Xbox 360 best racing games 2012

Still, even with that issue, the console remained the most popular HD system of that era above the PS3. The year was like the final love letter to the system, since the Xbox One would launch a year later. Some of these games were released first in Japan in However, they should still be celebrated in as their ten-year anniversary in the West approaches. It should be mentioned that all eight of these games can easily be played via backwards compatibility, so now is as good a time as any to revisit these games or play them for the first time.

Asura's Wrath is a game that was perhaps a little too ahead of its time. It was released on February 21, for PS3 and Xbox Binary Domain is the best Terminator - esque game to ever be created without the actual franchise's license. This title takes place in a future wherein a robot uprising has begun. The story is another example of a cliche genre being turned up a notch via anime influences. It was released on February 28, for PS3 and Xbox Double Dragon Neon was a revival of the classic series with more modern mechanics.

It was an homage to the series and the 80s in general, what with its bright visuals and killer pop soundtrack. The music was actually a piece of gear characters could equip. ATV Reflex has intense off-road gameplay with mud tracks and large bumps whether you're searching for something a little grittier.

The game does an excellent job of portraying the sense of the whirling motor as your tires skid and blast across terrain with physics systems, rich visuals, and music. Are you searching for something grittier? Then, MX Vs. ATV Reflex can be your perfect and exciting off-racing game. As an incentive, the game brings muddy courses alongside big bumps to make your journey a bit more challenging.

Acquire professional gaming acumen with detailed graphics, audio, and physics systems! The game gets loaded with diverse modes applicable for any player! Need for Speed: Rivals is a game that lets you customize it according to your desire. It features new technologies like rims, paint-jobs, decals, and plates. For the latest auto news and reviews , follow carandbike. The 8 Best Xbox Racing Games. View Photos. Forza Horizon 2.

Valentino Rossi Returns To Racing. The culmination of your choices leads to the dramatic conclusion of this first season of The Walking Dead. Adding to the experience is the introduction of three-part vocal harmonies to game play, allowing gamers to revel in the unparalleled vocal stylings of the Fab Four. Beatles fans will also be thrilled to hear previously unreleased authentic voice recordings from John, Paul, George and Ringo chatting between takes during studio sessions recorded at Abbey Road more than four decades ago.

The game follows The Beatles to where story mode culminates with their final performance on the rooftop of the Apple Corps Headquarters. Featured in the set are the Rickenbacker and Gretsch Duo Jet guitars - hailed as two of the celebrated, signature instruments played by John Lennon and George Harrison throughout their careers. Rounding out the set is a Ringo Starr inspired, Ludwig-branded Rock Band 2 drum set with a classic pearl finish and vintage remake of a Beatles kick drum head.

Do you have what it takes to become a Peggle master? Conquer dozens of levels with 10 different characters, each with a unique special power. Take your best shot.

Game modes: Enjoy multiple game modes like Adventure and Quick Play. Multiple challenges: Play through more than 55 levels and 75 challenges, using 10 Peggle Masters with unique abilities.

Multiplayer: Join with friends for way multiplayer over Xbox LIVE plus local multiplayer, co-op, and party game modes.

Virtua Fighter 5 features an all-star cast of 17 fighters, including characters from the previous iterations along with two new characters named El Blaze and Eileen. El Blaze is a Mexican fighting champion who defeats opponents with his quick Lucha Libre fighting style. Eileen, originally from China, uses a Monkey Kung-Fu fighting style that she learned from her grandfather, a former Kung-Fu master. Virtua Fighter 5 delivers fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action as players head into battle, taking on a host of popular characters.

Players not only achieve victory by defeating highly-skilled opponents, but also by competing for prizes which earn them in-game money allowing them to buy many items at in-game shop.

These items allow players to customize their ultimate warrior and become the top Virtua Fighter. In addition, the game introduces "Offensive Move", a new maneuver that allows players to easily approach opponents from the side, adding a more strategic element to the battle.

It's the 1 selling and rated NBA series that everyone is playing - from the most elite NBA athletes and superstars to the local court gym rats. Burnout Paradise proves that crashing is awesome!

Now the development team can realize their original vision for the Burnout franchise: an open world environment where you can do anything, anywhere, anytime.

Feel the adrenaline course through your veins as you take to the road for the first time in Paradise City, where the action is all around you. Explore the city, discover events, and look for the best opportunities to crash, jump and pull signature takedowns.

