5 Best-Written Xbox 360 Games, Ranked

Apart from the console's infamous red ring of death signaling a catastrophic hardware failure, Microsoft was hitting its creative stride during the Xbox 360 era. Before it was eventually replaced by the Xbox One in 2013, the 360 put out plenty of fan-favorite games, including numerous console exclusives. Many of the best Xbox 360 games are driven by richly written stories that elevate the emotional stakes and keep players invested. These are the games that we're celebrating in this particular article, the 360 titles that drew us in with their strong storytelling.

For this particular list, we are putting an emphasis on games that were console or timed exclusives for the 360. While there are many multiplatform games with sharply crafted narratives, we're highlighting those specifically identifiable with the Xbox 360. Of course games like "Red Dead Redemption" and "Fallout 3" have great stories too, they just came out at the same time as their PS3 counterparts, mitigating their 360 distinction. Here are the five best-written Xbox 360 games ranked, leveling up Microsoft's console gaming legacy through their storytelling.

The original "Mass Effect" was a console exclusive on the Xbox 360 for five years until it finally came to the PlayStation 3. The 2007 game is a masterclass in sci-fi world-building, introducing a futuristic universe where humanity has gained faster-than-light space travel and is becoming an increasingly important part of the galaxy. Players guide Commander Shepard on a spacefaring mission to prevent a rogue operative from allowing sentient machines to invade the galaxy and eradicate organic life. Shepard's individual decisions create quite a bit of story divergence over the course of the game, based on player choices, with some consequences reverberating in the sequels.

"Mass Effect" introduces a whole galaxy full of extraterrestrial races, each with their own distinct cultures and histories, as Shepard traverses the cosmos. This is complemented by a multitude of side missions and optional interactions, with story files extensively filling out the universe's narrative. The game would rank higher if its core campaign didn't feel like it was slightly overwhelmed by the sheer scope at hand, something its sequels handle much better. But when it comes to storytelling ambition, the original "Mass Effect" is still Bioware's galaxy-spanning masterpiece.

Whereas "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" was released simultaneously on 360 and PS3, "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" was a timed console exclusive on the 360 when it launched. The 2006 game opens with the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII, throwing the province of Cyrodiil into complete disarray. The realm begins experiencing hellish Oblivion Gates opening around the countryside, with monsters crossing through them until they're closed from within. The player character must search for Uriel's secret heir in order to stop the demonic invasion and recruit allies for the final battle.

Any story that draws people in with a commanding performance from the late, great Sir Patrick Stewart is sure to be a memorable one. "Oblivion" more than qualifies. The game feels like Bethesda Softworks is leveling up its storytelling considerably, from the main quest to the various communities and guilds throughout Cyrodiil. There are even hidden storylines in "The Elder Scrolls IV" that underscore how much detail and depth were put into the game. Without "Oblivion," "Skyrim" doesn't exist, with the 2006 game offering its own sweeping and yet self-contained fantasy saga.

Though "Halo 3" may be the more highly ranked "Halo" game, the 2010 prequel "Halo: Reach" has the best story campaign in the series. The game depicts humanity defending and evacuating one of its largest off-world colonies on the planet Reach in the face of an invasion by the Covenant. Battling this extraterrestrial coalition is an elite squad of enhanced soldiers, known as Spartans, led by Noble Six. As players get to know the squad, they're picked off one-by-one culminating in Six's heroic last stand as he buys time for a vital spaceship's fateful escape.

While most "Halo" games start by throwing players right into the fray, "Halo: Reach" takes its time for the battle to be joined in earnest. Gamers in the know are aware of the warning signs that the Covenant are staging their invasion methodically, building the tension before the full-scale assault begins. Similarly, the loss of each Spartan throughout the campaign stings progressively worse, culminating in Six's emotional sacrifice. Bungie's swan song to the franchise that they created, "Halo: Reach" sticks the landing by going back to the beginning.

Another title that modern gamers may have forgotten started out as an Xbox 360 console exclusive is "Alan Wake." Launched for the console in 2010, the game's titular protagonist is a novelist who travels to a remote Pacific Northwestern town with his wife Alice. After she goes missing, Alan embarks on a search for her while experiencing increasingly disturbing visions and incidents. To his horror, Alan discovers this twisted mystery is directly related to his writing, requiring him to finally overcome his longstanding writer's block.

It wouldn't be until 2021 that PlayStation 4 and 5 owners finally got to play "Alan Wake," albeit only through its remastered release. Given how effectively crafted the game's story is, this proved to be more than worth the wait. Storytelling is the entire point of "Alan Wake," both with its protagonist's profession and the narrative's themes, growing more pronounced as players progress. Starting one of the best horror game franchises that isn't "Resident Evil" or "Silent Hill," "Alan Wake" works so well because its narrative fuels its unsettling mood.

PlayStation 3 owners had to wait a full year before they could get their hands on "Mass Effect 2," with Xbox 360 and PC players getting it in 2010. The sequel starts with an especially shocking plot twist as Commander Shepard is killed after being ambushed by a new enemy, the Collectors. The story then follows a resurrected Shepard working for a sinister shadow syndicate investigating these Collectors and how their abduction of colonists relates to the machine threat from the first game. The game goes darker with its narrative tonality while exploring Shepard's relationship with their squadmates much more deeply.

"Mass Effect 2" is simply one of the best sci-fi video games of all time, let alone one that started on the Xbox 360. The game's set pieces hit hard and the plot twists feel naturally earned and genuinely surprising when you play through it the first time. The multiple paths and decisions gamers can make, culminating in a variety of endings — including one where Shepard dies — makes players want to go back and replay the game. With Bioware shut down, EA won't release another "Mass Effect" game, but at least "Mass Effect 2" delivered a truly memorable and rewarding experience to fans.