The Xbox One hits store shelves tonight, and eager fans everywhere will be staying up super late to sample the best of the console's launch lineup. As all of the review embargos are finally lifted, we've gotten a sampling of just what to expect from the games avaialble at the Xbox One's launch. But which are the best? The must-have launch games that'll make all your 360-owning friends froth at the mouth for their next-gen update?

Just as we did for the PS4, we've compiled a list of the hottest launch titles for the Xbox One split into multiple categories. Just head to a category that corresponds with what you prioritize out of a launch game, and read on.

Fun Factor

In the end, games are about one thing - fun. The following titles take the cake as some of the most fun Xbox One titles on the market.

Killer Instinct

The verdict on Killer Instinct's EVO potential is still out as the super-dedicated fighting crowd will just be getting their hands on the game tonight. But whether or not we see KI emerge as a serious fighter is largely irrelevant when the game itself is this much fun. It's impossible to deny the satisfaction of crafting a massive combo chain piece by piece, and the Super moves are over the top and satisfying. Most importantly, even the lightest of hits feels weighty and powerful. It's early, but the next generation already has a serious contender for the fighting game crown in terms of pure, satisfying gameplay.

Oh, and the game's signature character, Jago, is free for everyone to download and try out, so there should be plenty of players duking it out online.

Dead Rising 3

I don't know about you guys, but when I think pure, unadulterated fun, I think about mowing down hoards of zombies in a spliced-up chopper with dual front-mounted flamethrowers while in the background a large teddy bear equipped with LMGs provides support. It's this kind of ludicrous action that makes Dead Rising 3 such a blast to play, even when its framerate tends to dive in some of the more populated areas. Capcom Vancouver has nixed or updated many of the elements that could make past entries so frustrating - a harsh timer is still there in Nigthmare Mode if you desire it, but isn't forced on you on the normal difficulty. Additionally, you can craft combo weapons anywhere now, and once you've upgraded to the proper level you'll be able to make them much easier. All of the changes Capcom has made are in service of making Dead Rising more fun, and it's a tactic that's worked smashingly.

Visual Showcase

These games are most notable for their visuals, which will show off the power of your new Xbox One handily.

Ryse

I don't need to tell you twice how gorgeous Ryse is. Screenshots like the one above should more than make up your mind when it comes to the game's stunning character models and lovely environments. There isn't much of a game in Ryse - the swordplay gets mind-numbingly repetitive after half an hour, and that's almost all there is - but if you're looking for pure, jaw-dropping spectacle, you'll find it in Ryse.

Forza Motorsport 5

Racing games have infamously been some of the easiest to make look nice thanks to the large models and relatively smooth surfaces of the cars - there's not much of the complex geometry that's required for human bodies or complex environments needed here. Still, it's tough to deny that Forza 5 does look very pretty indeed, and just so slightly outpaces EA's latest Need for Speed in terms of visuals. And, unlike Ryse, there's actually a good game lying under the hood of Forza. Just don't slow down to check out the bystanders in the crows - unlike in the game's E3 premiere, the crowd is just a bunch of 2D figures. Not nearly as impressive as the cars.

Multi-Platform Goodness

This is where we put the Free-to-Play section in the PS4 list, since Sony's console had such a strong assortment of free titles on PSN at launch. While Killer Instinct is technically free, we've already spent enough words in this article telling you to play it (seriously, play it. Okay, there. Now we've spent enough.) Instead, we're going to focus here on the multi-platform games that are worth your attention at launch.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and its massive Caribbean open world might be the best time you can have on any next-gen console right now. It's beautiful no matter what system you decide to play on, and it restores many of the franchise's signature features that were strangely absent in 3. Edward Kenway is the most likeable protagonist the series has had in a while, and the game's massive ship battles are challenging and exhilerating. Consider this one a must-buy.

Need for Speed: Rivals

Despite being the work of new developer Ghost Games, Need for Speed: Rivals feels like the natural continuation of the work that Criterion Games did on NFS: Hot Pursuit and last year's Most Wanted. There's still an engaging cops-vs-racers mechanic at the heart of Rivals, but this year's game cranks the antagonism up to 11 with an always-online world in which your opponents could at any time be real players. The engaging risk/reward mechanics at the heart of Rivals encourage you to push your racing skills (and the boundaries of the law) to the limit by banking XP between events - but you can only cash in that XP if you return to a safehouse without being taken down by cops.

It's exhilerating to know that your massive XP streak could end at any time, and at the hands of another player at that. Racing fans who prefer arcadey thrills to Forza's realism will find an incredibly fun and flexible racer in Rivals.



