{"id":23581,"date":"2016-03-01T21:11:57","date_gmt":"2016-03-02T05:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/?p=23581"},"modified":"2016-03-02T08:07:00","modified_gmt":"2016-03-02T16:07:00","slug":"noteworthy-360-games-backwards-compatible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/guides\/noteworthy-360-games-backwards-compatible\/","title":{"rendered":"Noteworthy 360 Games Now Backwards Compatible on Xbox One"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

At the end of 2015, to\u00a0the delight of many gamers, Microsoft began\u00a0to roll out\u00a0the backwards compatibility feature for the Xbox One. After starting off with\u00a0a batch of\u00a0titles through its beta program, they’ve gradually\u00a0added to\u00a0that number over the months following\u00a0the public\u00a0release. Now, Microsoft has started\u00a0to highlight\u00a0its potential with their Games With Gold program, which increases\u00a0their\u00a0subscribers’\u00a0monthly freebies\u00a0with select\u00a0360 games that can also be played\u00a0on their next-generation console.<\/p>\n

The number of available\u00a0titles is still fairly slim\u00a0— under 150 —\u00a0but it already includes a few\u00a0hits\u00a0that everyone should check out if they haven’t already: Mass Effect, Gears of War, Fallout 3, and others. Along with those, there\u00a0are also a few\u00a0other\u00a0great\u00a0titles on the list that might\u00a0have been\u00a0overlooked at release, or simply deserve a second look.<\/p>\n

Here, we’ve rounded up\u00a0eight of\u00a0these other<\/em> must-play\u00a0titles\u00a0that are worth those precious\u00a0Xbox Live gift card bucks.<\/p>\n

Get Ready With an Xbox Gift Card from Amazon<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond Good and Evil HD<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"beyond\"<\/a>

Ubisoft<\/p><\/div>\n

A cult hit\u00a0from two console eras\u00a0ago, this gem\u00a0from Ubisoft received a well-deserved\u00a0HD\u00a0overhaul\u00a0in 2011. Set a few\u00a0hundred years in the future on a remote planet covered in water, Beyond Good and Evil<\/em> focuses on a female photographer, Jade, who investigates\u00a0the\u00a0link\u00a0between the planet’s oppressive\u00a0military force and their constant alien invaders. Standard\u00a0third-person controls are boosted\u00a0by\u00a0smart\u00a0puzzles, unique weapons, and taking snapshots\u00a0with the in-game camera, complimented by one of gaming’s best soundtracks as Jade unravels the truth. Who knows if\u00a0we’ll ever get that sequel, but at least the updated original remains available for this generation.<\/p>\n

Beyond Good and Evil HD at Xbox Marketplace<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Braid<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"braid\"<\/a>

Number None<\/p><\/div>\n

Often considered to be one of independent gaming’s masterpieces, Number None’s temporal journey\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0wondrous\u00a0example\u00a0of what can be achieved with the proper\u00a0blend of storytelling and innovative\u00a0design.\u00a0 Featuring a character named Tim who’s searching\u00a0for his princess through shifting\u00a0environments and dangers, the game’s novel\u00a0use of moving back and forth\u00a0through time weaves together\u00a0with a\u00a0plot that\u00a0has sparked different interpretations over the years. Everything about Braid<\/em> looks\u00a0traditional on the surface, but its deliberate\u00a0twist on classic ideas\u00a0and the beauty\u00a0of its painterly visuals entwine into\u00a0a memorable experience.<\/p>\n

Braid at Xbox Marketplace<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Eidos<\/a>

Eidos Montreal<\/p><\/div>\n

Prequels usually don’t reach the quality of the originals that inspired them, but Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/em> comes close to doing so, in its own augmented way. As we follow a modified human, Adam Jensen, through an earlier version of the cyberpunk world\u00a0from\u00a0the original Deus Ex<\/em>, Eidos Montreal unites\u00a0familiar role-playing and first-person concepts\u00a0into a glimpse\u00a0at the world of transhumanism: using\u00a0mechanical body parts\u00a0and the heady\u00a0discussion of where man ends and machine begins. Stealth, tech, and combat ability get Jensen through attractive\u00a0semi-futuristic areas across the globe, which generate tense action and foster numerous\u00a0solutions to moving through the spaces. It’s the\u00a0reactive\u00a0dialogue\u00a0options\u00a0and the choice\u00a0between lethal and non-lethal attacks on enemies that deserve\u00a0recognition, though.<\/p>\n

Deus Ex: Human Revolution at Xbox Marketplace<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Mirror’s Edge<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"EA<\/a>

EA DICE<\/p><\/div>\n

Early on in the life cycle of the Xbox 360, EA and DICE announced that they were\u00a0developing a project that would\u00a0break away from what’s expected\u00a0of first-person genre. The result was Mirror’s Edge<\/em>, the story of covert message carrier Faith and her fight against government surveillance. Instead of rewarding\u00a0deadly force, DICE’s realistic graphics focus on her fast, parkour-style sprints\u00a0through\u00a0a dystopian city. Since\u00a0slowing down to aim or rack up\u00a0a body-count works against the courier’s objectives, the pipes, ladders,\u00a0and walls in front of her\u00a0become tough obstacles that she must\u00a0quickly conquer\u00a0to\u00a0keep moving. While the narrow (color-coded) solutions might take away\u00a0from the freedom\u00a0of Faith’s movement from Point A to Point B, landing on\u00a0the answers\u00a0and timing things just right becomes\u00a0a brisk and rewarding rush.\u00a0The superb\u00a0music doesn’t hurt, either.<\/p>\n

