Best Offline Xbox Series X/S & Xbox One Games

While modern technology has improved video games as a medium tremendously, it also means some people occasionally get left behind. For gamers without internet access or more commonly poor-quality internet service, many aspects of modern games can't be enjoyed by them.

Luckily, as video games have improved as a whole, so have single-player experiences that don't require internet access. Despite almost launching as an online-only console, the Xbox consoles are now home to a wide selection of fantastic games that don't require an internet connection to enjoy. What are the best offline Xbox games?

Updated January 18, 2025 by Mark Sammut: 2024 ended up being a pretty good year for Microsoft's console, largely thanks to a couple of big offline Xbox games that launched during the final two months. They deserve to be highlighted.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

An Adventure Worthy Of An Icon

MachineGames knows a thing or two about piecing together single-player adventurers that, more often than not, involve taking on Nazi enemies. Despite the first-person angle, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is not just Wolfenstein with Indy, but rather a fully fleshed-out experience that captures the tone and storytelling of the source material, particularly the original movie trilogy.

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An argument could be made that this game is the best Indiana Jones anything to be released since 1989's The Last Crusade, and it is an easy recommendation for not only fans of the IP, but also anyone craving a tight, action-paced romp with stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, and a fun story. The Great Circle is solely single-player, guiding players through a campaign that has almost no lulls. The gameplay blends stealth, puzzles, whip-based combat, and exploration, a mix that fits Indy's unique skill set and history.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

A Return To The Zone

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl had a tough development cycle, which unsurprisingly resulted in a rough launch. However, bugs and issues aside, GSC still succeeded in putting together an impressive and atmospheric open-world survival game that maintains a constant sense of anxiety, particularly during the first few hours when players are at their most vulnerable. The Zone has never been bigger or looked better; more importantly, it is still as unforgiving and complicated as it was back in the late 2000s.

While the game will need to occasionally go online to download patches, which are still coming out relatively frequently, the campaign can be played offline since it is solely single-player. That said, GSC is working on a multiplayer mode that will eventually be added to the base game for free, so there might come a time when someone might prefer to go online.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Another Atlus Masterpiece

At this point, it is starting to seem like Atlus knows a thing or two about crafting immaculate JRPGs. Releasing on Xbox just a few months after Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, which is also an easy recommendation for anyone remotely interested in turn-based, demon-collecting goodness, Metaphor: ReFantazio marks a bold new era for the publisher, one built on decades of growth and experience. Rather than a contemporary setting, the 2024 project drops players into a fantasy realm amid political turmoil born out of a deceased monarchy and the rise of a rat race to claim power. Consequently, players must go on an expansive journey to claim the throne, and it is anything but simple.

Metaphor: ReFantazio showcases Atlus at its provocative best, telling a story rich in scope, personality, and complexity. As more of this world is revealed, players get a holistic view of its biases, tragedies, vices, and humanity. The turn-based combat sticks fairly close to the standard Megami Tensei formula, albeit with an array of new features, twists, and adjustments. Metaphor utilizes a flexible class system that allows players to assign an Archetype to any of the playable characters, and they can be changed too. This lends itself to highly customizable parties and a strong sense of progression that keeps combat feeling fresh.

Baldur's Gate 3

A Long, Deep, & Replayable RPG That Gets Nearly Everything Right

Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 took a while to launch on the Xbox Series X/S, but like on every other console, the RPG was well worth the wait. Similar to something like The Witcher 3, BG3 was genre-defining and set the bar higher for every other project on the market. While an argument could be made that Larian previously accomplished this feat with Divinity: Original Sin 2, that game did not really capture the cultural zeitgeist, despite being brilliant. The same cannot be said for the 2023 release, which was an unprecedented success, especially since modern turn-based Western RPGs are not particularly mainstream.

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In terms of quality, Baldur's Gate 3 is a tour-de-force on nearly every level. The game excels in customization, world-building, NPC interactions, and combat, all of which combine to create an experience that varies greatly from player to player. While supporting online co-op, Larian's masterpiece can be played offline without problems.

