Best Original Xbox Games With High Replayability

It's one thing to launch a new console with a great game, but Xbox took it to another level when it made its console debut with Halo: Combat Evolved.

That's what Microsoft did on November 15th, 2001: they entered the console market with one of the most replayable games of all time. Did I just spoil an entry on this list? Sure, but come on, you knew it would be on it.

The original Xbox was more than just a Halo machine, though. In reality, it offered a plethora of great games with impressive replay value. So let's take a trip down memory lane and relive the original days of the Xbox brand.

10 Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

An Underrated Gem

Sometimes you just want to play through a good ol' fashioned rail shooter. Enter Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge.

Not only does it offer a great classic gameplay experience similar to arcade aerial combat shooters, but it also packs in a great story to boot. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but remember that back in the day, this wasn't something common in the genre.

The way I view Crimson Skies is like finding a classic movie that's running on TV in syndication. Whenever I see Indiana Jones on while channel surfing, I sit down, relax, turn my brain off, and have a good time. That's what Crimson Skies is to me: the perfect escapist entertainment game that's always there for me.

9 Project Gotham Racing 2

Before Forza, There Was PGR

On the one hand, I love the Forza franchise, and I'm super excited for Forza Horizon 6. Having said that, I miss Project Gotham Racing.

Its ability to combine iconic cards with arcade racing is something that has always resonated with me. The Forza Horizon franchise does that, but those are more open world games, whereas Project Gotham Racing 2 is more of a traditional racing game. Being able to "see" the world and race through iconic cities, backed by a fantastic soundtrack, made it one of the original Xbox's best racing games.

Oh, and it also had a super fun easter egg, too, called Geometry Wars. What's what? What's Geometry Wars? Oh, let me tell you: it's an incredibly addictive and super stylish top-down shooter that was so much fun to play that it became a full-fledged Xbox Live Arcade game on the Xbox 360. The fact that it was thrown in randomly as a bonus on top of an already enjoyable racing game is the icing on the cake: PGR2 had infinite replay value.

8 Burnout 3: Takedown

Crash Into Me

Speaking of racing franchises I miss, let's talk some Burnout, shall we?

It may not have the iconic cars and world-famous locales of Project Gotham Racing, but Burnout has fantastic arcade racing and a killer soundtrack, especially Burnout 3: Takedown. Of course, racing is only half the appeal here. With Burnout, it's all about chaos, mayhem, and crashing. There's something so satisfying about crashing into your opponent while racing and being rewarded for it. So many racing games online feature players crashing into each other when you're not supposed to. Thankfully, you are here!

Beyond its "traditional" racing mode, Burnout 3 also introduced Crash Mode to the franchise, which allows you to live out your Michael Bay-style Hollywood crash scenes in real life. Well, not real life, but in a video game; you get the idea.

7 Fable

Holding Out For A Hero

Look, Fable didn't come anywhere close to living up to its expectations. That's okay, though; the game's still an incredible action RPG that I replay every year.

The main attraction here is the game's combat, which manages to feel fresh and fun even 20 years later. Playing through Fable is like watching your favorite comfort show for the umpteenth time on streaming. It's always there for you, and it's always entertaining.

Is it short? Yes, but there are far worse ways to spend a weekend than visiting Albion. Sometimes, I want to be the good guy that everyone wants to look up to. Other times, it's good to be bad. Either way, Fable delivers excellent gameplay with stellar British humor, helping it stand out compared to other RPGs despite its flaws. Here's hoping the upcoming reboot delivers.

6 Ninja Gaiden

Master Ninja

Even if we didn't get three Ninja Gaiden games this year, I would still have played plenty of Ninja Gaiden in 2025. First released in 2004 for the original Xbox, Ninja Gaiden is one of the greatest action games of all time. Ninja Gaiden Black remains the gold standard for the hack and slash genre, combining lighting fast combat with brutal difficulty.

While FromSoftware has helped usher in a new standard for difficulty in gaming, Ninja Gaiden has always set the record straight. It'll chew you up, spit you out, and you'll happily come back for more, looking to conquer its challenges. It's fast, it's unforgiving, but when you finally master its combat and defeat its toughest challenges, there's no better feeling in gaming.

