The Best Xbox One Games Of 2020

With the release of the Xbox Series X and Series S, the Xbox One generation is slowly but surely winding down. More gamers will eventually move to the new consoles, and the Xbox One — like the Xbox 360 before it — will become a relic of the past. You'll still be able to play Xbox One games on your new machine, but the older console itself will either end up in your closet or on Craigslist. That's just how it goes.

That time hasn't quite come yet, though, as new titles are still being released on Xbox One. The year 2020 in particular saw a lot of great releases, including some that were nominated in the 2020 Game Awards. Below, you'll get a list of all the Xbox One games that scored the highest on Metacritic during the course of the year. Some of the titles mentioned won't surprise you one bit, as they were the talk of the gaming world at one point or another. Some, however, may shock you.

These are the best Xbox One games of 2020.

When the first Superhot dropped in 2016, it did so with a simple gameplay premise: Time only moved when you did. Taking a step was like pressing the "start" button on a stopwatch. The moment you came to a halt, however, time froze. GameSpot wound up calling that first run at the formula "a clever game with deep, hidden elements," so it might not surprise you to learn that its sequel-slash-DLC, Superhot: Mind Control Delete, was highly anticipated in 2020.

Needless to say, this latest Superhot delivered.

The Guardian said Superhot: Mind Control Delete is "stylish, dynamic and gripping." Windows Central heaped on even more praise, stating, "If you loved SUPERHOT before, you might not want to put MCD down." If you like shooters but want to experience a new twist on them, this unique title was good enough for a Metacritic score of 82 and thus has earned its place as one of the best Xbox One games of the year.

If you're an older gamer, your first experience with the Streets of Rage franchise might have been on the Sega Genesis, as that's where the first few entries debuted. While some games upgrade with the times — Mario certainly isn't the same today as he was on the NES – Streets of Rage has stayed true to its roots, bringing its brand of side-scrolling beat-em-up action into 2020.

The latest release, Streets of Rage 4, snuck up on everyone to become one of the best games of the year.

According to IGN, "Streets of Rage 4 delivers the greatest hits of the classic series and is at its best when played with at least one friend." Polygon appreciated how the game was a "time capsule" of sorts, stating, "For a moment, Streets of Rage 4 transported us to another time and place, where Sonic was king and Mario was a slowpoke wannabe, and there wasn't a problem in the world." If you're eager to get away from huge, sprawling open worlds and instead want some simple arcade fun, it looks like you can't go wrong with Streets of Rage 4, which nabbed a Metacritic score of 82.

What do you get when you pair a little-known developer and a little-known publisher with a little-known sport? One of the best games of 2020, apparently. Developer Kylotonn teamed with publisher Nacon to deliver WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship, a rally racing title with a mouthful of a name but the chops to silence the critics and earn a spot on this list.

The Xbox Hub called WRC 9 "a faithful representation of the world of the WRC." IGN went even further, proclaiming WRC 9 as "some of the finest rally racing you can find." With a Metacritic score of 83, WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship certainly outpaced many other titles that were released over the course of 2020. If you prefer to take your race cars off the asphalt and onto long and winding dirt roads, this one is definitely worth a look.

While MLB: The Show may be the reigning king of baseball video games, there are definitely a few other titles vying for the pennant. One of those – Super Mega Baseball 3 — doesn't even have the rights to the Major League Baseball license. Still, it managed to carve out a niche for itself and did well enough to land itself on the list of the best Xbox One games of 2020. Not too shabby.

Game Informer applauded Super Mega Baseball 3 for offering "solid gameplay in a fun, stylish wrapper." IGN had nice things to say, as well, writing that the game has an "appealing graphical style, easy to use customization, fully adjustable difficulty, and quirky humor." If you're a die-hard MLB fan, you may not be all that satisfied with the depth of Super Mega Baseball 3. If you just want to play a little baseball — and you don't care about seeing the logo of your favorite team — perhaps it's worth looking into how this underdog earned a Metacritic score of 83.

If there's one thing you should know about Codemasters, it's this: The company has a pedigree for putting out solid racing titles. Codemasters is the studio behind both the F1 series as well as the Dirt series. Its latest release in the latter franchise, Dirt 5, helped usher in the next generation while also managing to deliver a pretty good arcade racing experience. With no Forza Horizon title on the docket, it may even be 2020's best arcade racing game of the year.

