Xbox 360 Features
Pick One Which Of These Xbox 360 Tomb Raider Games Is The Best?
They're all on sale right now!
This weekend, we've been taking a browse at some of the great deals available on the Xbox Store until next Tuesday, and we're particularly enticed by three Tomb Raider classics from the Xbox 360 era that are reduced by 85% each. These three games are Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Anniversary and Tomb Raider:...
Talking Point In Your Opinion, What Made The Xbox 360 Era So Incredible?
PX readers voted it the "best generation" of Xbox
Cast your mind back to around six months ago, and we conducted a poll here at Pure Xbox about the best generation of Xbox so far. From the 2,000 PX readers who submitted their votes, a whopping 68% of them picked the Xbox 360. The results didn't exactly come as a surprise - it's been common...
Pick One Which Is Your Favourite Tomb Raider Game On Xbox?
Has TR 1-3 Remastered taken your top spot?
Welcome to Pick One! This weekend, to celebrate the arrival of Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, we thought we'd take a look at the history of Tomb Raider games on Xbox - which stretches all the way back to 2006! Specifically, there have been seven Tomb Raider games on Xbox so far, and nine if you count Lara...
Talking Point What Was The Greatest Xbox 360 Game Of All Time?
Talk about tough decisions...
There's no doubt that many Xbox fans consider the Xbox 360 era to be the greatest in the history of the brand, and a large part of that is due to how many incredible games the console received in the late 2000s and early 2010s. But out of the thousands of titles released on the Xbox 360, which was the very best?...
Feature Xbox 360 Took The Gaming World By Storm 18 Years Ago Today
A massive Xbox anniversary
November always brings around some famous anniversaries in the Xbox world, and perhaps none are quite as famous as this one. 18 years ago today, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 in North America, and there really hasn't been a more appropriate time to wheel out the old 'rest is history' trope, has there? This is...
Talking Point Xbox's Influential Gears Of War Sequel Is Now 15 Years Old
Happy belated birthday, Gears 2!
Ahh, the original Gears trilogy - one of our absolute favourite collections in the Xbox library. We had so much fun on these games back in the day, and this week, the second game in the series celebrated a rather substantial birthday. Gears of War 2 is now 15 years of age, and it was a pretty influential game for its...
Talking Point Did Your Xbox 360 Ever Get The 'Red Ring Of Death'?
Or were you one of the lucky ones?
Remember the Red Ring of Death? Of course you do! It was one of the biggest low-points in the history of Xbox's 22 years in existence, and the vast majority of early Xbox 360 owners ended up experiencing it at least once. The saga was documented extensively in the "Power On: The Story of Xbox" documentary a coupl
Soapbox Go Buy The Best Console Version Of Far Cry 3 While It's Cheap On Xbox
The 360 version is on sale again!
Update (Tue 29th Aug, 2023): We first ran this story a few months ago, and now Far Cry 3 for Xbox 360 is on sale again! Therefore, we're giving it a little bump so you can decide whether it's something you're interested in purchasing. Original story (Sun 21st May, 2023): Over the last few months I've somehow...
Talking Point What Are Your Earliest Xbox Memories?
How far back do you go?
Believe it or not, this November marks Xbox's 22nd year in existence! The original console was first released all the way back on November 15th, 2001, and it's definitely been a storied history over the past couple of decades since then. Of course, the successful Xbox era was followed up by the even more successful Xbox 360...
Soapbox Test Drive Unlimited Was Special, And I'm Excited For Its Xbox Comeback
That solar crown is mine
After years and years of anticipation, we finally locked eyes on Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown gameplay yesterday during Nacon's TDU Connect presentation. While the game didn't quite shout 'next-gen racer' during its gameplay debut (we're hoping it'll be nice and polished up for 2024), it did look very Test Drive Unli
Talking Point Is There An Xbox Classic You Wish Was Backwards Compatible?
Come tell us which!
Xbox wrapped up its backwards compatibility program a while ago now - during the big 20th anniversary event in November 2021. At the time, some great titles were added in one final wave — like the FEAR series among others — and we've felt pretty satisfied with the overall lineup since, especially when it comes to Xb
Poll Which Xbox Console Had The Best Controller?
Come tell us your favourite generation Xbox controller!
Earlier today, we posted our review of Hyperkin's new Xbox 360 controller replica, and after being so impressed with their efforts, we've started thinking about which Xbox generation had the best controller. For a number of years now, we've been convinced — maybe even conditioned — that...
