5. Final Fantasy XIII
Although the 360 does have Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, both of which come directly from the man behind FF himself, there really isn’t a JRPG to be found on the 360 that comes anywhere close to matching Final Fantasy. It’s even quite possible that no other JRPG will ever out do this longstanding franchise. To have the next chapter appear on the 360 would be a delight for any owner, and even the ones that don’t enjoy RPG’s would revel in their counterparts’ anguish of losing one of Sony’s most important exclusives. Yes, the 360 did receive Final Fantasy XI, but everyone knows how MMO games usually pan out on Microsoft’s console. We’re sure that most 360 gamers are still praying for the true arrival of this franchise, rather some shotty port of a lesser entry in the series.
4. Grand Turismo 5
Racing genre junkies who own both Xbox consoles have always been able to rely on getting their fix with the Project Gotham Racing series, but when it comes to the true gear heads that put motor oil in their breakfast cereal, no other series will substitute GT (not even you Forza). With over 900 cars, GT 5 offers a plethora of racing possibilities, and let’s not forget those stunning graphics that make us feel like a deer caught in a pair of virtual headlights that can’t quite comprehend what it’s seeing. The only real comfort 360 owners can take in having to live without this franchise is that PS3 gamers may not be able to enjoy the full game until after 2009.
3. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
There aren’t many other games quite like Uncharted in general, let alone on the 360. With its intuitive mix of platforming, puzzle solving, and straight up shooting, Uncharted delivers a blockbuster of an adventure that could compete with any summer movie release, and would surely please gamers of either platfom. Not only is Uncharted an important title for its genre, but it also symbolizes the great gaming that can be had on the PS3 as one of the best titles the system has to offer. We can’t really think of any good substitute on the 360 that offers the same style and story that Uncharted does, which makes it one of the most envied PS3 games of all. Although the series is just starting out, don’t bother hoping for a reverse BioShock effect, as Sony owns the developer, Naughty Dog.
2. Resistance 1&2
We can list Japanese RPG games or racing sims until HD-DVD makes a comeback, but the truth is that what 360 gamers really live for are First Person Shooters, so much that we didn’t use the usual acronym. Yes, the 360 is by no means suffering any shortage in the shooter market, but the genre is so near and dear to many who own the console that some jealousy is to be expected at seeing PS3 owners enjoying one FPS franchise that Xbox owners cannot. It’s like taking a Star Wars fan and a Trekkie, then giving the latter a lock of George Lucas’ hair. With the sequel’s promise of even more nifty weaponry and an astonishing 60 player online component, the Resistance games offer a very real FPS experience that just plain can’t be found on the 360. Blasphemy isn’t it?
1. Metal Gear Solid 4
MGS 4 makes it to the top of our list not only because it happens to be the timeliest (releasing this week), but the incredible history of rampant speculation concerning a 360 version point to one thing: Xbox gamers want it BAD. Maybe the root of all this vague hope can be traced back to the taste of the franchise that Substance gave to the original Xbox, or perhaps the envy spawns from all the notoriety the series has in general. Even the most ardent 360 fanboy cannot deny that the Metal Gear Solid series is a hallmark in the history of videogames, offering unrivaled stealth action with a storyline worthy of excessively long cutscenes. Naturally, the most loyal Xbox owner would deny any desire to play it, but don’t think for a second that a 360 port of MGS 4 would be any less successful than former Sony exclusive Grand Theft Auto.
Now before we starting getting a barrage of hate mail from all you 360 gamers threatening to carve three bloody quadrants into our foreheads, remember that this door swings both ways. Stay tuned to TGR for a follow up article detailing all the best Xbox 360 exclusives that PlayStation fans dream of every night.
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