2018-12-20T09:26:17 01:00

Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield 5 & Red Dead Redemption 2: The best Xbox One games for the Christmas tree

In this guide we show you the best Xbox One games,

for lovers of fast cars.
for those who want to fight with comrades across the battlefield.
for cowboys and horse lovers.

Christmas is classically the feast of family and contemplation. Nevertheless, you let it rip, because at the same time on Christmas days you finally have the time to play the blockbusters of the year. We have put together a selection of the best games for the Xbox One for you, which are also perfect as a last-minute gift.

Forza Horizon 4

With the Forza series, Microsoft has had one of the best racing simulations on the market since the first Xbox. The offshoots of the Horizon series shift the simulation claim to fun arcade races and have great success with it. Part four raises the bar even higher.

The Horizon series sets you loose on a different part of the world in each game. In the current installment, you're on the road in Great Britain, racing fast cars across green meadows, hills and through a scaled-down version of Edinburgh. You'll be offered phenomenal views that you can enjoy outside of the races while exploring the open world.

The special thing about Forza Horizon 4 are the seasons. Every week, a different one of the four seasons arrives, which changes the game world and the driving behavior. If we drive around a lake in the summer, it will be frozen over in the winter and we'll cut across the ice. So if you want to take a turn at Christmas, Forza Horizon 4 is the perfect choice.

State of Decay 2

The zombie apocalypse has been unleashed in many games, but in State of Decay you get a fair amount of build-up gameplay on top of the fight for survival. Instead of just wandering through an open game world and fighting for survival, in State of Decay you also build your own base.

You don't do this alone, but with up to three friends in co-op mode. You'll go on explorations together, collect resources, expand your base and, of course, shoot a lot of undead.

The resulting cycle is incredibly motivating, because with stronger support in the base, you'll venture further and further into the surrounding countryside and into more dangerous areas. Nevertheless, you always have to be on your guard due to the permadeath system, because if your character dies, it stays dead. You'll definitely get a certain thrill for Christmas with State of Decay 2.

Battlefield 5

To make sure that the silent night doesn't get too quiet, get Battlefield 5 into your house. The latest part of the popular multiplayer shooter series from EA once again delivers bombastic explosions and probably the best gameplay in a long time.

After the predecessor Battlefield 1 sent you into the First World War, this time you'll fight in the Second World War. You'll play with up to 63 other players on a huge map as a medic, assault soldier, reconnaissance and supply. The vehicles, primarily tanks and airplanes, provide more variety, as is typical for Battlefield.

In addition, there are excellent graphics with destructible environments and a bombastic sound. This variety makes the Battlefield series unique - perfect to start the new year with a bang.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Almost no other game was more anticipated this year - and rightly so! Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best games of 2018 and offers you a huge western epic. On the Xbox One X, you also get the most graphically impressive version.

As Arthur Morgan you are part of the "Dutch van der Linde" gang in the year 1899. The west of the USA is slowly being tamed and the group of outlaws tries to find their place, but it doesn't work out very well. You'll experience how the tensions and desperation within the gang grow steadily and lead to a memorable finale.

In the process, we travel with our faithful horse through a game world that is huge, but still very lively. With 178 different animals, you can be sure that you'll constantly run into some of them. The cities are populated with a wide variety of characters and at every corner of the world there are small and large details to discover.

Together with all the activities, for example fishing, hunting, and various types of gambling, you'll have a package that will keep you busy for hours. But even if you have mastered the single player, the multiplayer Red Dead Online is still waiting for you. With this package, you can probably bridge the time until next Christmas.

The best graphics with the Xbox One X

Microsoft offers its Xbox One in two different models. The S-model is the weaker variant, but it still has a lot of advantages over the original Xbox One: It supports the new color standard HDR and can even play back 4K Blu-rays.

You should consider upgrading to an Xbox One X to enjoy the full graphical experience. Microsoft has a hot iron in the fire with the currently most powerful console on the market.

Unlike the competition, which only upscales their lower-resolution images to 4K, the Xbox One X calculates in native 4K. This makes the picture look smoother and sharper. Even some older titles get a graphical improvement with the "Enhanced" program.

Regardless of which variant you choose, both the Xbox One S and Xbox One X now support over 500 games from the old console generations through backwards compatibility.

Even more Xbox games as a guide

Of course, the list of games for the Xbox One is far from exhausted. With Just Cause 4, you've had an adventure playground since December, where you can get up to a lot of mischief with a strong physics simulation. We'll also show you how you can kill the bosses in Darksiders 3 without getting too frustrated.

However, all those who don't feel at home on the Xbox don' t have to despair. We'll show you the best games for the PlayStation 4 in a separate guide, and we've got more tips for last-minute gifts for Christmas and beyond.

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