Review Hyperkin Xenon Controller - An Amazing 360 Throwback For Xbox One, Series X|S
Just like the real thing
The Xbox 360 controller is well-known for being one of the very best controllers ever made. Microsoft's evolution of the original Xbox 'S' controller felt like a truly refined effort for the company's second home console, and third-party accessory maker Hyperkin has decided to bring it forward for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and...
Talking Point Are You Hoping Xbox's 'Gears Collection' Is Real?
Which game would you play first?
A 'Gears of War collection' of some sort has been a hot topic for a number of years at this point, with lots of rumours and reports pointing towards it becoming a reality some day. We've never heard anything official from Xbox on the matter, but a recent comment from Phil Spencer has reignit
Talking Point Did You Play Epic's Ill-Fated Gears Of War Spinoff On Xbox 360?
We won't judge you for it
2013 ended up being a swansong year for the Xbox 360, with fantastic titles like Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite and believe it or not, Grand Theft Auto V debuting on the system in its final year. However, on the exclusive front things dried up a little bit prior to the Xbox One's arrival in November 2013. Forza Horizon...
Feature EA DICE's Sole 'Medal Of Honor' Game Shuts Down This Week, And We Wanted To See More
It's a shame the studio never got a 2nd attempt
Most of you probably remember the Medal of Honor series from its so-called 'glory days' of the early 2000s. A bunch of WW2-themed MoH titles graced the original Xbox back then, before the series started to die off in tandem with Call of Duty's meteoric Modern Warfare-fuelled rise to stardom. However,...
Pick One Which Of These Xbox Classics Would You Remaster?
Tough choices
When Pure Xbox relaunched back in early 2020, one of the things we used to do as part of these weekly "Pick One" features was to ask the PX community which classic Xbox games they'd like to see remastered. We did a bunch of these over a number of weeks, and the first three games that came out as winners were The Simpsons Hit &...
Soapbox As A First-Time Player, Dead Space Feels Stuck Between Two Different Genres
It's a visual treat nonetheless
Back in the Xbox 360 says, the original Dead Space somehow managed to evade my gaming grasp. I'm not entirely sure how — the concept is certainly up my alley — but either way, the series slipped by and I never got around to playing it. So, when EA Motive revealed it would be fully remaking the first game from the...
Random We Played Far Cry 3 Online This Week, Four Months After Ubisoft 'Closed' The Servers
And we had a blast doing so!
To some of us, Far Cry 3 is the absolute pinnacle of Ubisoft's open world FPS franchise, even 10 years and several sequels on from its initial launch on Xbox 360. Most of that love is down to the game's engaging single-player story and vast open world, but it's easy to forget that the original release contained a bunch...
Feature 10 Backwards Compatible Games Transformed By The Power Of Xbox Series S
The little console that could
Some of the very best games for your Xbox Series S hail from generations prior. While we're seeing a vast number of slightly newer titles get optimised for Xbox's digital console, we'd argue that some older games benefit even more so from the power packed into this tiny little system. From dynamic resolution bumps to...
Soapbox It's Been 20 Years Since Xbox Live Launched, And It Brings Back Some Fond Memories
We salute you!
20 years ago to the day, Microsoft launched Xbox Live, just a year after its first ever console hit the market. It was a momentous day for gaming, as the console world took a gargantuan leap towards mass adoption for online play. Admittedly, I'm a bit young to have too many memories of its initial launch, but Xbox Live in general...
Feature It's Been 15 Years Since Call Of Duty 4 Changed The Xbox Live Landscape
Remember, remember the 5th of November
The tail end of last month was filled with Call of Duty, mainly due to Modern Warfare 2's impressive arrival in a year filled with AAA game delays. No matter your stance on the series, it still captures millions with each title, thanks in no small part to a rigorous release schedule that usually manages to...
Soapbox Tomb Raider Deserves A 'Resident Evil-Style' Remake
Embrace modernity
Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Crystal Dynamics' reimagining of the 1996 original, launched 15 years ago on Xbox 360 believe it or not. Yep, it's been a decade and a half since the series' sole remake hit Xbox, and its birthday has got me thinking about the future of the series. While I thoroughly enjoyed Crystal's recent trilogy,...
Feature Project Gotham Racing 4 Is Now 15 Years Old, And It's Still An Incredible Xbox Racer
Taking it for a spin, again
Another day, another excuse to pen some words about how good Project Gotham Racing 4 is! Well, we have a legitimate excuse anyway, as PGR4 has just ticked over the 15-year-old mark; the title released way back on October 2nd, 2007. Can you believe that?! We can't either, but as the months and years pass us by, the Xbox...
