This might be an especially stacked year of video game releases, but that doesn’t mean your older consoles have been left out of it. From AAAs to indies and games for the family, I’ve put together a list of the 10 Best Xbox One Games of 2023.
10 Best Xbox One Games of 2023 That are Must-Play Material
10. Dead Island 2
Starting this list is a sequel many years in the making: Dead Island 2. Taking place during a zombie outbreak in Los Angeles, you’ll choose one of six characters to play as and paint the town red with zombie gore. Between customizing your weapons and unlocking mechanically interesting skill cards that can quite literally melt the undead, you’ll never run out of fun ways to take care of shamblers and brutes in this excessively violent and fun adventure I can’t recommend enough.
9. Minecraft Legends
Going in the completely opposite direction on the gore and violence meter is Minecraft Legends. The blocky world of Minecraft has expanded a lot over the years and this much more family-friendly affair adds a heaping helping of strategy to the mix. This RTS is all about building up your defenses and summoning familiar mobs to take on “evil” piglins. Like all other Minecraft-related things, I highly recommend taking advantage of it being offered for free through Xbox Game Pass.
8. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
FromSoftware’s return to their mech series with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon has been a big success. Assuming the role of a mercenary on the planet Rubicon, you’ll be thrust into a war between multiple corporations, taking on other mercenaries across a number of varied mission types. Numerous customization options ensure you have nearly limitless options to tackle enemies, whether you want to get in close with melee attacks or shoot things from a distance.
This also landed on our list of the 10 Best Xbox Series X|S Games of 2023. While the performance isn’t as great here as it is with current-gen consoles, the Xbox One version is still a whole lot of fun.
7. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Koei Tecmo has a bit of history making Soulslikes at this point, and their latest attempt is Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. The hesitantly curious will be happy to know there’s plenty of depth here while still managing to be a bit more forgiving than the games that began the genre. It blends elements of action RPGs with the likes of Nioh and From Software’s Souls series in equal measure.
The epic story mixes history with mythology in a retelling of events leading to the Three Kingdoms era in China. As another title available to play through Xbox Game Pass, I highly suggest downloading and checking it out.
6. Dredge
Dredge is one of the most unique games on this list — even if the games here weren’t strictly from 2023. While fishing is typically an idyllic activity in many other games, such as Stardew Valley or even Final Fantasy XIV, it’s anything but here. When the night comes in this title, monstrous sea creatures and hallucinations become commonplace.
You’ll need to balance out your resources as you explore the sea to complete various quests ÿ and navigate the dangers that lurk beneath the surface. I also recommend called The Pale Reach, which takes you to frigid waters and cold horrors.
5. Diablo 4
Next up on my list of the best Xbox One games of 2023 is none other than Diablo IV, another title that also made it to our Xbox Series X|S list. This action RPG brings back five classes from previous games and outfits them with new skill trees. While procedurally generated dungeons have also returned, one of the biggest changes is an open world to explore.
Longtime fans and newcomers alike can find a lot to enjoy here. There’s hours of content to explore, plenty of dungeons to delve, and character builds aplenty. Blizzard has released two seasons of extra content do far and other limited-time events to spice things up — and make your time in Sanctuary both more interesting and more difficult, depending on what you’re doing.
4. Sea of Stars
Inspired by classic RPGs such as Chrono Trigger, Sea of Stars feels like a modern rendition of decades-old games. With a delightful cast of six playable characters and a beautiful art style to boot, you don’t need to be familiar with its influences to appreciate this. I think it strikes a nice balance between nostalgia and modern sensibilities, and I’d wager it’s a game that flew under a lot or people’s radars. Being a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass makes this a must-play. The best part? You don’t need high-end hardware to enjoy it.
3. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
After three entries with RPG gameplay, Assassin’s Creed Mirage returns to the series’ roots with stealth-action gameplay. Taking some cues and lessons from the last eight years, developer Ubisoft Bordeaux proves that the franchise can still tackle a smaller scale with classic gameplay. It’s a treat for older fans and an approachable deviation for those who became fans over the last few games.
2. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Although the series has adjusted to a turn-based RPG, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a deviation in many ways. Kazama Kiryu, the previous longtime protagonist, returns alongside the classic brawling action of prior mainline titles. This spin-off serves to explain his actions between Yakuza 6 and the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Exciting gameplay, including an over-the-top secret agent fighting style, and a relatively shorter length than the mainline games make this an enjoyable experience for anyone to check out. With it being released day one on Game Pass, there’s little reason to not try it.
1. Lies of P
Ending this list is the well-received Lies of P. While this Soulslike had a lot of hype leading up to it, the reception has been even better with some declaring it on par with From Software’s works.
Acting as a grim retelling of Pinocchio, we navigate the dangerous city of Krat. You’ll need to use an extensive array of weapons and tools to take on many demented biomechanical foes. Along the way, you’ll also come across situations where the choice is to either tell the truth or lie. These choices have an impact on quests, the narrative, and even the protagonist himself. It’s a game that I’ve found incredibly interesting, as have others at GameSkinny.
That concludes my list of the 10 Best Xbox One Games of 2023. As with our other lists like this, this just scratches the surface of the fantastic games available from just this year. There are plenty more to try out after you’ve given these a go. That’s the power of Game Pass!
