The original Xbox was a great console that marked Microsoft’s entry into the home console market. Of course, this first outing did have its fair share of rough edges, but it served as an important milestone for the company and paved the way for its future success, with the Xbox 360 having one of the most successful launches of all time. It helped thatthe Xbox had its fair share of great gamesthat have become quite legendary in their own right.
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Most people would assume thatthe majority of games on the original Xbox have aged pretty poorlyand simply can’t compete with modern graphics. The latter is obviously true, but there’s no denying that some titles on the original Xbox have actually aged pretty well and are quite pleasant to look at even now. A strong art style and direction are key to this, with the following games personifying this to a T.
10Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth
Call of Cthulhuis one of the most well-knownstories penned by the late great H.P. Lovecraft. This game serves as a direct adaptation of the story while also taking some liberties of its own.
There’s no denying that this adaptation pales in comparison to the novel, but there’s still something that can be enjoyed from the overall experience.The horror vibe of the title is immaculate, in no small part due to an amazing art style that evokes a palpable sense of dread.
9Fable: The Lost Chapters
Fableis one of Microsoft’s most popular exclusives, with the announcement of a fourth title being met with strong praise across the board. The first game was a revolutionary title that received an expanded release calledFable: The Lost Chapters.
The game still looks gorgeous and colorful to this day, with a mix of realistic and cartoonish art styles helping the longevity of the game’s visuals.Fans of great action RPGsshould definitely giveFable: The Lost Chaptersa shot.
8Burnout 3: Takedown
TheBurnoutseries features some of the mostsatisfying arcade racersthat players can get their hands on. The games are full to the brim with rampant destruction and incredible bursts of speed.
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The third game in the series,Burnout 3: Takedown, is considered by many to be one ofthe best arcade racers of all time. Pulling off amazing tricks to gain more speed and take out more opponents makes for a great gameplay loop, with the graphics being quite pleasing to this day.
7Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
It’s a testament to the strong art style present inPrince of Persia: The Sands of Timethat it arguably looks better than the two sequels that came after. The sheer style oozing out of every pore in this game is quite beautiful indeed.
It’s a shame that Ubisoft messed up their first attempt to remaster this title for a new generation. Hopefully, a renewed effort will ensure that the game gets the visual upgrade it deserves, instead of looking inferior to the original title.
6Psychonauts
Psychonautsis one of the most beloved action platformers of all time, with its sequel being just as beloved. The imaginative levels coupled with a heap ofgreat platforming challengesmake this game a blast to play through in every way.
It helps thatPsychonautsis absolutely brimming with character and its visuals are extremely pleasant to look at. Everything that the game is trying to convey is done so visually in a brilliant fashion.
5Halo: Combat Evolved
It was clear thatHaloneeded to come out swinging, especially since it was poised to be one ofMicrosoft’s biggest exclusives. Suffice it to say,Halo: Combat Evolvedsucceeded in this goal and kickstarted a legendary franchise that is still going strong to this day.
The first game introduced players to many key components of its universe, with its single-player campaign being a treat to behold. It helped thatthe visuals were truly amazing and still hold up to this day.
4Half-Life 2
There’s something about games with great art direction that makes them truly timeless. No title personifies this more thanHalf-Life 2, which somehow manages to be a good-looking title despite the bleak nature of its visuals.
However, there’s a strong sense of identity in the graphics ofHalf-Life 2that make them so striking despite them seeming pretty uninteresting at first glance. If anything, it’s the muted nature of most of the game’s levels that make its latter stages pop out so much.
3Doom 3
Speaking of games with great art direction, another title worth a mention isDoom 3. The game has its fair share of detractors, with most people feeling that the title lost its identity with a more horror-centric approach.
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However, it’s when people get past this hurdle that they realize just how incredible an experienceDoom 3really is. The dark and dim hallways of the UAC’s Mars base are nerve-wracking to explore, with any sudden bursts of light being terrifying and really showing how well the game’s graphics serve the gameplay.
2Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
There’s something about games with more cartoonish art styles that help their visuals to age well. Games that strove for realism aged quite poorly, while others that focused on other aspects of the game’s art style haven’t fared the same fate.
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrathis a great example, with the game being an especially impressive achievement in terms of graphical longevity. After all, the game aggressively uses more boring and drab color palettes, yet the graphical style is clean, communicates information well to the player, and doesn’t really need to be all that detailed anyway.
1Jet Set Radio Future
Cel shading is one of the best ways to ensure that a game’s visuals are timeless, with this graphical style being quite prevalent across theJet Set Radiogames. With this in mind, it’s easy to seewhy the graphics inJet Set Radio Futurehave aged so well.
It’s a shame that this game is the last mainline console entry to release in the series. The striking art style and fun gameplay haven’t aged a day and the title is still a blast to play through even now.