In Burnout Paradise you're given the keys to the city, but it's up to you to earn the keys to the meanest and most dangerous cars on the street, and earn your Burnout license. Powered by the industry-leading Unreal Engine 3, Shadow Complex is the height of old-school side-scrolling design combined with modern, cutting-edge gameplay.

In Shadow Complex, gameplay is centered on exploration and fast-paced combat as you gather game-altering power-ups and an arsenal of futuristic weapons to overcome obstacles, thwart legions of enemies, and delve into a mysterious open game world. The original single-player adventure is set in a compelling universe based upon the best-selling novel, Empire, by Orson Scott Card. This completely original game features full 3-D side-scrolling action. The incredible next-gen graphics and robust physics combine with an open, evolving world design mixed with an awesome, compelling action-thriller story.

Seek out 17 unique game altering power-ups, with more than additional items and modifiers to discover and use. Fight against a large variety of enemies and experience massive, jaw-dropping boss battles. Pick up and play: The super-tight controls are simple and intuitive but also allow advanced players additional depth and precision. Noted scriptwriter: Shadow Complex features a script written by Peter David, one of the most popular comic book writers of all time.

It's the first game to be set in Chair's Empire universe and based upon the best-selling novel by Orson Scott Card. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a direct sequel to the previous game in the series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with a campaign storyline continuing the struggle of U. Together with classic Call of Duty multi-character control, Modern Warfare 3 contains deep multiplayer support, including two-player Co-op Survival mode.

The game also contains all-new Kill Streak categories and customizable strike packages that offer more options for player combat styles and strategies. User Score: 3. Dishonored is a tactile first-person action game that thrusts you into the role of a supernatural assassin driven by a thirst for revenge.

Hunt down your enemies under the cover of darkness or viciously attack them head on with weapons drawn. The results of each mission are a result of the choices you make. Win or lose, you must choose. The NHL franchise that has won 19 sports game of the year awards over the past two years begins a new era with gameplay innovations that promise to deliver a new standard of toughness, the emotion of playoff hockey on the ice and in the arena, and over gameplay refinements that replicate the skill and finesse that every fan sees throughout the NHL playoffs.

A new first-person fighting engine enables players to trade punches with an NHL tough guy. Feel what its like to be on the ice in the skates of an NHL player to throw and dodge punches. Grab and tug an opponent's jersey to land a punch that ignites the fans and sparks your team to victory.

Challenge a skill player and an opposing team tough guy will step in to settle the score. On ice toughness and intimidation is taken to a new level in NHL 10 where winning one-on-one battles for possession of the puck along the boards becomes a test of will and skill. Utilizing an all-new board physics engine, players can use their body to shield the puck on the boards and then kick-pass it to teammates.

Bigger, stronger players pin opponents to the boards while fanatical fans bang on the glass, just like real life. Fore-check defenders, pressure the puck and finish checks to intimidate your opponent into mistakes. Players fatigue, bobble passes, and avoid collisions under threat of constant physical pressure.

Inspire teammates, ignite the fans and change the momentum of a game by instigating scrums, drawing penalties, and mixing it up - all after the referee blows the whistle! Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past.

Along the Atlantic coastline, a monster has been snatching little girls and bringing them back to the undersea city of Rapture. You are the very first Big Daddy as you travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city, chasing an unseen foe in search of answers and your own survival. Multiplayer in BioShock 2 provides a rich prequel experience that expands the BioShock gameplay. Set during the fall of Rapture, players assume the role of Plasmid test subject in the underwater city that was first explored in the original BioShock.

Players will need to use all the elements of the game's toolset to survive as the full depth of the BioShock experience is refined and transformed into a unique multiplayer experience that can only be found in Rapture. NHL 09 builds on the momentum of last year, with innovative controls, added depth and new features designed to help newcomers jump into the series.

The Skill Stick System evolves to bring an unparalleled level of control to the defensive side of the puck. The all new Defensive Skill Stick gives you the ability to sweep your stick to block passing lanes and lift an opponent's stick to prevent one-timers.

Take your game online with 6 vs. Players new to the series can now shoot, pass and check with ease. NHL 09 features Be A Pro, a game mode that puts you on the ice with a dynamic new 3rd person camera that allows you to play the role of one player. With a performance tracker grading your progress in more than 50 categories, you know exactly where you need to improve to become the next NHL superstar. The stakes are high when the world's most elite counter-terrorism unit enters Las Vegas, where over What happens when one of the world's most famous cities is held hostage by terrorists?

