Getting into the best PC games can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it can definitely get expensive. But, you don’t have to pay top dollar for a great gaming experience, which is why we gathered up the best free Steam games 2018 has to offer.
The best free games have become infamous recently for overly aggressive monetization through microtransactions. Don’t worry, though, you won’t have to sign your soul away in an agreement made of loot boxes to enjoy these titles. The best free-to-play Steam games can all be enjoyed for hours on end, without being manipulated into spending your money.
So, fire up your Steam account, boot up one of the best gaming PCs, put your wallet away (for now), and check out the best free-to-play Steam games of 2018.
1. Fractured Space
When it comes to MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arenas), not every game has to be a fantasy-based romp with daggers, spells and cutesy champions.
Take the science fiction ship battles of Fractured Space. Sure, it’s a MOBA-style 5v5 affair, but now you’re in control of a powerful frigate as your hurtle across the stars and attempt to destroy your opponent’s base before your own suffers the same fate.
Skewing the classic MOBA concept as a space-based naval affair gives the setup you know and love a much-needed breath of fresh air, while blowing away all the cobwebs. You can customize your ship and crew, as well as hotkeying weapons and abilities so you can combine the best ships for the task ahead.
It’s one of the most exciting MOBAs on PC, and it's free to play on Steam.
Download here: Fractured Space
2. Gigantic
Much like Paladins, Gigantic offers a team-based shooter that’s part-Overwatch, part MOBA and part something brand new. Instead of having you defend a slow-moving carriage through a map (because that never gets old) or destroy an enemy base (in classic MOBA style), Gigantic tasks you with killing an enemy giant while attempting to protect your own. Sounds mad, right? It is, but a brilliant kind of mad all the same.
With an art style that mashes up Studio Ghibli flourishes and classic Disney cuteness, Gigantic’s 20-strong character roster offers enough skills, weapons and attributes to appease even the pickiest of players.
Each match is a 5v5 event, with players working together to power up their own Guardian (that’s your giant weapon/walking base) while risking it all to lay siege to the enemy. The roving nature of your Guardian makes every match an intense affair, and best of all, it’s 100% free on Steam.
Download here: Gigantic
3. Star Trek Online
MMOs and film licenses don’t often mix well – from The Matrix Online to Star Wars Galaxies, recognizable universes have rarely lasted in the realm of persistent online worlds. Except for the enduring Star Trek Online, that is. Retroactively made free-to-play following its launch back in 2010, STO gifts you with a crew and a Federation starship and sets you free to sail the stars in true Trekkie fashion.
There are microtransactions available should you want to speed up the levelling/resource gathering process, but STO is consistently generous with its free content, especially to new players looking to see their very own final frontier. It’s also set within ongoing Star Trek canon, taking place roughly three decades after the events of Star Trek Nemesis (you know, that terrible TNG film with Tom Hardy).
With an economy, ever-shifting alliances and a still impressively vast community, STO manages to bottle that magic that makes Star Trek so timeless.
Download here: Star Trek Online
4. Paladins: Champions of the Realm
Paladins launched just after a certain team-based shooter from Blizzard, and it's hard not see the similarities. Still, that doesn’t mean Hi-Rez Studios’ free-to-play FPS isn’t worth your time – it just means you get play something that’s often just as fun and rewarding without forcing you to break the bank with a full-game price.
With a menagerie of characters to choose from (known as Champions), each match offers an objective-based experience that feels more like triple-A fare than other free-to-play shooters.
Paladins includes everything from Overwatch-style payload defence/offence to a Survival mode akin to the popular ‘battle royale’ sub-genre made popular by PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite. It offers a consistently enjoyable and rewarding place to spend your time, even if it’s a tad derivative.
It's free to play on Steam, and there's no need to sink any money into it as long as you’re willing to grind for the first few hours.
Download here: Paladins: Champions of the Realm
5. ArcheAge
MMOs set within the confines of a fantasy setting are hardly new – in fact, almost all of them fit that description to a tee – but very few of them manage to offer just as much diverse content as the Korean-made ArcheAge.
You can do all your usual MMO minutia – questing, gathering resources, looting new weapons and gear, and so on – but grind through its early levels and you’ll discover an online world full of surprises.
Want to conquer lands and lay claim to them? Check. Fancy building your very own castle? Double check. How about forming an alliance and besieging another for control of their land? Triple check. Oh, and how about a naval combat setting that practically adds an entire open-ocean to explore and plunder? All the checks. ArcheAge offers all this and more. Its naval combat mechanics are particularly impressive, enabling you to dispense maritime justice or hunt for loot as a virtual pirate.
Download here: ArcheAge
6. Warface: Blackout
Free-to-play shooters in their more traditional, deathmatch-esque form are often a hit and miss affair, but despite all those polished triple-A offerings from the likes of Activision and EA, Crytek Kiev has managed to put together a robust little FPS that can be just as exciting and enjoyable as many other entries in the bullet-ridden genre.
