Summary

  • Minecraft allows players to gather resources, fend off enemies, and team up with others to build strongholds, increasing the chances of survival in a dynamic world.
  • Games like Fallout: New Vegas and Metro: Last Light add unique elements like hunger, radiation, and hostile factions, increasing the challenge of survival in post-apocalyptic settings.

Survival games have always had a huge impact on the gaming industry. The idea of these games is to allow players to navigate through hostile environments and gather resources in order to survive. The different settings, like post-apocalyptic wastelands and uncharted islands, make for a captivating scenario.

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Many survival games that were released on Xbox 360 allowed the players to face off against threats with the limited resources they had. This element in the game makes them more frustrating and exciting at the same time as the player constantly tries to avoid any mistakes that could lead to the death of their characters in the games.

As the Xbox 360 does not have many survival games, a few borderline cases will be included.

5 I Am Alive

Protagonist of I Am Alive speaking with NPC
I Am Alive
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Action-Adventure
Survival
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Released
March 7, 2012
Developer(s)
Ubisoft Shanghai
Platform(s)
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure, Survival

Ubisoft's I Am Alive came and went without leaving too much of an impression, but it stands out for being one of the few survival games on the Xbox 360. Set in a post-apocalyptic city filled with falling-apart skyscrapers, players will find themselves climbing up steep buildings while trying to manage their stamina, which is easier said than done. They will also have to deal with survivors, who can be either aggressive or friendly. As with any survival experience, collecting resources takes up a fair amount of time too.

I Am Alive is far from perfect, and it can be a bit of a slog despite not being particularly long. That said, it has a cool setting and a few interesting gameplay ideas that can lead to some intense scenarios. Not a must-play title by any means, but this is one game that survival fans might appreciate.

4 Dead Rising

Forgotten Xbox 360 Games Dead Rising

Dead Rising is known as one of the most popular zombie survival games. With each new installment, the gameplay mechanics, customization, and world setting improve, making the games more prominent.

The game is filled with massive hordes of zombies that create a chaotic atmosphere. Dealing with these zombies is key to the player's survival. The player must also escort and rescue other survivors using their various makeshift weapons. Dead Rising having time-limited sections in some of the objectives adds a sense of urgency to every action that the player takes.

Dead Rising might not be a conventional example of a survival game, but the time management angle adds a similar feel to the gameplay as traditional entries in the genre.

3 Minecraft

Promo art featuring characters in Minecraft
Minecraft
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Released
November 18, 2011
Developer(s)
Mojang
Publisher(s)
Mojang

Survival in Minecraft revolves around the player's capability to acquire resources from the environment in order to craft tools, armor, or other useful items. Minecraft has a dynamic day-night cycle where enemy mobs start to spawn around the biomes and try to attack the player. The player must deal with the enemies while satisfying their hunger needs as well as keeping their health in check.

As the game allows multiplayer mode, players can band together and create strongholds to fend off the enemies and harvest materials and resources at their ease.

2 Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout New Vegas Flag Cover
Fallout New Vegas Flag Cover
Fallout: New Vegas
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Released
October 19, 2010
Developer(s)
Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Bethesda
Platform(s)
PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Fallout: New Vegas tests its players as they set out to explore the deserted regions in the game. Navigating through harsh and hostile environments in a survival game is a given; however, Fallout adds the player's health condition to the table as well. Dealing with constant radiation in some areas and scarcity of food and water can lead to malnourishment and dehydration, making surviving more challenging.

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Scavenging for resources, cooking, and hunting are important aspects of the game. Playing Fallout: New Vegas in Hardcore mode further enhances the survival experience. The constant need for sleeping and eating also arises in order to avoid the negative effects.

1 Metro: Last Light

A solider emerges from a manhole into a wrecked world
Metro: Last Light
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Released
May 14, 2013
Developer(s)
4A Games
Publisher(s)
Deep Silver
Platform(s)
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

In Metro: Last Light, players get to explore a dark atmospheric setting due to the aftermath of a global nuclear war. The radiation has affected the environment as well as the creatures, mutating them into grotesque monsters. The creatures are not the only thing to worry about, as there are also hostile factions that pose a constant threat.

Many areas in the world of Metro: Last Light are full of radiation, making the use of gas masks crucial in order to survive. The game dives into stealth gameplay, where the player tries to take out hostiles without alerting other enemies in the areas.

Metro: Last Light might be better described as "survival horror" than "survival," but it takes more ideas from the latter than most entries in the former genre.

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