The Xbox Series X/S generation of consoles did not begin with a bang. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many of Xbox’s plans, not to mention those of the rest of the industry, to be postponed.
As a result, the Xbox Series X/S game library continues to impress, with each new release having the potential to define the Xbox platform for years to come. That appears to have just been demonstrated, as a new release on Xbox platforms has become the company’s highest-rated product of 2021 and the highest-rated Xbox Series X/S game of all time. Hades is the name of the game.
Hades is a 2020 roguelike action dungeon crawler produced by Supergiant Games that won several Game of the Year honors that year. However, it was only available on the PC and Switch at the moment. Supergiant took over a year to complete adaptations for both the PlayStation and Xbox consoles, which were released on August 13. Since then, the Xbox Series X/S version of Hades has received an amazing 94 rating on Metacritic.
With a Metacritic score of 94, Hades is by far the best-rated game for the Xbox Series X/S release to date. Only one other game on the Xbox Series X/S has a rating higher than 90, and that is Ori and the Will of the Wisps, which has a 92.
Microsoft Flight Simulator comes in second with a score of 90, followed by It Takes Two, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, all with 89.
So far, Hades is also the best-rated game release on all Xbox platforms for the entire year of 2021. Microsoft Flight Simulator, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, It Takes Two, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, F1 2021, Death’s Door, Hitman 3, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and The Forgotten City follow Hades on that list. Hades is the only game with a score of more than 90. Of all, there are still a few months remaining in 2021.
Some may try to interpret Hades’ position atop the list of Xbox Series X/S games as part of the “console wars.” But the reality is that Hades is just regarded as a fantastic game. In fact, Hades is currently the best-rated PlayStation game of 2021, as well as the best-rated PS5 game overall. Regardless of any platform, Hades stands out.
There will be lots more fantastic games on the Xbox Series X/S in the future. However, Hades has established a high standard, so game creators realize they have their work cut out for them. Xbox fans may simply sit back and wait for the next game to match Hades’ excellence.
