The Xbox 360 was the defining era of the Xbox brand, with the console dominating the space for most of the generation. While Xbox eventually fell from grace, that era of gaming features tons of iconic games, from multiplayer shooters to some Japanese titles coming exclusively to the Xbox 360.

There have been plenty of games from this era that have already been remade in some fashion, or at least rereleased. This list compiles games that need some love, either because the game could use a modern way to play, a fresh coat of paint, or are just a good idea that could use another attempt. For games that can be played in some way on modern platforms, we've noted on what platforms.

Viva Piñata

Perfect for our cozy era.

While cozy games have existed almost as long as video games themselves, the era of cozy games feels like it started with Stardew Valley and has only reached new heights since. That's what makes Viva Piñata a perfect candidate for this treatment, since both it and its sequel missed out on the new wave of cozy games.

You manage a garden, attracting piñatas to breed them and send them off to parties (don't worry they return to you in one piece). You can discover new ones by changing up your garden to attract them. While its energy is as chaotic as it is cozy, a fresh coat of paint could revitalize this series for Rare.

Viva Piñata can be played on Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility.

TimeShift

Ahead of its time.

TimeShift is a first-person-shooter from 2007 that is extremely middling, except for the premise. Sitting at a 70 on MetaCritic, the pitch for TimeShift is that it's a military shooter, but you have the ability to manipulate time. You can pause, slow down, and even rewind time in the middle of combat, creating new strategies for attack.

That said, these powers were fairly limited, especially on an Xbox 360, but a modern remake could take these ideas further, and create even more uses for them. The multiplayer mode can probably stay in the past, but giving this property the same treatment as the modern Doom or Wolfenstein games has a ton of potential to create a unique shooter campaign.

TimeShift is available on Steam and Xbox Series X|S via backwards compatibility.

Mirror's Edge

One good example of first-person platforming.

Mirror's Edge is EA's first-person parkour platforming series, which consists of the original game and 2016's Mirror's Edge Catalyst. While EA doesn't seem to believe that the series is worth making, the original game getting a ton of polish and perhaps some more challenging modes could revitalize it.

With difficult platforming games like Only Up and Chained Together doing well with streamers and younger gamers, a more hardcore remake of Mirror's Edge could capitalize on that trend.

Mirror's Edge is available on Steam and Xbox via backwards compatibility.

Fallout 3

Let's return to a less gray version of the wasteland.

Fallout 3--and it's sister Xbox 360 RPG Fallout New Vegas--is one of the best RPGs you can play. However, time has been unkind to a few different aspects of the game, primarily the gun play and the visuals. Visually, Fallout 3 is the epitome of the Xbox 360 "everything is drab" color palette, rocking browns, grays, and other muted colors all across the wasteland, making it visually uninteresting, especially with its dated graphics.

The first-person shooting in Fallout 3 wasn't particularly great at the time, and has only gotten worse with age. A more fluid feel to the shooting would breathe new life into the game, for all the times you don't feel like using VATs.

Fallout 3 is available via Steam, Xbox backwards compatibility, or PlayStation Plus streaming.

Gears of War 2

Time for Horde mode.

Microsoft has already remastered the original Gears of War, adding in previously cut missions and creating a fresh set of multiplayer servers. While that's great, Gears of War 2 needs to come next for a few reasons. While it could also use a fresh coat of paint, and fans of the series would love to take their Gnasher shotguns into fresh multiplayer servers, Horde mode is the biggest draw here.

The mode wasn't present in the first game and became more of a tower defense/base-building experience in Gears of War 3 and onwards, making the horde mode in this game wholly unique for the series. Maybe that rumored Gears of War trilogy will show up at Xbox's 2025 showcase.

Gears of War 2 is playable via Xbox backwards compatibility.

Resident Evil 5

Why only remake the great Resident Evil games?

Capcom seems content to keep remaking all the critically acclaimed, best games of all-time, Resident Evil titles, but what about the pretty good ones? While some people might not love the ridiculous action movie aspects of Resident Evil 5 or its portrayal of African cultures, the first co-op entry in the series has tons to love.

The co-op gameplay is great, the action gun play is a ton of fun, and the more memorable moments like Chris punching the boulder, could all use a remake. Some of the rough edges can be sanded off and more content could be added, bringing Resident Evil 5 up to the quality level of some of the more praised games in the series.

Resident Evil 5 has been ported to nearly every console made after the Xbox 360, you probably already own a copy.

Crackdown

ORBS!

I understand that outside of the original Crackdown ,the series doesn't have a stellar track record. Both Crackdown 2 and Crackdown 3 were just worse versions of the first, but we're not asking to reinvent the wheel here.

Just give the original sandbox, orb-collectathon a fresh coat of paint, and tighten up some of the gameplay and it could be quite successful. It's like old-school Saints Row but you gradually unlock superpowers via Orbs, and sometimes games should be simple.

Crackdown is available via backwards compatibility on Xbox.

Eternal Sonata

Feel the music.

Eternal Sonata is a turn-based RPG published by Bandai Namco, that has a real wacky plot. It follows Frédéric Chopin, a real historical musician who died from Tuberculous at 39, but in the plot of the game he imagines a fantasy world as he is dying, which is where the game takes place.

His music is tied into combat and the world itself, making Eternal Sonata a wholly unique game in the turn-based genre, and it doesn't deserve to be trapped on older hardware.

Lost Odyssey

More Xbox 360 JRPG goodness.

Another JRPG for the Xbox 360, Lost Odyssey, is another excellent entry in the genre. It follows an amnesiac immortal, who must deal with the returning of his memories and the ongoing industrial revolution.

It's pretty traditional in some ways, featuring turn-based combat and a world map that can be used to travel from place to place. It does have some active elements to its combat thanks to the Aim Ring System, which requires precision timing to maximize your abilities.

Lost Odyssey is playable on Xbox via backwards compatibility.