Play at home versus a friend or test your skills online. A new Remixed mode incorporates new techniques for your favorite characters, and the original Super Street Fighter II Turbo mode is built-in for those who want to revisit the game's old school gameplay. Relive the hilarious swashbuckling misadventures of the wannabe pirate Guybrush Threepwood as he attempts to become the most infamous pirate in the Caribbean! Back by popular demand, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition faithfully re-imagines the internationally-acclaimed classic pirate adventure game from LucasArts in gorgeous HD detail.

Featuring an all new re-imagined contemporary art style, hand-drawn and presented in p, complete voice over by members of the original Monkey Island - franchise cast, a re-mastered musical score using live instruments, plus scene-for scene-hot swap to seamlessly transition between Special Edition and Classic modes at anytime. Embark on a bumbling misadventure in an attempt to become the most infamous pirate in the Caribbean, win the heart of the beautiful governor, Elaine Marley, and confront the evil ghost pirate, LeChuck!

The game is all-new and re-imagined with a contemporary art style, hand-drawn and presented in p. Complete voice over using original Monkey Island franchise cast members brings the story and characters to life like never before. Enjoy the re-mastered and re-recorded musical score using live instruments. Scene-for-scene hot swap lets you seamlessly transition between Special Edition and Classic modes at anytime during gameplay. The all-new intuitive game interface and controls provide a more interactive gameplay experience.

Hint system: Not sure what to do next? The in-game puzzle hint system keeps the puzzles fresh and fun. The original Kudos challenge: Powersliding, pulling off a , getting airtime, staying on the race line, drafting, and getting up on two wheels will earn gamers Kudos points for their style and skill. Take the wheel of more than 80 authentically modeled and licensed supercars from manufacturers such as Ferrari, Dodge, and Lamborghini with fully modeled interiors, functioning dashboards and individually recorded engine roars.

Drive in New York, Tokyo, and many other cities, all brought to life with motion-captured crowds of people. Show off in front of a global audience.

With GothamTV, gamers can watch any player in the world on live news feeds, get live ticker-tape information when friends break records, and compete with anyone, anywhere, anytime. In this installment, the Bad Company crew again find themselves in the heart of the action, where they must use every weapon and vehicle at their disposal to survive.

In Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the 'B' company fight their way through snowy mountaintops, dense jungles and dusty villages. With a heavy arsenal of deadly weapons and a slew of vehicles to aid them, the crew set off on their mission and they are ready to blow up, shoot down, blast through, wipe out and utterly destroy anything that gets in their way.

Total destruction is the name of the game, delivered as only the DICE next generation Frostbite engine can. Enemy Within adds an array of new abilities, upgrades and weapons to combat new enemy and alien threats. This expansion pack also introduces new maps, new tactical and strategic gameplay, and new multiplayer content providing a fresh new gameplay experience.

Pinball FX 2 offers improved graphics and a host of new features for novices and experts alike: a new state-of-the-art physics model that surpasses anything available so far, Operators Menu with custom settings and advanced play info, automatic in-game challenges against your friends, and split-screen local multiplayer mode-a first in video pinball history!

Powered by an all-new Real-Time Physics Engine, NHL 11 lets you create highlight reel moments as you experience adrenaline-pumping NHL action with bigger hits, broken sticks, and faster dangles. The second installment in the RPG saga about the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. In addition to an epic story, the game features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action.

A new, modern game engine, responsible for beautiful visuals and sophisticated game mechanics puts players in the most lively and believable world ever created in an RPG game. A captivating story, dynamic combat system, beautiful graphics, and everything else that made the original Witcher such a great game are now executed in a much more advanced and sophisticated way. Treachery within the group leads to a devastating series of events. Will the tough choices you made in episodes one and two come back to haunt you or prove to be worthwhile decisions?

EA returns to the field with another installment in its long-running soccer series. You are Joe Danger, the world's most determined motorbike stuntman. You live to thrill the crowd and break World Records. A call back to retro classics like Excitebike, this 3D side-scrolling stunt-em-up is a burst of sugar-rush fun for today's jaded gamers. Set in the s, this DLC adds 4 new multiplayer maps, 15 new weapons, and six vehicles. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit players will experience the thrill of the chase and the rush of the escape as they play through full careers as both a cop and a racer — solo or connected.

The blistering speeds, brutal busts and heart-stopping getaways are all connected via Need for Speed Autolog. This network not only connects friends for epic head-to head pursuits and races, but also enables players to compare performances and stats, thereby setting the stage for the ultimate in friendly competition.

Includes all-new GM sit-down feature, new endorsement paths, improved in-game AI, and all-new swag including casual clothing, equipment, custom shoes and much more.

