The relationship betweenPCandXboxhas continuously grown tighter over the last decade, so much so that almost every new game released on the green brand of console also makes its way to Windows PC. Microsoft’s value-for-money Game Pass service has also come to PC, which includes flagship Xbox franchises likeHalo,Forza,andGears of War, and lets players seamlessly switch between systems with Cloud Gaming.
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The influx of once Xbox exclusives coming to PC has been exhilarating for many gamers, though there are still a handful of critically acclaimed titles that are yet to make the jump.
10Rare Replay
As the name suggests,Rare Replayis a collection ofclassic games from Rarewho are best known for developingGoldenEye 007andBanjo-Kazooie. Notable games from the collection include adult platformerConker’s Bad Fur Day, the notoriously difficultBattletoads,and the aforementioned collect-a-thonBanjo-Kazooie.
Rare Replayhas been ahuge hit with retro gamers, as well as achievement hunters, due to the game’s eye-watering Gamerscore count of up to 10,000.
9Lost Odyssey
Lost Odysseyis a JRPG that was originally released in Japan back in 2007 before releasing in North America, Europe, and Australia the following year. The game didn’t try to reinvent the wheel, keeping its core gameplay and themes very similar to other JRPGs. This was particularly evident with its combat, which was reminiscent of theFinal Fantasyseries.
The game was well-received by fans and critics and would be welcomed by PC players wholeheartedly.
8Halo 5: Guardians
The vast majority of main seriesHalogames have now made their way to PC, thanks to the release of the value for moneyMaster Chief Collection, which includes iconic titles likeHalo: Combat Evolved,Halo 3,andHalo: Reach.
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Unfortunately, the latest main series game,Halo 5: Guardians, still hasn’t made its way to the system.Guardiansreceived its fair share of criticism upon release, particularly due to its single-player experience. However, the multiplayer mode more than made up for its single-player shortcomings and was awarded the Best Multiplayer accolade at the Game Revolution Best of 2015 Awards.
7Fable 2
TheFableseries has recently returned to the gaming industry’s attention, following a short teaser trailer for a new entry in the series, which is described as a “new beginning for the legendary franchise” in the trailer’s description.
Unfortunately, fans may still have a few years of waiting to do, as there were no further trailers for the game at the recent Xbox & Bethesda Games showcase during E3. Consequently, it would be great if PC players could revisit the series' best entry while they wait, which is widely considered to beFable 2.
6Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
TheGeometryWarsseries had an odd start to life, beginning as an easter egg in another game.Project Gotham Racing 2let players interact with an arcade cabinet in a garage, which was the only way to play the original entry in theGeometry Warsseries.
Following a ton of attention for the hidden game, a full, updated version was released in the form ofGeometry Wars: Retro Evolved, which was the most downloaded game on Xbox Live Arcade at one point. The game has since come to PC, but its sequel,Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2,remains an Xbox exclusive.
5Crackdown
The originalCrackdownwas released in 2007 and instantly drew attention for its comparisons toGrand Theft Auto. These comparisons weren’t just due to thethird-person shooter’s open-worldand impressive level of freedom, but also because the game was conceived by David Jones, the creator of theGTAfranchise.
Crackdowndifferentiated itself fromGrand Theft Autowith its over-the-top gameplay, which wasn’t too concerned with realism and featured a selection of villains who felt as though they were pulled straight from a comic book series.
4Jet Set Radio Future
Jet Set Radio Futureis the sequel to the originalJet Set Radio, which was a huge hit with critics back in 2000.
The sequel was released exclusively on Xbox just under two years later and didn’t disappoint, continuing the series' high quality. Despite this, the game struggled to sell, earning it a nomination for the bittersweet GameSpot award Best Game No One Played on Xbox. It would be awesome to see the game have another chance on PCs.
Dead or Alive 4was initially released in 2005 and offered one of the best fighting experiences on the Xbox 360. The game was predominantly praised for offering a deeper combat system than previous iterations in the series, as well as its multi-tiered battle arenas and excellent multiplayer mode.
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Dead or Alive 4was developed by Japanese studio Team Ninja, who are also known for their work on theNinja Gaidenseries.
2Blinx: The Time Sweeper
Blinx: The Time Sweeperwas released on the original Xbox in 2002 by Microsoft Game Studios (now known as Xbox Game Studios), with the development being handled by Artoon, who were best known at the time for their work on GameBoy Advance games.
The mascot platformer genre was in a tough spot in the early 2000s, struggling to recapture its success from the 90s.Blinxtried to turn the genre’s fortunes around with an interesting set of gameplay mechanics centered around time manipulation, though it wasn’t enough to draw attention, and the game was widely dismissed.
However,Blinx: The Time Sweeperhas started to regain attention recently thanks to the platforming genre’s slow but sure resurgence, making it an ideal choice for a PC release.
1Gears Of War 2
PC gamers have received their fair share ofGears of Wartitles, with games likeGears 5,Gears Tactics,andGears of War: Ultimate Editionall being available on the console. However, the game that manyconsider to be the series' best,Gears of War 2, still hasn’t made its way to PC.
Gears of War 2was initially released in 2008 and kept its gameplay similar to its critically acclaimed predecessor but differentiated itself with a more emotional story, particularly Dom’s search for his wife.