Den of Geek admired Dirt 5's simplicity, stating, "It's just one high speed thrill after another on gorgeous racetracks set all over the world." GameSpot had similar thoughts, noting that, "Dirt 5 distances itself from the series' recent past by being an unabashed arcade racer that's made up of short, action-packed skirmishes." With a Metacritic score of 83 — and a story mode that apparently includes Troy Baker and Nolan North as characters — you might want to add this one to your backlog.

Just a few decades ago, Crash Bandicoot was the unofficial mascot of PlayStation, causing a commotion outside Nintendo's headquarters on behalf of Sony and its new game console. Fast-forward to the present, however, and the spunky marsupial is now a multiplatform star. The N. Sane Trilogy brought all of the character's early outings to Xbox One, letting fans catch up on his O.G. PlayStation adventures. That paved the way for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, which jumped and spun its way into becoming one of the best Xbox One games of 2020.

This title, which received a Metacritic score of 83, won tons of praise from critics. As Eurogamer wrote, "Crash 4 is beautifully detailed, it features every gimmick and system and mechanic you can think of from the originals, and it's fun." Forbes also seemed to enjoy the game and offered specific kudos to developer Toys for Bob, stating, "If there's a better example of a developer taking someone else's classic work and creating a new sequel that both captures its essence and makes it so much better, I'm more than happy to hear it, but I simply can't think of one."

Capcom has been on a bit of a tear as of late, releasing hits like Resident Evil 2 Remake, Monster Hunter: World, and Devil May Cry 5. Understandably, fans of Resident Evil were pretty excited to see what the company would do with the remake for Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, especially since Capcom did such a bang-up job revitalizing the franchise's second entry.

The bad news is that Resident Evil 3 didn't reach quite the same heights as Resident Evil 2. The latter secured an impressive Metacritic score of 93, while RE3 only managed an 84. With that said, Resident Evil 3 still did well enough with critics to claim a spot on this list.

The Verge wrote that "Resident Evil 3 is an entertaining, well-made game that brings one of the series's less-heralded entries right up to date." IGN, meanwhile, called the game "a wonderful continuation of Capcom's latest remake efforts." This revamp of Resident Evil 3 may not be the absolute home run that the remake of Resident Evil 2 was, but if you're a fan of the series — or of horror games in general — it's still worth checking out.

A lot of RPGs these days are massive, open world affairs with fully realized worlds and insane amounts of detail. Wasteland 3 is not one of those games. It is a more traditional Western RPG — what is called a CRPG. That isn't a knock against it, though: It still wowed critics on its way to earning a Metacritic score of 84, which is good enough to make it one of the top Xbox titles of 2020.

In IGN's opinion, "Wasteland 3 doesn't add much to the tactical RPG formula, but its impressive freedom of choice, its dark and rough humor, and its satisfying combat make it one of the more memorable entries in the genre to date." GamesRadar found it to be "a terrific take on a tried-and-true formula." It may not be Final Fantasy 7 Remake in its production value or grandeur, but if you're a fan of RPGs, you might want to consider carving some time out for Wasteland 3.

Imagine something like X-COM, but trade out the futuristic setting for the Old West. That game right there is essentially what Desperados 3 is. It is, according to GameSpot, a "stealth tactics game." And though it didn't get a lot of attention in the year 2020, it did indeed release in June and fared well enough with reviewers to become one of the highest Metacritic-scored Xbox One titles with an 85.

That aforementioned GameSpot review called it "a superb package" and "a clever, cunning game of stealth and tactical thinking that, thanks to a generous quick-save system and wealth of informative visual cues, entices you to tinker with all the toys it has on offer and fully explore the possibility spaces of its elaborate levels." Polygon also liked it, writing, "Desperados 3 is the first game, in a year filled with attempts at shaking up the tactical formula, to truly find something new in a pile of old ideas." If strategy titles are your jam — and you're bored with blasting away aliens in X-COM — consider giving Desperados 3 a try.