Warface: Blackout offers four classes to choose from, with weapons, gear, attachments and specific skills tied to each one. Having the right balance of classes in your squad adds a more Battlefield-style teamwork ethic, especially when engineers can repair armour and snipers can pull off game-changing one-shot kills.
After four years of rotation on the field, Warface has also honed its online economy, neatly offering you the ability to spend in-game currency on a rental system that lets you test out guns and gear before investing time and cash into your own version.
Download here: Warface: Blackout
7. Art of War: Red Tides
Are you looking for a MOBA spin-off that’s light on the RTS elements but deep enough to keep you engaged through every match? Well, we’ve got just the free-to-play beauty for you. Art of War: Red Tides takes that classic MOBA structure – funnelling you down a channel with loads of units as you attempt to destroy a base at the other end – but strips out all the busywork in between. It might not appeal to the hardcore among us, but for those looking to replicate the relaxed involvement of a mobile title at your PC, this is right up your alley.
That’s not to say it’s a spectator title. You’ll still need to survey the battlefield and use your energy reserves to build units to counter those already on the field. There are a trio of modes available, but it’s in the 3v3 mode the setup works best, with matches often coming down to which team pulls off the best combo.
Download here: Art of War: Red Tides
8. Warframe
Okay, so the word ‘war’ features quite a lot in some of the best and most popular free-to-play titles, but that’s because few things are as fun to wage when you’re spending no money. Another such example is Warframe – an online melee brawler/shooter that’s evolved into one of the most enjoyable games on PC.
Putting you in control of a sword-wielding space ninja (yes, it’s as cool as it sounds), the game feels like a cross between For Honor and Destiny 2, with modes offering PvE and PvP matches to keep you engaged. There’s even a story mode, and it’s actually pretty fun, if a little repetitive in places.
Developer Digital Extremes has also been dedicated to Warframe, rolling out regular updates and events that offer new upgrades and expansion on its rich lore. It may have floundered on consoles, but Warframe is one of the best examples of how to do the best free Steam games right.
Download here: Warframe
9. Star Conflict
There’s been a resurgence for the sci-fi dogfighting subgenre in the last few years – thanks in part to the rise of VR – but there aren’t many titles that let you take to the stars and shoot space ships for nada. In fact, there’s just the one, and it’s one of the most enjoyable games we’ve played on this list.
The game is split into four main modes – PvP, Open Space, Sector Conquest and Missions – offering plenty of content for absolutely no pounds/euros/dollars. You can atomize other players in classic deathmatches, explore an impressively vast universe in Open Space, or head into co-op for a bit of PvE action in Missions. You can set up custom battles with friends if you’re in mood for a private dust up. Ship designs offer different attributes depending on your play style, and earning new ones can be pulled off without spending a penny if you’re willing to grind.
Download here: Star Conflict
10. Atlas Reactor
Part MOBA, part RTS, Atlas Reactor borrows those now ubiquitous decision queues and adds a neat twist: instead of each player acting out their turn one after the other, everyone gets to play at the same time. The result? A strategy game in actual real-time as players move units around the map, exchanging actions in a chaotic flurry. It can be a little more luck based than we would like (since you don’t know what you’re opponents are going to do next, it’s often guess work alone), but the pace soon hooks you in.
Decision, one of two main modes in the game, forces you to make these decisions in 20 seconds or under for each turn (making every match hella fun and hyper intense), while Resolution slows things down into four phases as you plan out your moves and set traps as you attempt to win each 4v4 showdown.
Download here: Atlas Reactor
- Every one of these titles is the perfect fit for a Microsoft Surface Book
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A PC game, also known as a computer game or personal computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer rather than a dedicated video game console or arcade machine. Its defining characteristics include: more diverse and user-determined gaming hardware and software; and generally greater capacity in input, processing, video and audio output. The uncoordinated nature of the PC game market, and now its lack of physical media, make precisely assessing its size difficult.
Home computer games became popular following the video game crash of 1983, leading to the era of the 'bedroom coder'. In the 1990s, PC games lost mass-market traction to console games, before enjoying a resurgence in the mid-2000s through digital distribution.[1][2]
Newzoo reports that the PC gaming sector is the third-largest category (and estimated in decline) across all platforms as of 2016, with the console sector second-largest, and mobile/smartphone gaming sector biggest. 2.2 billion video gamers generate US$101.1 billion in revenue, excluding hardware costs. 'Digital game revenues will account for $94.4 billion or 87% of the global market. Mobile is the most lucrative segment, with smartphone and tablet gaming growing 19% year on year to $46.1 billion, claiming 42% of the market. In 2020, mobile gaming will represent just more than half of the total games market. [..] China expected to generate $27.5 billion, or one-quarter of all revenues in 2017.'[3][4]
PC gaming is considered synonymous (by Newzoo and others) with IBM Personal Computer compatible systems; while mobile computers – smartphones and tablets, such as those running Android or iOS – are also personal computers in the general sense. The APAC region was estimated to generate $46.6 billion in 2016, or 47% of total global video game revenues (note, not only 'PC' games). China alone accounts for half of APAC's revenues (at $24.4 billion), cementing its place as the largest video game market in the world, ahead of the US's anticipated market size of $23.5 billion. China is expected to have 53% of its video game revenues come from mobile gaming in 2017 (46% in 2016).
