Best games
Best Xbox 360 games of 2003
The 8 best Xbox 360 games released in 2003, ranked from 4,822 critic and player ratings.
The best Xbox 360 game of 2003 is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, with a critic score of 94/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2003.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 4,822 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Choose Your Path! Set 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire, you are the last hope for the Jedi Order and the Republic - can you master the ways of the Force to become their savior? Or will you fall to the dark side and achieve ultimate power? Hero, villain, peacekeeper, or chaos-bringer... you and your party will determine the fate of the galaxy! Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game. Players will be able to create their own characters and be able to choose what gender, appearance, class, skills, attributes, and feats they have throughout the game - no two characters will be the same!
94
/100
02
Beyond Good & Evil
Beyond Good & Evil is an action-adventure game with elements of puzzle-solving and stealth-based games. The player controls the protagonist, Jade, from a third-person perspective. Jade can run, move stealthily, jump over obstacles and pits, climb ladders, push or bash doors and objects, and flatten herself against walls. As Jade, the player investigates a number of installations in search of the truth about a war with an alien threat.
91
/100
03
Call of Duty
"Call of Duty" (2003) is the inaugural game in the acclaimed first-person shooter series developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Set during World War II, it provides an intense, cinematic experience that takes players through key battles in the European Theater of Operations. The game features three interwoven campaigns, allowing players to fight as American, British, and Soviet soldiers. With a focus on realism and authenticity, "Call of Duty" introduces innovative gameplay mechanics, such as squad-based combat and the use of iron sights for aiming. Players participate in historic missions like the D-Day invasion, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the assault on Pegasus Bridge, each meticulously crafted to convey the chaos and camaraderie of wartime. The game's gripping narrative, combined with its atmospheric graphics and sound design, set a new standard for the genre and established "Call of Duty" as a landmark title in video game history.
87
/100
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Choose Your Path! Set 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire, you are the last hope for the Jedi Order and the Republic - can you master the ways of the Force to become their savior? Or will you fall to the dark side and achieve ultimate power? Hero, villain, peacekeeper, or chaos-bringer... you and your party will determine the fate of the galaxy! Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game. Players will be able to create their own characters and be able to choose what gender, appearance, class, skills, attributes, and feats they have throughout the game - no two characters will be the same!
94
/100
02
Beyond Good & Evil
Beyond Good & Evil is an action-adventure game with elements of puzzle-solving and stealth-based games. The player controls the protagonist, Jade, from a third-person perspective. Jade can run, move stealthily, jump over obstacles and pits, climb ladders, push or bash doors and objects, and flatten herself against walls. As Jade, the player investigates a number of installations in search of the truth about a war with an alien threat.
91
/100
03
Call of Duty
"Call of Duty" (2003) is the inaugural game in the acclaimed first-person shooter series developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Set during World War II, it provides an intense, cinematic experience that takes players through key battles in the European Theater of Operations. The game features three interwoven campaigns, allowing players to fight as American, British, and Soviet soldiers. With a focus on realism and authenticity, "Call of Duty" introduces innovative gameplay mechanics, such as squad-based combat and the use of iron sights for aiming. Players participate in historic missions like the D-Day invasion, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the assault on Pegasus Bridge, each meticulously crafted to convey the chaos and camaraderie of wartime. The game's gripping narrative, combined with its atmospheric graphics and sound design, set a new standard for the genre and established "Call of Duty" as a landmark title in video game history.
87
/100
04
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2 is a third-person shooter, in which the player assumes the role of Max Payne, but also plays as Mona Sax in a few levels. Initially, the player's weapon is a 9mm pistol. As they progress, players access other weapons including other handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and hand-thrown weapons. To move the game along, the player is told what the next objective is through Max's internal monologue, in which Max iterates what his next steps should be.
84
/100
05
Zuma
Survive the ancient temples of Zuma, the critically acclaimed action-puzzler from PopCap! Deep in the jungle lie hidden temples bursting with traps and trickery, and it's up to you to uncover their treasures. Fire magical balls from your stone frog idol to make matches of three or more and clear the deadly chain before it reaches the golden skull.
78
/100
06
Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, of the highly acclaimed Jedi Knight series, allows players to take on the role of a new student eager to learn the ways of the Force from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Interact with famous Star Wars characters in many classic Star Wars locations as you face the ultimate choice: fight for good and freedom on the light side, or follow the path of power and evil to the dark side.
69
/100
07
Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2 is the sequel to Devil May Cry. From the start of the game, the player controls Dante or his new partner Lucia through various levels as they battle waves of demons. This game features an Amulet system, with different parts being acquired throughout the levels that can be equipped by accessing the pause menu. The different parts of the amulet can be equipped to change aspects of the characters Devil Triggers form like elemental moves, time stop abilities, faster movement, flight abilities, etc.
59
/100
08
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
An ancient evil lurking within the Master Emerald has been unleashed from its slumber by the devious Dr. Eggman and is on the verge of becoming the ultimate monster using the 7 Chaos Emeralds. Only Sonic and his friends are heroic enough to put a stop to Dr. Eggman and his evil minions.
57
/100
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne 2 is a third-person shooter, in which the player assumes the role of Max Payne, but also plays as Mona Sax in a few levels. Initially, the player's weapon is a 9mm pistol. As they progress, players access other weapons including other handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and hand-thrown weapons. To move the game along, the player is told what the next objective is through Max's internal monologue, in which Max iterates what his next steps should be.
84
/100
05
Zuma
Survive the ancient temples of Zuma, the critically acclaimed action-puzzler from PopCap! Deep in the jungle lie hidden temples bursting with traps and trickery, and it's up to you to uncover their treasures. Fire magical balls from your stone frog idol to make matches of three or more and clear the deadly chain before it reaches the golden skull.
78
/100
06
Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy
Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, of the highly acclaimed Jedi Knight series, allows players to take on the role of a new student eager to learn the ways of the Force from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Interact with famous Star Wars characters in many classic Star Wars locations as you face the ultimate choice: fight for good and freedom on the light side, or follow the path of power and evil to the dark side.
69
/100
07
Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry 2 is the sequel to Devil May Cry. From the start of the game, the player controls Dante or his new partner Lucia through various levels as they battle waves of demons. This game features an Amulet system, with different parts being acquired throughout the levels that can be equipped by accessing the pause menu. The different parts of the amulet can be equipped to change aspects of the characters Devil Triggers form like elemental moves, time stop abilities, faster movement, flight abilities, etc.
59
/100
08
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
An ancient evil lurking within the Master Emerald has been unleashed from its slumber by the devious Dr. Eggman and is on the verge of becoming the ultimate monster using the 7 Chaos Emeralds. Only Sonic and his friends are heroic enough to put a stop to Dr. Eggman and his evil minions.
57
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Xbox 360 game of 2003?
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic currently tops the ranking with a score of 94/100 across 1,438 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.