Best Xbox 360 Games

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360)

Bethesda's masterpiece, a game that's been re-released more times than we can actually count at this stage, Skyrim just keeps on keeping on.

The fifth entry in the Elder Scrolls franchise took everything that was good about its predecessors and honed it to near perfection. Your travels through this harsh Northern territory as the Dragonborn afford you the franchise's signature sense of scope and total freedom to do as you please, but here everything feels far more interconnected and important. Side quests tie into main quests and introduce characters you'll meet further down the line. Simply rampaging off on your own will find you stumble across scenarios where you'll make a choice that affects some other aspect of the narrative.

Dungeons are exquisite, the combat is actually decent (well, except for those dragon fights) and the sense of progression gained through levelling up skills, perks and class traits - all of which are nicely flexible - keeps you pushing forward. There's a whole world to revel in here, houses to buy, libraries worth of lore, tons of secrets and more.

A quick jaunt always turns into a multi-hour affair, there's always something new to find, some new area to investigate or quest to undertake. The story is excellent, the writing is top-notch and the soundtrack gives it all a real sense of epic discovery and triumph. Skyrim keeps returning for a reason and that reason, quite simply, is that it's one of the best RPGs ever made.

• Backwards Compatible? No, but it is available in its enhanced Special Edition

The Walking Dead (Xbox 360)

Telltale's The Walking Dead is a genuine phenomenon that gave the graphic adventure genre a much needed boost in popularity. Based off the best-selling comic books it infuses its narrative with so much gut-wrenching emotion, so many important decisions to be made and amazing characters to meet that it sucks you into its world entirely.

The gameplay here may be mostly QTEs and dialogue choices but don't be fooled, we were waiting with baited breath for each and every new episode to drop, such is the quality of the writing and characterisations on display. Every choice made affects the story, friends live and die by your decisions and Telltale never shy away from shocking you, it's nail-biting stuff.

The Walking Dead does a fantastic line in tough emotional storytelling, infusing its world and characters with so much life that you can't help but be utterly caught up in it all. Telltale have proven themselves to be masters of this genre and The Walking Dead may well be their finest hour. Grab the first episode for free, try it out, and we guarantee you'll be aboard for the duration of a ride that just gets better and better as it goes along.

• Backwards Compatible? Yes

Tomb Raider (Xbox 360)

Crystal Dynamics' 2013 reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise delivered a brilliant new take on Lara Croft that saw this most famous of video game heroines reborn as something altogether more interesting.

A brilliantly paced game with a sense of scale and scope of the likes of Uncharted, Tomb Raider sees Lara transformed from a hunted and hesitant heroine into the ultimate adventurer and killing machine. It's a fantastic experience, jam-packed full of spectacular set-pieces, brutal action and climbing that would put Nathan Drake himself to shame.

Playing this one stealthy, killing foes with violent takedowns, long-range bow shots and plenty of creeping about in the shadows is our preferred play style, but going loud works just as well and the upgrade system is flexible enough to allow you to power up in the direction you prefer.

With plenty of puzzles and combat that dazzles, this first entry in the new franchise turned out to be the best of the lot and put Lara Croft firmly back on the video game map. It's just a shame there weren't a few more actual tombs included.

• Backwards Compatible? No, but available in a Definitive Edition.

Ultra Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360)

Arriving in 2014, a full five years after the initial release of Street Fighter IV, this Ultra revision sees the storied Street Fighter series riding an all-time high.

Street Fighter IV had set about rejuvenating interest in 2D fighters, a genre that had been flagging for quite some time before 2009, and this final Ultra form tweaked its gameplay to near perfection. With six new stages, five new characters and three new game mechanics - as well as half a decade's worth of patches and tweaks - this was a complex fighting game that now had very little in the way of flaws.

It may be risky to introduce new mechanics so far down the line to such a finely balanced game as this, but the addition of Ultra Combo Doubles, Red Focus attacks and delayed wake ups worked perfectly here, resulting in a masterful fighter that has yet to be topped by its predecessor in terms of pure fun and ease of access to newcomers and pros alike. Ultra Street Fighter IV is one of the great 2D fighters.

• Backwards Compatible? Yes

Vanquish (Xbox 360)

Shinji Mikami's 2010 action effort took us all by surprise back in the day, delivering an insanely OTT romp that demanded multiple playthroughs just so we could work out what on earth we'd just borne witness to.

Taking control of DARPA's number one knucklehead, Sam Gideon, Vanquish charges players with running - or should that be sliding - a non-stop gauntlet of enemy fire and fighting as they charge relentlessly through four beautifully crafted hours of third-person shooter carnage.

Slide-boosting around the floor of arenas, getting in close for melee kills, watching as your guns morph and switch into new variants and stopping mid-action, crouched behind a wall for a cheeky cigarette, is all part of the psychotic deal here and we just can't get enough of it. It may have been criticised for being a little on the short side and stuffed full of cheesy, awful dialogue but we wouldn't have it any other way. Vanquish is a ridiculous and unique slice of no-holds barred action that we return to constantly, and one you should make it a priority to get stuck into ASAP. It's time to hit hard and make 'em regret it!

• Backwards Compatible? Yes

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Xbox 360)

XCOM: Enemy Unknown thrives on stress. The stress of missions where each and every one of your soldiers can die permanently. The stress of a great big DEFCON style clock that's constantly ticking down to oblivion for the human race and the stress that you're gonna do the wrong thing and end up being swamped by the alien invaders you've set out to thwart.

Firaxis' 2012 turn-based tactical classic is a pretty tough game, unafraid to mow your treasured units down in an instant, its fog of war hides constant challenges and situations where you're always outnumbered. But take your time, get to know your skill sets and classes, utilise the gifts your given - and save scum like your life depends on it - and you'll find one of the truly great tactical RPG experiences here, a game that we return to often and one that has only ever been equalled by its excellent sequel. XCOM: Enemy Unknown may not be for the faint-hearted but it's absolutely an all-timer.

• Backwards Compatible? Yes