Even with Microsoft’s lucrative Game Pass service, it’s still hard to keep up with every new release onXbox Series X|S. More often than not, there will be some that will slip under the radar for most gamers.
There are a plethora of amazing games to choose from at any given time, ranging from narrative-rich story-driven adventures, frantically action-packed shooters, and humble indie gems. A lot of these games enjoyed the initial buzz from a fresh release but soon got lost among a competitive crowd of triple-A blockbusters. These underrated Xbox games may not have got the attention they initially hoped for, but still deserve a lot of love.
Updated Jul 10, 2025, by Ben Jessey:Not every Xbox Series X|S game gets as much attention as it deserves. So, we created this list to shine a light on some of the most overlooked ones. In this update, we’ve added a few more to the collection.
The characters in Road 96 are living in a fictional nation run by a dictator. So, they want to get out of there. You have to help them cross the border. As each character, you walk around, interact with things, and make decisions.
Your goal is to get to safety, but you may only achieve that by making the right decisions. Once the journey of one character ends, you take control of another. It’s a unique and compelling game.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was a 2024 game that went under the radar a little. It’s a game about a pair of lovers who are also ghost banishers. One of them becomes a spirit herself early in the game. As the remaining one, you have to go about your ghost banisher business while attempting to get the other’s body back.
Along the way, he struggles to decide what to do with the spirit of his old partner. It makes for an emotionally powerful game about grief and loss. The game’s strong writing really brings the story together. The general gameplay is solid, too. It’s a third-person action-adventure game where you use swords and powers to keep various creatures at bay.
Even though it features the voices of Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever, there hasn’t been much discussion surrounding Open Roads, and the reviews have been mixed. This is a shame, as it’s a very good walking simulator.
It doesn’t contain many gameplay mechanics, as all you do is walk around the environment, interact with things, and make dialogue choices. The conversations and story is what make it a compelling adventure. The tale is about a mother and daughter going on a road trip together. Along the way, they engage in plenty of interesting and powerful discussions.
Any third-person action-adventure game set in the Batman universe is going to be compared to the Arkham games. This is likely what hurt the reception of Gotham Knights, as despite being similar to the Arkham titles, it isn’t as good. Yet, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s a solid game with fun combat and good writing.
It’s also unique because Batman isn’t around, meaning Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood have to be Gotham’s main protectors. Also, the game includes some original and interesting versions of classic Batman characters, which adds to the uniqueness of the experience.
It’s rare for a game from a huge series like Gears to fall under the radar. Yet, that is exactly what happened to Gears Tactics. This is because it isn’t a third-person shooter like the series’ main entries. Instead, it’s a turn-based tactics title where you must organize and order around your squad in an effort to defeat your opponents in battle.
So, it’s all about planning and strategic thinking, which isn’t really the case for the other Gears games. Yet, it still has a similar style and presentation to the other instalments, and you’re still spilling plenty of Locust blood.
You can’t say that Hi-Fi Rush has been completely overlooked, as critics loved it and a bunch of people played it. Yet, it still feels like the game deserves more attention. After all, it’s one of the Xbox Series X|S’s best and most original games.
The premise is that you’re playing as someone who accidentally gets a music player inserted into his chest while participating in a test program for a shady company. He is then seen as a defect by the company, and they attempt to eliminate him. It’s a bit of a wacky story, but that fits into the theme of the game. It’s an outrageous and colorful experience where you’re encouraged to keep up with the music beat as you put the beating on your enemies.
Cocoon is a puzzle adventure game that puts you in control of a mysterious insectoid. It’s not the only thing about the game that is mysterious. You aren’t clearly told who you are, where you are, or what’s going on. You’re just tasked with completing puzzles, and you may be able to understand things while you play.
Speaking of the puzzles, they’re very creative and challenging. They mostly involve moving around world-containing orbs, yet there is plenty of variety to keep things interesting. One element that keeps your interest high is the ability to use these orbs to transport between different worlds. It makes for a unique gameplay mechanic. In fact, the entire game is unique, which is it’s main appeal.
The Prince of Persia series was put on hold for many years as Ubisoft seemed to focus more on Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry. However, it has made an incredible return with The Lost Crown.
Well, it’s an incredible return in terms of quality, as it’s an engaging 2D action-adventure platformer featuring great visuals and fun combat. Unfortunately, though, the game hasn’t sold significantly well, which is why it’s considered underrated. It’s certainly worth playing.
Square Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers perhaps hurt the company’s Guardians of the Galaxy game before the latter even came out. The Avengers game was so disliked that many people seemed to expect the same for the Guardians title and didn’t give it a chance.
This is a shame since it’s an excellent action-adventure game. It has solid team-based combat, interesting characters, and fantastic writing. In regards to the writing, the script is not only hilarious but also has plenty of depth as the story dives into serious topics like loss.
You don’t expect a Marvel game that includes the likes of Spider-Man and Captain America to ever be overlooked. Yet,the sales of Midnight Suns were unimpressive, and people don’t talk about it too much. The fact it’s a turn-based title probably contributed to its lack of attention, as not everyone appreciates the genre.
It’s a shame because Midnight Suns is an incredible game that not only offers enjoyable combat but also has an engaging story. Plus, its social mechanics are very wholesome, as you get to make friends and create social clubs with iconic Marvel characters. Who doesn’t want to participate in a book club with Blade, Captain Marvel, Captain America, and Wolverine?