Now imagine you keep coming back for more, better than last time. Your scores are getting higher, and you're clearing through the game faster. Before long, you can't help yourself, and you're playing through the game more often than you care to admit.

5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grove Street

Do you remember the feeling of first booting up Grand Theft Auto V and realizing how massive its open world is? That's how it felt playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the first time. Now imagine you're an Xbox owner watching PS2 owners enjoy themselves with the GTA trilogy.

Then comes the news that GTA is finally coming to Xbox. All of our dreams came true. Not only is it as good as advertised, but it also looks better than ever.

Even if you already played San Andreas front to back on PS2, it was still worth playing through again on Xbox. No, not because of the Hot Coffee mod, but because Rockstar is in a league of their own when it comes to making open worlds. San Andreas is one of the deepest, engrossing, and wildest GTA games of all time. Are the modern entries bigger? Sure, but remember, this was, at heart, a PS2 game with more content than you could ever imagine.

Before Skyrim And Oblivion, There Was Morrowind

I'll never forget how my co-worker sold all of us on Morrowind: "Imagine Grand Theft Auto, but fantasy, and you can do literally whatever you want." Sold.

Is it janky? Sure, but that's part of the charm. Morrowind is the type of game that takes your breath away on release, and, even two decades later, still manages to do the same. It's an RPG that doesn't collapse beneath its scale and was unlike anything else at the time of release.

With the recent Oblivion Remaster, not to mention the uncertainty of when the next Elder Scrolls game will release, now's as good a time as any to continue venturing through the franchise's storied past. Will the graphics and gameplay feel dated? Fair, but even today, it's always a good idea to spend some time in Morrowind.

3 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

One Of The Best RPGs Of All Time

Even if you've already experienced KOTOR's iconic plot twist, there's no denying that Knights of the Old Republic remains one of the most replayable RPGs you can play.

Before they were en vogue, BioWare's iconic RPG delivered on giving players multiple ways to build their characters, not to mention branching narratives and a non-linear way to play the game. No two playthroughs ever feel the same. It may not have the amount of dialogue and story decisions as, say, Baldur's Gate, but for its era, KOTOR delivered the goods.

To be honest, a lot of what makes Mass Effect so great was already here in Knights of the Old Republic. It might not be as refined or polished, but there's a reason why it's not only held in such high regard, but fans are waiting with bated breath that one day a remake will be released.

2 Halo 2

I Need A Weapon

On the one hand, Halo 2's campaign falls short compared to its predecessor. Granted, Halo: Combat Evolved is one of the best campaigns of all time. On the other hand, the real appeal of Halo 2 was its multiplayer.

Xbox Live was already up and running by the time Halo 2 was released in 2004, but it was the main attraction. I remember working in GameStop at the time, and the Xbox demo unit's ad-roll was proud to tout the debut of Halo on Xbox Live with Halo 2. Spoiler alert: it was worth the wait.

As fun as the campaign was (and don't get me wrong, it was a blast to play), Halo 2's multiplayer is my favorite in the entire franchise. The multiplayer maps were more condensed and focused compared to its predecessor, which some people didn't like. However, if you ask me, it helped deliver more firefights, more conflict, and endless replayability.

1 Halo: Combat Evolved

The Silent Cartographer

As much as I love playing Halo 2 for its multiplayer, particularly on Xbox Live, there's nothing quite like Halo: Combat Evolved.

Yes, the game's multiplayer is the gold standard for not just the FPS genre, but all multiplayer games. Still, there's something about playing through the campaign over and over again that never gets old.

There's just something magical about playing Halo's campaign with someone else for the first time. This isn't an experience where a newer player drags things down. Watching them take in the environment, the gameplay, and the level design lets you relive this experience for the first time all over again. Or, if you're teaming up with someone who's been around the block, there's always playing through Halo: Combat Evolved on the Legendary difficulty for the first time.

Or tenth.