Feature 15 Years Ago Today, Halo 3's Phenomenal 'Believe' Marketing Campaign Began
It made us believe
Picture this: it's 2007, it's been a solid three years since Halo 2 dropped and the excitement around Halo 3's launch is palpable. You've seen multiple trailers at this stage since the game's reveal at E3 2006, and you don't think the hype can grow any further. Then, Xbox launches its Halo 3 'Believe' marketing campaign, with a...
Soapbox Gears Of War 2 Deserves 'The Last Of Us' Style Remake
Jacinto rises
Just thinking back to Gears of War 2 hits me with a huge wave of nostalgia. Epic Games' follow-up to the revolutionary Gears of War launched right around the time I picked up an Xbox 360, and it certainly wasn't a bad introduction to what the system could do. In fact, almost 15 years on and this is still, for my money, the very best...
Feature Looking Back At The Best Xbox 360 Games With Gold Of All Time
From Halo to Gears of War
It was confirmed earlier this week that the Xbox Games with Gold program would officially be getting rid of Xbox 360 titles beginning this October, marking the end of a near decade-long era for 360 games in the GwG program. Don't worry though — anything you've claimed up to now will be yours to keep, even if you end your...
Soapbox Spec Ops: The Line Still Hits Different 10 Years Later
Blurred lines
On this day back in 2012, 2K unleashed Spec Ops: The Line; another third person military shooter featuring a gruff American bloke and plenty of bad dudes to shoot. At the time, it certainly looked like another uninspired effort chasing the Call of Duty crowd, not to mention its beyond-generic title. However, behind this 'tough guy'...
Soapbox Backwards Compatibility On Xbox 360 Isn't Perfect, But I Love It
It's why I keep the console hooked up
It was a momentous moment when Microsoft announced back in 2015 that backwards compatibility was coming to Xbox One, not only because it never seemed like a possibility before then, but also because it showed that Phil Spencer and his Xbox team were committed to the idea of making classic Xbox games playable on...
Pick One Which Is Your Favourite Xbox Console To Date?
One of the classics, or is now the Xbox Series X|S?
We're doing something a little bit different for the usual Pick One feature this weekend! As we're fast approaching the end of the year — and therefore the end of Xbox's 20th year — we're interested to know what your favourite Xbox console has been over the past two decades and why. If you...
Feature The Xbox One & Xbox 360 Are Now Eight And Sixteen Years Old
The kids grow up so fast!
Microsoft has been putting all the attention on the original Xbox over the past week due to it celebrating its 20th anniversary, but both the Xbox One and Xbox 360 are also celebrating birthdays today, turning eight and sixteen respectively. The Xbox 360 first launched all the way back on November 22nd, 2005, and it kicked...
Feature Xbox 20th Anniversary: Which Xbox Generation Has Been The Best?
Power Your Dreams
20 years later, we're four console generations deep into Xbox's lifespan. Each has one-upped the last with new graphics, bigger games and a wealth of new features. It's been a rollercoaster ride, and Xbox is now perhaps in the best position it's ever been in. That being said, everyone has their era they gravitate more towards...
Pick One Which Is Your Favourite Xbox James Bond Game?
Remember, you can only pick one!
Update (Sat 2nd Oct, 2021): With No Time To Die releasing in cinemas this week, we wanted to bring back this Pick One James Bond feature from last year! However, we've also added a new poll specifically for Daniel Craig games below. Original story (Sat 21st Nov, 2020): It's time for another round of Pick One! This...
Feature Excited For EA's Lost In Random? Check Out Alice: Madness Returns On Xbox Game Pass
We're all mad down here
Earlier this week we finally got a confirmed release date for Lost in Random, a new upcoming platformer under the EA Originals banner. It looks devilishly charming, with Tim Burton-esque visuals, platforming and a world we can't wait to get lost in. The bad news is there are still two months until we can finally play it. But...
Pick One Which Of These Xbox Olympics Games Is Your Favourite?
Remember, you can only pick one!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, we thought we'd take a look at the short history of official Olympics games that have released for Xbox over the years. The most recent, of course, is the game of Tokyo 2020, which is free to try with Xbox Free...
Talking Point What August 2021 Xbox Games With Gold Do You Want?
It's almost that time again
It's almost that time once again, with more Xbox Games with Gold titles set to be announced very soon! The month of July has seen Planet Alpha, Conker: Live & Reloaded, Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break and Midway Arcade Origins all given away for free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and another four games will soon be...
