What Were the Best Xbox One Exclusives of 2017?

Transcript

it's that time of year at the end it's the end of it so as usual we want to round up our favorite games to play on xbox now to round out this list and keep it balanced we are including games that are exclusive to Xbox as well as PC that's a hot topic that gets people a little jammed up but it's how we get a solid thorough list of games exclusive to... Read More

Key Insights

• Cuphead is the list’s favorite Xbox One game of 2017 because it combines challenging action platforming with hand-drawn animation, watercolor-painted artwork, orchestrated music, and a style reminiscent of 1930s cartoons. Its local cooperative mode adds a lively way to face its difficult bosses with another player.
• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is a survival contest in which up to 100 players parachute onto a large island, search for weapons, and fight until one player remains. Its tension comes from uncertainty, since even entering a house can expose the player to an unseen opponent waiting inside.
• Forza Motorsport 7 balances simulation with approachable fun through varied races, extensive customization, collectible cars, and dynamic weather. Rain can begin during a race, later clear, and leave puddles behind while sunlight affects visibility, making familiar tracks less predictable and driving conditions more demanding.
• Halo Wars 2 makes real-time strategy enjoyable on a console through controls designed for navigating its systems efficiently. It is denser than the original Halo Wars, includes a story intended for Halo fans, and delivers especially hectic multiplayer matches without becoming the most complicated game in the genre.
• Super Lucky’s Tale is a colorful, child-focused platformer built around simple, accessible play. The adventure is mostly easy, and its central character is presented primarily as cute and playful, but its crisp environments, sharp colors, and commitment to traditional platforming make it an appealing family-oriented selection.
• Tacoma is a narrative space adventure in which players examine augmented-reality recordings of workers to reconstruct what happened aboard a futuristic station. The characters and voice acting receive praise, although the story itself is considered disappointing, making it a better fit for players strongly interested in story-driven experiences.
• Pit People is a fast-paced, turn-based adventure featuring a tile map, exploration, loot, customization, combat, and tournaments. Its multiplayer options include two-player cooperative play both online and offline, plus 4v4 competitive matches, all presented with the strange, humorous style associated with Behemoth’s games.
• Hello Neighbor is a horror-stealth game whose adaptive neighbor learns from the player’s behavior and counters repeated tactics with traps, cameras, blocked hallways, and furniture. Its cartoon-like appearance masks tense encounters, particularly when the neighbor suddenly discovers the player during an attempt to reach the basement.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was the best Xbox One exclusive game of 2017?

Cuphead ranks first among the selected Xbox One games of 2017. Its appeal comes from more than its visual presentation: it is a demanding action platformer that gives an old-school shoot-’em-up formula a fresh treatment. Hand-drawn animation, watercolor-painted artwork, orchestrated music, expressive bosses, and entertaining local cooperative play make the challenge feel worth working through.

Q: Why did Cuphead rank above the other Xbox One games?

Cuphead takes the top position because its strong mechanics support its unusual artistic direction. The game combines difficult action platforming with hand-drawn bosses, watercolor-painted visuals, orchestrated music, and an animation style reminiscent of the 1930s. Local cooperative play is particularly enjoyable because two players can confront its demanding encounters together, often producing excited and frustrated reactions.

Q: How does PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds work?

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds places up to 100 players on a large island after they arrive by parachute. Participants search buildings and surrounding areas for weapons, then fight until only one player remains. The format is tactical, addictive, strange, and unpredictable. Ordinary actions can become frightening because another player may be waiting behind a door with a weapon.

Q: What makes Forza Motorsport 7’s racing distinctive?

Forza Motorsport 7 combines simulation elements with some of the fun associated with the Forza Horizon games. It includes numerous customization options, several kinds of races and tournaments, and vehicles ranging from race cars and classic cars to trucks and semi-trucks. Dynamic weather adds uncertainty by introducing rain, changing visibility, and leaving puddles after conditions clear.

Q: Is Halo Wars 2 easy to play with a console controller?

Halo Wars 2 is designed to make real-time strategy manageable and enjoyable on a console. Its controls allow players to navigate the game’s systems effectively, following the example established by the original Halo Wars. Although it is not the most complicated real-time strategy game, it is denser than its predecessor and can become particularly hectic and entertaining during multiplayer matches.

Q: What happens in the story-focused game Tacoma?

Tacoma places the player on a futuristic space station and asks them to reconstruct events involving its workers. Progress comes from examining augmented-reality recordings and assembling the available pieces to understand what occurred. The game offers interesting characters, strong voice acting, polished sights and sounds, and a lonely atmosphere, although its central story is described as less engaging than hoped.

Q: Which overlooked or smaller Xbox games made the ranking?

The ranking includes several smaller or easily overlooked releases. Hello Neighbor offers adaptive horror-stealth gameplay, while Candleman uses light, shadow, and a candle’s limited burn time in a 3D platforming adventure. Pit People combines turn-based combat with exploration and multiplayer. Voodoo Vince and Phantom Dust also appear together as remastered original Xbox cult games.

Q: Which games received bonus mentions outside the main ranking?

Rivals of Aether, Path of Exile, Slime Rancher, and Fallout Shelter receive bonus recognition after the main list. Rivals of Aether and Path of Exile are noted as PC games with console availability limited to Xbox One at the time discussed. Slime Rancher is described as very fun, while Fallout Shelter is identified as playable on console through Xbox One.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The ranking covers games limited to Xbox consoles while allowing releases also available on PC, matching the approach used for the channel’s PS4 list. Its lower positions highlight Hello Neighbor, Candleman, remasters of Voodoo Vince and Phantom Dust, Pit People, and Tacoma, spanning horror, platforming, strategy, and narrative exploration.

• The middle of the list features Super Lucky’s Tale, Halo Wars 2, and Forza Motorsport 7. These games respectively offer accessible platforming, console-friendly real-time strategy, and polished racing. The discussion praises Halo Wars 2’s controls and multiplayer, while Forza Motorsport 7 stands out for dynamic weather, vehicle variety, customization, and presentation.

• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds places second for its tense, tactical, and unpredictable battle for survival among up to 100 players. Cuphead takes first place through demanding action platforming, local cooperative play, hand-drawn animation, watercolor-painted visuals, orchestrated music, and memorable bosses. Rivals of Aether, Path of Exile, Slime Rancher, and Fallout Shelter receive bonus mentions.