Cuphead

A Tough-As-Nails Boss Rush Game With Stunning Visuals

Cuphead, a game that has since branched out to other consoles, was originally a crown jewel for the Xbox. The beautifully animated run-and-gun boss rush game inspires nostalgic feelings in more than just the art department. The game is challenging, often even unfair, but it rarely gets to a point where the player feels the urge to put the game down. There's just something so addictive about running into a boss over and over again while looking for that big win.

Cuphead is a perfect offline Xbox One experience. All the content is available on download or with a physical copy. It even has couch co-op, a rarity in the gaming scene today. It's a budget game with a perfectly proportioned experience. It's worth playing on a rainy day.

Ori And The Will of the Wisps

A Stunning Xbox Metroidvania With Powerful Storytelling

Ori and the Blind Forest is a Metroidvania title that boasts a gorgeous art style, great music, and incredible level design. While other Metroidvania's have a habit of feeling bloated and overdone, Ori stayed its welcome at the perfect length and knew when to pull at the player's heartstrings. It wasn't a surprise to see a sequel, Will of the Wisps, get greenlit.

In terms of new Xbox titles, Will of the Wisps has everything great about the first title but with an even better art style and narrative. The game is gorgeous, plays great, and tells an emotional story without much dialogue. Although the title is also available on Nintendo Switch, it was originally home to the Xbox and plays the best on that platform. With no online features, it's an ideal game to play without the internet.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

Revisiting An Action-Horror Classic

Capcom has been on a roll since roughly the release of Resident Evil 7, and, going by the company's 2023 projects, that is not going to change anytime soon. 2005's Resident Evil 4 is one of the greatest and most influential survival horror games of all time, and it has been ported to most modern systems. In fact, a remaster is available on Xbox One for anyone who wants to revisit the original version; conversely, they can pick up the 2023 remake, which managed to do the impossible and (nearly) live up to its legacy.

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Narratively, the remake sticks close to its predecessor, although there are enough changes to make the overall campaign feel like a somewhat fresh experience rather than just a rethread drenched in a fresh coat of paint. Unsurprisingly, Resident Evil 4 tweaks the gameplay and controls quite a bit, stepping away from the original's tank controls.

Sunset Overdrive

Do Not Ignore This Xbox One Gem

Insomniac Games' Sunset Overdrive has been somewhat forgotten since debuting in 2014 as an early Xbox One exclusive. A PC port introduced the game to a wider audience, but it still firmly exists in the shadow of Insomniac's other recent releases such as Marvel's Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank. Set in a city where grind rails are just the best way to travel, Sunset Overdrive gets movement spot on, crafting an experience where the basic action of traversal is inherently enjoyable.

Colorful visuals and a lighthearted tone enhance the sense of chaos presented by Sunset Overdrive's gameplay, even if the comedy can be a bit hit-and-miss. Fans of the studio's other projects should not skip this one.

Hogwarts Legacy

A Magical Escape

Putting subjective opinion aside for the moment, Hogwarts Legacy was undoubtedly one of 2023's biggest releases. The Harry Potter game was always destined to perform reasonably well, but it has been nothing short of a massive success. Avalanche's single-player project allows players to live out their Wizarding World fantasies as they attend Hogwarts roughly a century prior to the events of the novels and movies.

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Hogwarts Legacy shines through its ability to immerse fans in a setting they are already deeply familiar with, but a pre-existing love for everything Harry Potter is not required to enjoy this open-world title. Hogwarts Legacy also has a fun combat system, a decent story, serviceable side quests, and memorable NPCs.

Hi-Fi Rush

The Type Of Game That Should Define Xbox

Toward the end of January 2023, Hi-Fi Rush suddenly dropped onto Xbox Game Pass without much warning. Tango's hack and slash title differentiates itself from the competition by throwing a rhythm game into the mix; when synched to the beat, the player's actions receive a boost in performance, be it delivering more damage in combat or allowing for multiple dodges in quick succession. Even the enemies' attacks move to the music.

Hi-Fi Rush is the full package. The gameplay is fantastic and accessible, the graphics are gorgeous, the story is silly but enjoyable, and the characters are frequently hilarious. It might have come as a surprise, but this release is one of the best offline Xbox games on the market.