Retro-looking titles have made a comeback in recent years, sometimes squeaking their way into awards consideration with some of the real heavy hitters. While you might not see Huntdown walk away with any trophies in 2020, it still left a mark on the year by obtaining a Metacritic score of 87 for its Xbox One release. That is pretty impressive.

In its review of the game, Destructoid said, "Huntdown is a nihilistic, loud, explosive, even obnoxious arcade shooter. But deep within its acid comic style and vulgar tone lies a superb, meticulously crafted action experience, packed with creative and addictive carnage, at a breakneck pace, for an agreeable price." When you pair that with the review from Gamereactor, which called it "a rock-solid ten" and a "high-octane gem of a game," you have at least two reasons to put Huntdown on your list of games to play on your Xbox One.

In 2016, the Doom reboot showed everyone how to bring a franchise back and make it modern. That game's new spin on an old first-person shooter formula won it a lot of critical acclaim, securing it a Metacritic score of 87. Just a few years later in 2020, fans wondered whether or not its sequel, Doom Eternal, could surpass the high bar set by its predecessor.

It's safe to say Doom Eternal did just that. Not only did it notch an 88 on Metacritic — one point better — but it was nominated for Game of the Year.

The Verge wrote in its review, "Doom Eternal is a bigger, more ambitious version of Doom, and for the most part, that's exactly as much fun as it sounds." Polygon had a similar take, writing that "Doom Eternal is like Doom (2016) but with greater scope and clearer intent." Since that first Doom was so beloved, it should come as no surprise that Doom Eternal scored as well as it did and is one of the best Xbox One games of 2020.

The Yakuza series was primarily known for being PlayStation-exclusive in the past. Lately, though, it's been showing the Xbox One a lot of love. At present time, several Yakuza titles are available inside Xbox Game Pass. What's more, the latest entry in the franchise, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, launched alongside the Xbox Series X and S on Nov. 10, 2020, opting to hold off on the PlayStation 5 until 2021. The times, they are a-changing.

You can still play Yakuza: Like a Dragon on Xbox One, however. And you may find the experience is just as fun. The game's Metacritic score of 89 speaks to how critics felt about it.

IGN wrote that "Yakuza: Like a Dragon's colourful turn-based combat, engaging lead characters, and detail-rich setting make for a refreshingly different and mostly thrilling instalment in the long-running Japanese crime series." Polygon credited the game with "reinvigorating the series." If you want to play a JRPG that doesn't take itself too seriously, give Yakuza: Like a Dragon a look. Just don't expect it to play like a prior Yakuza entry.

Ori and the Blind Forest stole hearts when it released on the Xbox One back in 2015. Moon Studios knocked it out of the park, and the game earned a Metacritic score of 88 as a result. That automatically made the next Ori title, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, one of the most highly anticipated games of 2020. If you're wondering whether it delivered or not, you only need to look at how much better it fared on Metacritic: It jumped up to a 90.

How exactly did the critics feel about Ori and the Will of the Wisps, you ask? Game Informer wrote, "Moon Studios has outdone itself with Will of the Wisps, delivering an experience that doesn't have any lulls, makes the player feel clever, and just keeps getting better as it goes." VentureBeat was just as high on it, stating that, "Will of the Wisps is easily one of the best Metroidvanias ever." If you own an Xbox One, it seems Ori and the Will of the Wisps is not a game you should miss by any stretch. It may not be nominated for Game of the Year, but it is one of the best Xbox One games yet.

It's safe to say that racing games don't always get their due when it comes to video game accolades. Deep, story-driven titles always get a look, but racing games? Not so much. This is especially true of the F1 series by Codemasters. Codemasters tends to handle racing games pretty darn well, but you'll rarely find any of the studio's titles being talked about once awards season rolls around.

Yet here F1 2020 is, sitting at the top of the pile. F1 2020 scored higher on Metacritic than any other Xbox One title released in 2020 thus far, landing at 91.

So why should you give F1 2020 a race around the track? The critics were all about it. Eurogamer wrote that it "has a feature list that should well be the envy of other console racers like Forza and Gran Turismo." IGN said, "F1 2020 is simultaneously the deepest yet most accessible Codemasters Formula One experience to date." If you really dig racing games and you own an Xbox One, it seems the best title released in 2020 for the console — regardless of genre — is F1 2020.