Deals All Classic Xbox Games In The Xbox Summer Sale 2021
Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles
The Xbox Summer Sale is here! This year's sale features discounts on over 500 games, bundles and add-ons, available from Friday, July 23rd until Friday, August 6th. Below, we've included all Xbox 360 and original Xbox games available in the Xbox Summer Sale 2021, and fortunately all of them are backwards compatible...
Deals All 30 Classic Xbox Games In This Week's Sales (June 22-29)
Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles
This week's selection of Xbox Deals is now live, and as usual, we've got another selection of original Xbox and Xbox 360 classics to take advantage of, including a Sonic sale and the ongoing Ubisoft Forward sale. Below, we've included every single Xbox 360 and original Xbox game available over the next week, but be...
Talking Point What July 2021 Xbox Games With Gold Do You Want?
Any predictions?
It's almost that time once again, with more Xbox Games with Gold titles set to be announced very soon! The month of June has seen The King's Bird, Shadows: Awakening, NeoGeo Battle Coliseum and Injustice: Gods Among Us all given away for free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and another four games will soon be on the way. If you...
Soapbox I Spent £150 On A Harry Potter Game And Have No Regrets
"I am what I am, an’ I’m not ashamed"
It's a Sunday afternoon and I'm sat here with two copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in front of me and £150 down. I've pondered my life decisions up until this point and whether it was all worth it - I've concluded it was. Those few seconds are the only time I've questioned my decision, but...
Talking Point What June 2021 Xbox Games With Gold Do You Want?
Expecting a big month to go alongside E3?
It's almost that time again - more Xbox Games with Gold titles will be announced very soon! The month of May has seen Armello, Dungeons 3, Lego Batman: The Videogame and Tropico 4 all given away for free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and another four games will soon be on the way. If you haven't done it...
Talking Point What May 2021 Xbox Games With Gold Do You Want?
Are we going to get a good batch?
It's almost that time again - more Xbox Games with Gold titles will be announced very soon! The month of April has seen Vikings: Wolves of Midgard, Truck Racing Championship, Dark Void and Hard Corps: Uprising all given away for free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and another four games will soon be on the way. If...
Pick One Which Of These Classic Rare Games Is Your Favourite?
Remember, you can only pick one!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate a bunch of classic Rare games (and others!) being added to the cloud for the first time, we're taking a look back at some of these beloved titles. Which is your favourite? Remember, you can only pick one! Let's take a look at what we're working with:...
Reaction As The PS3 Store Closes, Xbox Reminds Us How 'Critical' Game Preservation Is
"We're committed to making games across generations available to you"
Listen, we're not on a mission to bash PlayStation or anything, but following the announcement today that Microsoft would be bringing backwards compatible titles to the cloud, with 16 of them arriving today, it's impossible not to draw the comparison with recent PlayStation news...
Talking Point What April 2021 Xbox Games With Gold Do You Want?
Will it be a big month for GwG?
It's almost that time again - more Xbox Games with Gold titles will be announced very soon! The month of March has seen Warface: Breakout, Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse, Metal Slug 3 and Port Royale 3 all given away for free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and another four games will soon be on the way. If you...
Pick One Which Of These Xbox Ninja Gaiden Games Is Your Favourite?
Remember, you can only pick one!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate the announcement of the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection heading to Xbox this June, we're taking a look back at the history of the franchise on Xbox. Let's take a look at what we're working with: Ninja Gaiden / Black (2004-2005) Ninja Gaiden, the...
Talking Point What March 2021 Xbox Games With Gold Do You Want?
Hoping for another big month?
It's almost that time again - more Xbox Games with Gold titles will be announced very soon! The month of February has seen Gears 5, Resident Evil, Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition, Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb and Lost Planet 2 all given away for free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and another batch of games...
Talking Point Which Xbox Console (& Game) Was Your First Love?
Where did it all start for you?
Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you're celebrating the day or not, we thought we'd use this opportunity to highlight some of our 'loves' of the Xbox brand, and specifically the very first time we fell in love with an Xbox console and game. Those who were playing Xbox back in the days of the original console will...
Pick One Which Of These Xbox Crash Bandicoot Games Is Your Favourite?
Remember, you can only pick one!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate this week's announcement of Crash Bandicoot 4 getting an Xbox Series X upgrade this March, we're looking back at the history of the franchise on Xbox. Xbox obviously missed out on the classic early titles before they were remade for the Xbox One, but...
Pick One Which Of These American Football Games Is Your Favourite?
Remember, you can only pick one!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate SuperBowl Sunday along with the return of EA Sports College Football, we're looking back at some of the very best American Football Xbox games. From the beloved NFL 2K series to arcade titles such as Mutant League Football, we've handpicked some...