Mirror’s Edge at Xbox Marketplace<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The Secret of Monkey Island<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"LucasArts\"<\/a>

LucasArts<\/p><\/div>\n

Originally released in 1990 by LucasArts, The Secret of Monkey Island<\/em> blends lovable characters and a deft sense of humor in the antics\u00a0of\u00a0Guybrush Threepwood. The tale\u00a0of\u00a0this wannabe\u00a0pirate proving\u00a0himself to the pirating community and earning the love of a governess, Elaine,\u00a0led to\u00a0a delightful point-and-click adventure series, one with enough of a reputation\u00a0to bring it into\u00a0the HD generation. Polished\u00a0graphics and voiced dialogue add something new\u00a0to an otherwise faithful copy\u00a0of the ’90s experience, including the offbeat puzzles and their amusing solutions. \u00a0Both the first and second\u00a0chapters are playable\u00a0on the Xbox One, which provide the kind of\u00a0swashbuckling \u00a0nostalgia that’s well worth paying juuuuust under $20 bucks for both. Guybrush would be proud.<\/p>\n

Secret of Monkey Island at Xbox Marketplace<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Shadow Complex<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Epic<\/a>

Epic Games<\/p><\/div>\n

Chair Entertainment and Epic Games smartly\u00a0combined action designs both old and new within Shadow Complex<\/em>, still one of the best examples of the “Metroidvania” subgenre on the market. \u00a0Mixing a 3D\u00a0layout for a high-tech underground facility with\u00a0the shooter styling\u00a0of classic side-scrolling adventures, the game sends a capable hero, Jason Fleming, into the headquarters of a military resistance group\u00a0out to spark\u00a0the next American civil war. What starts\u00a0as a search for his missing girlfriend through the compound turns into an investigation and takedown of the group, fueled by gradual\u00a0improvements to Jason’s gear\u00a0that grant\u00a0access to elusive\u00a0areas within his sight. \u00a0Lots of tense action \u00a0goes down in\u00a0the mentally-engaging complex, which leads to tough\u00a0battles and a few big set pieces\u00a0that defy the game’s two-dimensional appearances.<\/p>\n

Shadow Complex\u00a0at Xbox Marketplace<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Torchlight<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Runic<\/a>

Runic Games<\/p><\/div>\n

For a while, fans of isometric dungeon crawlers\u00a0like\u00a0Diablo<\/em> and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance<\/em> dealt with a\u00a0dry spell on the 360, where they had to settle\u00a0for other action-RPGs that couldn’t\u00a0quite fill that void. Thankfully, Runic Games came to the rescue\u00a0with their console port of Torchlight<\/em>. As the camera tilts\u00a0in that familiar angle and a charming artistic style surfaces\u00a0in the hack-‘n-slash framework, the game\u00a0explores randomly generated caverns underneath the city of Torchlight, a mining community built atop a\u00a0deep supply of magical ore. The\u00a0player selects from a trio of predefined characters and begins their descent into expansive\u00a0levels filled with monsters, sidequests, and tons of\u00a0loot for perfecting\u00a0their adventurer. Once you dig into the fierce action and switching out of gear, playing Torchlight<\/em> feels like the gaming equivalent of comfort food.<\/p>\n

Torchlight at Xbox Marketplace<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"CD<\/a>

CD Projekt Red<\/p><\/div>\n

Before CDProjekt Red took the current generation by storm with The\u00a0Wild Hunt<\/em>, the open-world third installment in the saga of Geralt of Rivia, the studio delivered a phenomenal second entry with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings<\/em>. A more political tone than its successor guides\u00a0the famed monster hunter throughout several large areas during his search for Letho,\u00a0 the brawny killer who framed him for murdering a king. Natural\u00a0developments in a\u00a0well-paced\u00a0plot force Geralt to lug\u00a0his pair of swords along branching story paths, where the player makes big\u00a0choices in the fate of the realm\u00a0that result in quite a bit of\u00a0replay value to experience the many outcomes. Combine that with the building of\u00a0skills\u00a0in magic, alchemy, and swordplay and tactical third-person combat involving\u00a0dodges, parries, and trap-setting, and you’ve got a ton of\u00a0variety built into a\u00a0mature role-playing adventure.<\/p>\n

The Witcher 2 at Xbox Marketplace<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the end of 2015, to\u00a0the delight of many gamers, Microsoft began\u00a0to roll out\u00a0the backwards compatibility feature for the Xbox One. After starting off with\u00a0a batch of\u00a0titles through its beta program, they’ve gradually\u00a0added to\u00a0that number over the months following\u00a0the public\u00a0release. Now, Microsoft has started\u00a0to highlight\u00a0its potential with their Games With Gold program, which increases\u00a0their\u00a0subscribers’\u00a0monthly freebies\u00a0with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":23604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1490,25,372,378],"class_list":["post-23581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-backwards-compatibility","tag-video-games","tag-xbox-360","tag-xbox-one"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23581"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23632,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23581\/revisions\/23632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}