6 Underrated Xbox Games You Forgot Were Awesome

by

For years, people joked that Xbox didn’t have any games you couldn’t play anywhere else. But that wasn’t entirely accurate. While Xbox hasn’t released as many blockbuster exclusives as Nintendo and Sony, it still has a solid library of games. Everyone remembers hits like Halo and Gears of War, but there are plenty of other great Xbox games that didn’t get the attention they deserved. It’s a shame, because some of them could have become popular franchises. This isn’t a list ranking forgotten games – don’t worry if your favorite isn’t here! Instead, it’s a reminder of some of the best games Xbox has offered.

Here are six Xbox games you probably forgot.

6) Blinx: The Time Sweeper

Blinx was Microsoft’s first try at making a popular character like Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog. This action-platformer stars Blinx, a cat who uses a vacuum cleaner to gather objects. As you collect time crystals, you unlock special time-bending abilities – the most interesting part of the game.

In this game, you have the power to control time – you can rewind, fast forward, pause, and even create a temporary clone of yourself. The cool part is, these time manipulations don’t affect you, making tough jumps and puzzles much easier. While there was one sequel to Blinx, it didn’t focus much on the main character, and sadly, that was the end of the game series.

5) Quantum Break

Fans are revisiting Quantum Break after seeing Shawn Ashmore reprise his role in the Remedy universe with Alan Wake 2. While he plays a different character—named Tim Breaker, a clear nod to his previous role—it’s due to Microsoft owning the rights to Quantum Break.

Remedy’s unique blend of a video game and TV show is definitely worth a look. The cast is fantastic, including actors like Aiden Gillen, Lance Reddick, and Dominic Monaghan, alongside Ashmore. It also brought Ashmore and Brooke Nevin back together, which fans of the old Nickelodeon show Animorphs will appreciate. While the game isn’t flawless, it’s interesting to see Remedy experiment with the format, and it clearly influenced their later game, Alan Wake 2.

4) D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die

I probably shouldn’t include D4 because it’s an unfinished game with a story that was never concluded. However, it’s also a prime example of Swery65’s unique style. It’s definitely not for everyone, but this bizarre detective story is hilarious and leaves you wanting a continuation.

Man, I’ve always said that if I ever hit the lottery, the first thing I’m doing is throwing a ton of money at Swery so he can finally finish D4. Seriously, that game is just amazing. It’s crazy to think it started as a Kinect game! Only Swery would even try something that bizarre on that system. Look, you might not love D4, but you’ve gotta give Swery credit for even attempting something so unique.

3) Lost Odyssey

Around the mid-2000s, Microsoft tried to appeal to Japanese gamers with a couple of new role-playing games – and you’ll find both of them on this list. First up is Lost Odyssey, and it’s a fantastic game – being first doesn’t make it any less good. It’s a classic RPG with random encounters and turn-based battles using menus.

While some aspects of Lost Odyssey might seem a bit old-fashioned now, it’s easy to overlook that when the game is so good overall. Lost Odyssey is a beautiful game with a truly excellent story, and it’s one of the best experiences the Xbox 360 has to offer. What really makes it special are the memorable and well-developed characters you encounter throughout the game.

2) Blue Dragon

Alongside Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon was a major RPG published by Microsoft in the 2000s. It was created through a collaboration between Artoon, the studio behind Blinx, and Mistwalker, with artwork led by Akira Toriyama, famous for Dragon Ball. While some critics found Blue Dragon too reliant on classic RPG tropes, it’s a solid game if you’re looking for a traditional experience.

The artwork by Toriyama is definitely the highlight – it usually is when he’s working on a project. But the story is really fun too! While it might not be the greatest RPG ever made, it’s still worth playing. It was successful enough to spawn two sequels and even an anime series.

1) Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex is a Metroidvania-style game created by the developers of Infinity Blade. It was a standout title on Xbox Live Arcade, receiving excellent reviews and proving to be very popular with players. Like other games from Chair Entertainment, it features impressive graphics and offers a lot of replay value.

Sadly, after releasing Infinity Blade a year later, Chair Entertainment never returned to the Shadow Complex series. While a remastered version came out in 2015 and rumors of a sequel surfaced in 2016, neither project materialized. That same year, founder Donald Mustard took on the role of worldwide creative director at Epic Games. Since then, Chair hasn’t released a new game following the cancellation of SpyJinx in 2020.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/xbox-japanese-games-2026/embed/#

Read More

2026-01-11 02:12