Ranking the 5 Best Xbox 360 Launch Titles From Over 20 Years Ago

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In 2005, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 with 18 games, covering a variety of genres like sports, first-person shooters, platformers, and racing. We wanted to determine the five best games released with the console, so we looked at reviews from critics at the time, combined that with sales figures, and compiled the following list.

5) Perfect Dark Zero

Fans eagerly awaited Perfect Dark Zero, the sequel to the popular Perfect Dark game originally released for Nintendo 64 in 2000. As one of the first games for the Xbox 360, it created a lot of excitement and sold over a million copies. The game offered a single-player story mode that could also be played with a friend, and downloadable content later added even more multiplayer options. Though some players found it didn’t quite live up to expectations, many others enjoyed it, and it was eventually re-released as part of the Xbox 360’s Platinum Hits collection.

4) Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Released in 2005 for all gaming systems, including the Xbox 360, Need for Speed: Most Wanted was the ninth game in the popular series. Critics at the time favored the Xbox 360 version, and it proved to be a big seller. The game quickly became known for its exciting street racing, stunning car graphics, and intelligent AI, making it a key title for the launch of the Xbox 360. While exact sales numbers for the 360 version are unknown, the game sold over 18 million copies worldwide, cementing its success. Need for Speed: Most Wanted has been re-released and reimagined since then, and it remains a highly influential title in the racing game genre.

3) Condemned: Criminal Origins

Released as a key game for the Xbox 360, Condemned: Criminal Origins was a well-received survival horror title that, despite only having one sequel, made a significant impact on the genre during its peak in the mid-2000s. Heavily inspired by films like Seven and The Silence of the Lambs, the game delivers a truly disturbing and engaging experience. Critics praised its combat, enemy AI, and graphics. Condemned: Criminal Origins was a commercial success as well, becoming the fifth best-selling launch title for the Xbox 360 with sales reaching several hundred thousand copies.

2) Project Gotham Racing 3

Man, I remember when Project Gotham Racing 3 first came out on the Xbox 360! It was a launch title and totally blew everything else away. The cars were just unbelievably detailed – seriously, the interiors were amazing. I even remember Official Xbox Magazine giving it an award for the best first-person view in a non-shooter game. They released some downloadable content later on, adding more cars and stuff, and it eventually led to another sequel. I don’t know the exact sales numbers, but I’m pretty sure it sold hundreds of thousands of copies – it was a huge deal back then.

1) Call of Duty 2

I remember when the Xbox 360 first came out – everyone was talking about Call of Duty 2! It was the game they used to show off what the console could do. As the second Call of Duty game, it kept the WWII setting but really expanded on the first one with a ton of new features. It was a huge hit right away, selling 250,000 copies in its first week, and eventually almost 6 million total. Honestly, it totally crushed the competition as the best game to get with the new Xbox 360, mostly because of its great story, how fresh it felt, and, of course, because people already loved Call of Duty.

What Xbox 360 game were you most excited to play when the console first came out? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-12 05:11