The Must-Have Xbox Series X Launch Titles

Watch Dogs: Legion: If you steal this anti-corporate greed themed game from Walmart, and they have the nerve to call the cops on you, it’ll make the game’s entire point, and the judge will laugh them out of court. It’s a win-win.

Gears Tactics: A turn-based strategy spin-off of the Gears Of War franchise, this game celebrates a time of more gentlemanly warfare, before the damned Kaiser and his lapdog von Moltke sent civility to its early grave with their mechanized auto-carriages and sarin gas.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon: Since this Yakuza title has already been out in Japan since January 2020, the plot’s reliance on a twist in which the Tokyo Olympics are canceled by a once-in-a-lifetime respiratory pandemic may fall a little flat for American players who have run into spoilers from the game online.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The latest entry in the historical franchise lets gamers visit their most modern timeline yet when they step into the shoes of Dan Sheehan, offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, during his first season with the NFL in 1961.

The Falconeer: Oh, to control the majestic falcon! The wolf of the sky, the feathered lord of the hunt, the birds of prey with excellent visual acuity. Long have gamers desired to control their tapered wings, acquiring speeds of almost 200 miles per hour, capturing ducks, gulls, and songbirds in your small but firmly clasped talons. My my, what a marvelous feeling.

Samurai Shodown: This fighting game is the perfect opportunity to infuriate your parents by asking for a second controller for your new $500 console.

Photographs Of Your Childhood Dog: It’s not totally clear how Microsoft created a game that’s just a folder of personal photos of your long-dead childhood dog who walked into the woods one night and never came back, but nostalgic gamers will definitely not want to miss this.

Borderlands 3: Guns. So many guns. Caress the guns. Feed the guns. Bathe the guns. Ensure no harm befalls the guns. Then find better guns and throw the first guns on the ground.

Cuisine Royale: If your primary objection to battle-royale games like PUBG and Fortnite is that their in-game currency isn’t called something like “Hot Dog Bucks,” you’ll be pleased to learn that enough people share your views to constitute a viable target demographic.

Netflix: While not a game, this will be your Xbox’s main function within weeks or even days of purchasing.