The Control Stick: For the first time ever, all dribble moves have been mapped to the right analog stick, as well as shooting, passing, and post moves. String together devastating crossovers and clutch shots for maximum control and effectiveness.

Dynamic Shot Generator: Shots are now dynamically created on the fly, with all-new collision physics created in real-time. Signature Skills: Each player has unique abilities that can alter the course of a game. Revamped Passing System: Improved fast break passing gives players more control.

Shoe Creator - One of the most flexible interfaces ever allow the user to customize up to 45 shoe components and layers from the ground up. Create original shoes from all the major shoe brands and deck your player out with his own signature creation.

Essential Links. Highs and Lows. Highest of the Month. Lowest of the Month. Grand Theft Auto V Platform: Xbox September 17, Los Santos is a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and once-important stars. Metascore: 97 User Score: 8. The Orange Box Platform: Xbox October 10, Games included in The Orange Box compilation: The original Half-Life 2 - The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling.

Mass Effect 2 Platform: Xbox January 26, The Mass Effect trilogy is a science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. Metascore: 96 User Score: 8. Red Dead Redemption Platform: Xbox May 18, Developed by Rockstar San Diego, as a follow up to the hit game Red Dead Revolver, Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age.

Portal 2 Platform: Xbox April 19, Valve is working on a full-length sequel to its award-winning, mind-bending puzzle action game for the Xbox and PC. Metascore: 95 User Score: 8. Batman: Arkham City Platform: Xbox October 18, Developed by Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security "home" for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds.

Metascore: 94 User Score: 8. Gears of War Platform: Xbox November 7, Gears of War blends tactical action with survival horror and thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Platform: Xbox November 5, As Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's single player campaign unfolds, the player is introduced to new gameplay at every turn — one moment you are fast-roping from your Black Hawk helicopter after storming into the war zone with an armada of choppers, the next you are a sniper, under concealment, in a Ghillie suit miles behind enemy lines, the next you are engaging hostiles from an AC gunship thousands of feet above the battlefield.

Halo 3 Platform: Xbox September 25, Halo 3 is the third game in the Halo Trilogy and provides the thrilling conclusion to the events begun in "Halo: Combat Evolved. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Platform: Xbox November 10, Modern Warfare 2 continues the gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse.

Metascore: 93 User Score: 7. BioShock Infinite Platform: Xbox March 26, Thrust into the year , players take on the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, who has traveled to the flying city of Columbia on a rescue mission. Metascore: 93 User Score: 8. Braid Platform: Xbox August 6, [Xbox Live Arcade] Braid is a puzzle-platformer, drawn in a painterly style, where the player manipulates the flow of time in strange and unusual ways.

Fallout 3 Platform: Xbox October 28, Vault-Tec engineers have worked around the clock on an interactive reproduction of Wasteland life for you to enjoy from the comfort of your own vault. Gears of War 2 Platform: Xbox November 7, Gears of War 2 builds upon the gameplay of the first title in every way.

Metascore: 93 User Score: 6. Rock Band 3 Platform: Xbox October 26, Rock Band returns with another iteration of the popular music game featuring new songs and instruments. Rock Band Platform: Xbox November 20, Play together in your living room or across the world!

Metascore: 92 User Score: 8. Rock Band 2 Platform: Xbox September 14, Rock Band 2 builds upon its foundation as the first music game to introduce co-operative band gameplay, multiple instruments, a robust online multiplayer experience, an unrivaled offering of downloadable content and raises the bar by delivering an entirely new level of depth, connectivity, authenticity and features including: Backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable music content.

Super Street Fighter IV Platform: Xbox April 27, The follow-up to Street Fighter IV further redefines the fighting game genre with classic 2D Street Fighter fighting action, a host of new and returning characters, more advanced online gameplay, new ultra combos and much more. Metascore: 91 User Score: 8. Gears of War 3 Platform: Xbox September 20, Developed by acclaimed studio Epic Games and available only on Xbox , "Gears of War 3" plunges players into a harrowing tale of hope, survival, and brotherhood that will conclude the current story arc for "Gears of War.

Far Cry 3 Platform: Xbox December 4, In Far Cry 3, players assume the role of Jason Brody, a figure alone at the edge of the world, stranded on a mysterious tropical island. Bayonetta Platform: Xbox January 5, Bayonetta is a stylish and cinematic action game directed by creator Hideki Kamiya. Metascore: 90 User Score: 8.

