Diablo III

Diablo III from Blizzard Entertainment arrived on Xbox 360 in 2013, more than a year after its original PC release, and the console version surprised players with how sensitively it reworked the controls for a gamepad. Players choose one of several classes — barbarian, witch doctor, monk, demon hunter or wizard — and journey through a dark fantasy world beset by the return of hellish forces, with the game's main focus being the collection of ever-better gear and progressing your character through endlessly generated levels swarming with enemies.

The console version also added the ability for up to four players to play together on a single screen, which proved a remarkably good fit for the action-looter style of play, and the control scheme was completely reworked so skills could be quickly assigned to buttons instead of the keyboard shortcuts of the PC version. The camera and enemy placement on screen were also carefully adjusted so that multiplayer battles on a single TV remained readable, which given the chaotic nature of fights against hordes of enemies could by no means be taken for granted. The Xbox 360 release also did away with the controversial real-money auction house that accompanied the PC version at launch, which many players welcomed as a cleaner, less mercenary approach to dungeon crawling free of pressure to spend real money.

Reviews of the console version were very favorable, often even better than for the original PC version, thanks precisely to the comfortable controls, readable screen and local co-op mode, which quickly became a beloved way to enjoy the game together with family or friends on one couch. Diablo III on Xbox 360 thus showed that the action-RPG genre, with its emphasis on loot collection and endless character progression, could work naturally and comfortably on a console, and it contributed significantly to dungeon crawlers becoming a common and sought-after part of console libraries.

Why play it: For comfortable controls, a readable screen, and a great local co-op mode that makes collecting loot and building up your character even more fun on the couch with friends than on PC.