10 Hottest Upcoming Xbox One Games

XBox has had one of the most controversial and much-discussed reveals in the history of videogames—and the system is still months away from hitting store shelves.

Microsoft's third home video game console was revealed this past spring with an unfortunate focus on sports and television (not the games!), which launched a thousand memes and a hellish backlash. The system was then put through the ringer by journalists and fans alike when its restrictive DRM policies were made public. But Microsoft went on to reverse its policies, so we're all good now, right? Well, we'll see.

Regardless of where you stand on Xbox One, the system is slated to hit store shelves this holiday season, thus kicking off yet another console war between Microsoft and Sony (which has its new system, PlayStation 4 , scheduled to appear in the same time frame). Fanboys have polluted messageboards and social media venues with hardware/power debates, but the Xbox One is all about the games. As it should be.

Microsoft and its partners will release several high-profile games between Xbox One's yet-to-be-announced holiday season launch day and the end of March. This months-long "launch window" will include Xbox One exclusives as well as numerous third-party titles. They will run the gamut from first party world-building titles to big-budget, cross-platform AAA titles produced by industry giants. Xbox One's launch window will likely have something for gamers of all types.

Battlefield 4:

The Frostbite 3-powered Battlefield 4 is easily one of the most visually impressive titles coming down the pipe for current-generation home video game consoles, PS4, and, of course, Xbox One. The DICE-developed FPS's detailed destructible environments are the talk of the town, but it's the game's scale that truly impresses. Battlefield 4's Xbox One, PC, and PS4 versions have an incredible 66-person multiplayer mode (64 traditional players plus the two returning field commanders) that ensures lots of chaotic military-themed fun when the game's released on Xbox One's launch day.

Call of Duty: Ghosts:

Yup, Battlefield's monster rival also has a home on Xbox One. Call of Duty: Ghosts, Infinity Ward's latest military-themed first-person shooter, is touted as being unlike any previous releases. Ghosts will let players customize their characters, slide, lean around corners, and more. The game also contains an intriguing tale of Special Forces soldiers who unite to free a fallen America from an external threat. Call of Duty: Ghosts will also touch down on PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.

Destiny:

Bungie may have left its mega-popular HALO series in the hands of 343 Industries, but that doesn't mean that the company is done with the sci-fi shooter genre. Destiny, available on Xbox One (as well as PS3, Xbox 360, and PS4), is a first-person shooter that will incorporate MMO elements to create a living, dynamic world. Like any good MMO, you can select a race (Human, Exo, Awoken) and classes (Hunters, Warlocks, Titans) before heading into the fray.

Forza Motorsport 5:

The Xbox One's handful of killer exclusives includes Forza Motorsport 5, Microsoft's critically acclaimed racing game. It has all the bells and whistles you'd expect—sexy cars and thrilling race tracks—but the big addition is the Driveatar feature. It collects your racing data, uploads it to the cloud, analyzes your patterns, and downloads it into other people's single-player games so that it feels like they're racing against another human being. If Driveatar works as billed, it will blur the line between single- and multi-player gaming.

Killer Instinct:

Killer Instinct began life as Rare's 3D arcade game. Fast forward 20 years and Killer Instinct is now Double Helix's Xbox One exclusive title. Jago, Sabrewulf, and Glacius are the familiar faces that return to action in a game that looks radically different from its source material. Killer Instinct's comic book-style visuals are a departure from the original's very CGI-looking graphics.

Madden NFL 25:

EA Sports celebrates its long-running pigskin franchise with a special 25th anniversary edition. This Xbox One launch title (also available on PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3) runs on the enhanced Infinity Engine 2, which delivers advanced collision physics when you tackle (and collide with) other players. New is the Madden NFL 25's "All-25 Team" that features the greatest video game athletes in Madden's history. And yes, the infamous Michael Vick from Madden NFL '04 will start as QB, so get ready to hurl those controllers.

Minecraft: Xbox One Edition:

Minecraft, the insanely popular world-building, sandbox indie game, brings its blocks and pixilation to Microsoft's upcoming home video game system. Minecraft: Xbox One Edition uses Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition as a base, but adds larger worlds, expanded multiplayer, and yet to be announced .

Project Spark:

Consider Project Spark Microsoft's answer to LittleBigPlanet and Minecraft. It leverages Kinect and SmartGlass (as well as the standard Xbox One controller) to let players create items, elaborate worlds, and game types that they can share with others via Xbox Live. Project Spark's differentiates itself from the competition by giving you hyper-granular control over your creations.

Titanfall:

Armed-to-the-teeth soldiers? Check. Free running? Check. Mechs? BIG CHECK. Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall takes several popular video game elements and combines them into a first-person shooter that looks to breathe new life into the genre. It places an emphasis on movement and speed—even the game's towering mechnical war machines are quite agile. Titanfall is slated to appear on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC in early 2014.

Watch Dogs:

Watch Dogs a game that hits a little close to real world events. Gamers assume the role of Aiden Pierce, a vigilante who uses his l33t haxor skillz to access cell phones, computers, and other electronics in a world suffering an information war. But Watch Dogs isn't just about hacking; combat utilizes stealth attacks, gunplay, and parkour. Watch Dogs will also infiltrate PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U.