With the release of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 at the end of last year, people can finally look back and reminisce about the eighth generation of home console. It's fair to say the generation wasn't one of Xbox's best. However, it introduced many key features that have positioned the Xbox Series X to be one of modern gaming's best systems, such as Game Pass. Moreover, Microsoft look set to flood their latest console with numerous exclusive titles thanks to their acquisition of many top studios, including RPG and FPS juggernaut Bethesda.
Although the Xbox Series X looks set to improve upon its predecessor, there's no doubt that the Xbox One had numerous fantastic titles. However, many of the Xbox One's best games were slow to start, putting some people off exploring them further. This is a great shame as the 10 games on this list all offer memorable experiences, despite being rough to get through initially.
10 Yakuza 0
As the title suggests, Yakuza 0 is a prequel to Sega's Yakuza franchise. The game featured the three key factors of the series: an emotional, melodramatic story; utterly bizarre side quests; and enjoyable mini-games, all of which are at their best.
Unfortunately, many people who try Yakuza 0 on Game Pass won't get to experience the side quests and mini-games that make the game so enjoyable, as it takes a while to get to them. The game's first couple of hours feature heavy-handed storytelling, with most optional activities being restricted until later in the game. The opening storytelling certainly isn't bad, though it will put many people off.
9 Dark Souls III
For anyone who played another Dark Souls game before Dark Souls III, the opening few hours will likely be of no issue to them. However, the game earns a spot on this list as, in true Dark Souls fashion, it can be brutal for those first learning to play the game.
This is predominantly thanks to the opening boss, Iudex Gundyr, who appears very early into the game and is extremely unforgiving for new players, especially because he must be beaten to progress. This is in contrast to Dark Souls II, which gave players multiple paths before reaching a boss fight, and the original Dark Souls, which does have a boss which must be defeated in the tutorial area, though it doesn't pose much of a threat once weakened with a plunging attack.
8 Gears 5
Gears 5 was released on the Xbox One and PC in 2019 by Xbox Game Studios. The game was highly anticipated among fans of the series, not just because they wanted a new adventure with the franchise's iconic gory cover-shooting action, but also because Gears of War 4 ended with an intriguing cliffhanger.
Unfortunately, players have to be patient before delving into Gears 5's action, as the opening hours are littered with heavy-handed tutorials. Long-winded tutorials are certainly not uncommon in modern gaming, though they felt unnecessarily long in what is the fifth main series entry.
7 Civilization VI
The latest entry into the iconic Civilization series was initially released on PC and Mac in 2016, before coming to Xbox One just over three years later. Understandably, the game is more fiddly to play than on a PC with a mouse and keyboard, though the developers did a solid job of implementing the Xbox's control scheme into the game in a way that isn't too awkward.
Civilization VI features on this list for two reasons: firstly, the turn-based strategy game is often overbearing for new players and consequently can be frustrating in the first few hours; secondly, almost any Civilization fan would agree that the first hour of any given match is the weakest, as it takes a while before players can build a few well-developed cities and start implementing more interesting strategies.
6 DOOM Eternal
Most gamers would have been able to accurately predict what DOOM Eternal would be like long before the game had been released. They knew it would feature fast-paced, hard-hitting action, with hordes of enemies for players to mow done with their impressive range of powerful weaponry.
DOOM Eternal certainly doesn't disappoint people looking for this type of experience, though it can take a while to get going. The reason for this is that the weapons in DOOM are collected sporadically, with each featuring a tutorial on how to use it best. New enemies also come with tutorials, as many of them now have weak spots that need to be hit with certain weapons in specific ways. This level of hand-holding can be frustrating for those who want a classic DOOM experience, though once most of the weapons have been unlocked and tutorials have been learned, it becomes one of the series' most enjoyable games.
5 Soma
When Amnesia creators Frictional Games announced that the survival horror game Soma was releasing in 2015, a lot of people weren't sure what to expect. After a couple of hours playing the game, many people still weren't entirely sure what to expect.
Soma tells an interesting story about the possible implications and dangers of future technology in a way similar to Black Mirror. Unfortunately, the moment-to-moment gameplay is fairly weak, which harms the opening few hours even more, though the slow burn story makes the game worth playing by the end.
4 Rocket League
Although the online servers of Rocket League feature players of all different skill levels, there's one thing that they all have in common: they were all terrible at the game when first starting. Rocket League doesn't have a difficult control scheme to learn, though controlling the car and getting the timing right when striking the ball can be a nightmare at first.
Once getting the hang of how to play, the days of feeling proud when simply touching the ball will be a distant memory, and the game becomes a genuinely engrossing battle.
3 Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar Games' releases are predominantly known for their immersive open-worlds, fun side activities, impressive level of freedom, and action-heavy gameplay. Many of the games have well-written and acted stories, though they don't tend to be what people talk about when reminiscing about a Rockstar title.
Consequently, many people became frustrated when playing through a story-heavy opening to Red Dead Redemption 2 before they could get to the game's open-world features. Like Yakuza 0, the opening storytelling isn't bad, but it will frustrate some players who want to get straight to the action. However, it's certainly worth paying attention to every moment of Red Dead Redemption 2's story, as it's one of the best that the studio has ever produced.
2 Ōkami HD
For many years, Ōkami was universally recognized as being one of, if not the most underrated game of all time. The game was met with a very positive reception from both fans and critics when it was first released exclusively on the PlayStation 2, exemplified by its whopping 93 Metascore and 9.1 User Score. However, Capcom's title struggled to succeed in terms of sales, which was extremely disappointing for both Capcom and the development team Clover Studio.
Thankfully, the Ōkami can be seen as a success today, as its multiple re-releases have finally given it the sales figures that it always deserved. The game first came to a Microsoft home console when the HD remaster landed on Xbox One over ten years after it was initially released.
1 Yakuza: Like A Dragon
The second Yakuza game that appears on this list, Yakuza: Like a Dragon features a similarly story-heavy opening to Yakuza 0. Much like the prequel, Like a Dragon's opening storytelling certainly isn't bad, though it can be a slog to get through for those who want to get straight to the action.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is being mentioned among the best open-world games of the last few years, which is fully deserved. However, people should be wary of the heavy-handed story-telling before buying the game to avoid disappointment if they're expecting an open-world experience with more freedom like Breath of the Wild.