Metascore: 90 User Score: 6. FIFA Soccer 10 Platform: Xbox October 20, On the pitch, critical gameplay fundamentals have been enhanced to ensure that FIFA Soccer 10 mirrors real-world soccer, providing more sophisticated ball control, and physical interaction between players.

Mark of the Ninja Platform: Xbox September 7, Mark of the Ninja is a side-scrolling stealth action game from Klei Entertainment that combines fluid 2D animation with intense stealth gameplay. Metascore: 90 User Score: 7. Super Meat Boy Platform: Xbox October 20, Super Meat Boy is a tough as nails platformer where you play as an animated cube of meat who's trying to save his girlfriend who happens to be made of bandages from an evil fetus in a jar wearing a tux.

Dead Space 2 Platform: Xbox January 25, Hero Isaac Clarke returns for another heart-pounding adventure, taking the fight to the Necromorphs in this thrilling action-horror experience. FIFA Soccer 13 Platform: Xbox September 25, The way players control the ball has been transformed, eliminating near-perfect touch for every player on the pitch, and creating more opportunities for defenders to win back possession. Rayman Legends Platform: Xbox September 3, Rayman Legends is the follow-up to last year's Rayman Origins and aims to bring multiplayer interactions for you to use.

Borderlands 2 Platform: Xbox September 18, Play as one of 4 new vault hunters facing off against a new world of creatures, psychos and the evil mastermind, Handsome Jack. Metascore: 89 User Score: 8. Call of Duty 2 Platform: Xbox November 17, Call of Duty 2 lets players experience four individual soldier stories as they overcome insurmountable odds in multiple campaigns.

Plants vs. Zombies Platform: Xbox September 8, Zombies are invading your home, and the only defense is your arsenal of plants! Rez HD Platform: Xbox January 30, [Xbox Live Arcade] Set in a cyberworld, the legendary fast-paced action-shooter Rez HD, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, provides the ultimate audiovisual experience as the player targets the enemies and hacks the system while creating their own beats.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Platform: Xbox March 21, [Xbox Live Arcade] Dracula's castle has risen again and it's up to the mysterious Alucard to face Dracula and save the world from his nocturnal embrace.

Fable II Platform: Xbox October 21, Set years after the original, Fable II provides gamers with an epic story and innovative real-time gameplay, including a massive amount of freedom and choice to explore a vast collection of dungeons, catacombs and caves in the world of Albion.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Platform: Xbox November 16, The critically acclaimed single-player experience of Assassin's Creed is back and better than ever as Ezio returns in an epic struggle against the powerful Templar Order. Dark Souls Platform: Xbox October 4, Project Dark Working Title is a brand new dark fantasy RPG designed to completely embrace the concepts of tension in dungeon exploration, fear in encountering enemies, the joy of new discoveries, and a high sense of achievement in progressing.

Fez Platform: Xbox April 13, This quirky platformer stars a little white creature with a bright red fez. Metascore: 89 User Score: 6. Burnout Revenge Platform: Xbox March 7, Burnout Revenge lets gamers rip through rush hour traffic and lay waste to scores of rubbernecking roadhogs in an over-the-top scene of vehicular mayhem.

Dead Space Platform: Xbox October 13, In the bold and often-bloody Dead Space gamers step into a third-person sci-fi survival horror experience that delivers psychological thrills and gruesome action.

Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss Platform: Xbox October 23, The Dark Souls DLC, Artorias of the Abyss grants you access to new maps and environments, boss characters, enemies and non-playable characters, weapons and armour, and additional challenging content for stalwart heroes to face and an online match-making feature for co-op or player vs.

Metascore: 89 User Score: 7. Virtua Fighter 5 Online Platform: Xbox October 30, Virtua Fighter 5 features an all-star cast of 17 fighters, including characters from the previous iterations along with two new characters named El Blaze and Eileen. Metascore: 88 User Score: 3. Dishonored Platform: Xbox October 9, Dishonored is a tactile first-person action game that thrusts you into the role of a supernatural assassin driven by a thirst for revenge.

Metascore: 88 User Score: 7. NHL 10 Platform: Xbox September 15, The NHL franchise that has won 19 sports game of the year awards over the past two years begins a new era with gameplay innovations that promise to deliver a new standard of toughness, the emotion of playoff hockey on the ice and in the arena, and over gameplay refinements that replicate the skill and finesse that every fan sees throughout the NHL playoffs.

BioShock 2 Platform: Xbox February 9, Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past. NHL 09 Platform: Xbox September 9, NHL 09 builds on the momentum of last year, with innovative controls, added depth and new features designed to help newcomers jump into the series. Metascore: 88 User Score: 6.