprisingly strong visuals. Seriously, wait until you see the Sunflower.
Need for Speed: Rivals
The best thing that ever happened to the Need for Speed franchise was Criterion coming in and mucking with the formula. Criterion, best known for its vehicular carnage franchise Burnout, instilled in the franchise a unique verve, taking the time-tested cops-versus-racers aspect of Need for Speed and accentuating it with brutal demolition. And while Need for Speed has since been passed off to developer Ghost Games, Criterion’s vision for the long-running franchise is just as potent.
Need for Speed: Rivals’ greatest attributes involve its open, living world. Yes, there are AI challenges that pop up as you tear through the world’s streets, but it’s the surprising element of online connectivity–where a partner or perp can pop into your game at any time–that gives the game its lived-in charm. Mix in some of that next-gen visual magic, with realistic weather patterns that impact your on-road experience, and you’ve got one of the best racers currently available for the Xbox One.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
Lara Croft’s new adventure is a Tomb Raider reboot done right, which left us falling head over heels for the reenvisioned heroine (just look at where TR came in on our best games of 2013 list). Gone is the dual pistol-wielding, backflipping archeologist; the new Lara is inexperienced and naive. But all that changes when the psychotic, shipwrecked survivors inhabiting the island of Yamatai try to crush Lara with boulders, riddle her with bullets, and throw her off cliffs.
Now, with the next-gen version out on the new consoles, Lara looks even better than before. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition completely rebuilds the visuals, adding improved textures, environmental particle effects, and drastically enhanced lighting, plus all of the DLC extras from the original version are included. If you have yet to experience Tomb Raider, the Definitive Edition is definitely the version to play.
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Haters gonna hate, but Call of Duty: Ghosts is a damn fine shooter, offering the same great arcadey multiplayer action that hooked the series’ repeat buyers all those years ago. And what better way to play it than on a next-gen console? Of course, your opinion of the game will be largely dictated by franchise fatigue, but there’s a solid offering here for anyone looking for a nightly distraction.
Many of Ghosts’ multiplayer maps now feature some minor destruction events that slightly alter their layout (even if they pale in comparison to Battlefield 4’s levolution spectacles), imbuing a touch of spontaneity to most matches. The new Extinction mode, while not quite as exciting as Treyarch’s Zombies offering, provides a decently enjoyable break from all the competitive firefighting, and Ghosts’ single-player campaign is packed with as many explosive set-piece moments as any in the series. Innovative? Nah. A well-made shooter that’ll provide endless hours of online entertainment (until next year’s update)? You bet.
Battlefield 4
The first-person shooter genre is defined by its seminal moments. There’s Doom’s corridors. There’s Quake’s multiplayer modes. There’s Tribes’ breadth and scale. There’s Modern Warfare’s online progression. And now, there’s Battlefield 4’slevolution. Sure, the name is awful and its creator should be shot. But the idea–taking an online multiplayer level, and through player action, fundamentally altering that level–will be the new industry standard for the biggest and most lucrative genre in gaming. That fact alone puts Battlefield 4 at the top of this list of the best Xbox One games.
And even setting aside levolution, Battlefield 4 offers one of the finest–if not thefinest–large-scale multiplayer components available on any console. With 64-player maps, Xbox One owners are getting the same experience PC gamers have held over them for years, one that’s defined by an expertly crafted mix of infantry interacting with ground, air, and sea vehicles. Add in a wholly competent (if not inspired) single-player campaign, and what you’ve got is one of the best interactive experiences currently available.