- 1History
- 2Platform characteristics
- 2.2Openness
- 2.3Dominant software
- 3PC gaming technology
- 3.3Multiplayer
History[edit]
Early growth[edit]
Bertie the Brain was one of the first game playing machines developed. It was built in 1950 by Josef Kates. It measured more than four meters tall, and was displayed at the Canadian National Exhibition that year.[5]
Although personal computers only became popular with the development of the microprocessor and microcomputer, computer gaming on mainframes and minicomputers had previously already existed. OXO, an adaptation of tic-tac-toe for the EDSAC, debuted in 1952. Another pioneer computer game was developed in 1961, when MIT students Martin Graetz and Alan Kotok, with MIT student Steve Russell, developed Spacewar! on a PDP-1mainframe computer used for statistical calculations.[6]
The first generation of computer games were often text-basedadventures or interactive fiction, in which the player communicated with the computer by entering commands through a keyboard. An early text-adventure, Adventure, was developed for the PDP-11minicomputer by Will Crowther in 1976, and expanded by Don Woods in 1977.[7] By the 1980s, personal computers had become powerful enough to run games like Adventure, but by this time, graphics were beginning to become an important factor in games. Later games combined textual commands with basic graphics, as seen in the SSI Gold Box games such as Pool of Radiance, or The Bard's Tale, for example.
By the late 1970s to early 1980s, games were developed and distributed through hobbyist groups and gaming magazines, such as Creative Computing and later Computer Gaming World. These publications provided game code that could be typed into a computer and played, encouraging readers to submit their own software to competitions.[8] Players could modify the BASIC source code of even commercial games.[9]Microchess was one of the first games for microcomputers which was sold to the public. First sold in 1977, Microchess eventually sold over 50,000 copies on cassette tape.
As with second-generationvideo game consoles at the time, early home computer game companies capitalized on successful arcade games at the time with ports or clones of popular arcade games.[10][11] By 1982, the top-selling games for the Atari 400 were ports of Frogger and Centipede, while the top-selling game for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A was the Space Invaders clone TI Invaders.[10] That same year, Pac-Man was ported to the Atari 800,[11] while Donkey Kong was licensed for the Coleco Adam.[12] In late 1981, Atari attempted to take legal action against unauthorized clones, particularly Pac-Man clones, despite some of these predating Atari's exclusive rights to the home versions of Namco's game.[11]
Industry crash and aftermath[edit]
As the video game market became flooded with poor-quality cartridge games created by numerous companies attempting to enter the market, and overproduction of high-profile releases such as the Atari 2600 adaptations of Pac-Man and E.T. grossly underperformed, the popularity of personal computers for education rose dramatically. In 1983, consumer interest in console video games dwindled to historical lows, as interest in games on personal computers rose.[13] The effects of the crash were largely limited to the console market, as established companies such as Atari posted record losses over subsequent years. Conversely, the home computer market boomed, as sales of low-cost color computers such as the Commodore 64 rose to record highs and developers such as Electronic Arts benefited from increasing interest in the platform.[13]
To enhance the immersive experience with their unrealistic graphics and electronic sound, early PC games included extras such as the peril-sensitive sunglasses that shipped with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or the science fiction novella included with Elite. These extras gradually became less common, but many games were still sold in the traditional oversized boxes that used to hold the extra 'feelies'. Today, such extras are usually found only in Special Edition versions of games, such as Battlechests from Blizzard.[14]
The North American console market experienced a resurgence in the United States with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). In Europe, computer gaming continued to boom for many years after.[13] Computers such as the ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro were successful in the European market, where the NES was not as successful despite its monopoly in Japan and North America. The only 8-bit console to have any success in Europe would be the Sega Master System.[15] Meanwhile, in Japan, both consoles and computers became major industries, with the console market dominated by Nintendo and the computer market dominated by NEC's PC-88 (1981) and PC-98 (1982). A key difference between Western and Japanese computers at the time was the display resolution, with Japanese systems using a higher resolution of 640x400 to accommodate Japanese text which in turn affected video game design and allowed more detailed graphics. Japanese computers were also using Yamaha's FM synthsound boards from the early 1980s.[16]
During the 16-bit era, the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST became popular in Europe, while the PC-98, Sharp X68000 and FM Towns became popular in Japan. The Amiga, X68000 and FM Towns were capable of producing near arcade-quality hardware sprite graphics and sound quality when they first released in the mid-to-late 1980s.[16]
Growth of IBM PC gaming[edit]
Among launch titles for the IBM Personal Computer (PC) in 1981 was Microsoft Adventure, which IBM described as bringing 'players into a fantasy world of caves and treasures'.[17]BYTE that year stated that the computer's speed and sophistication made it 'an excellent gaming device', and IBM and others sold games like Microsoft Flight Simulator. The PC's CGA graphics and speaker sound were poor, however, and most customers bought the powerful but expensive computer for business.[18][19] One ComputerLand owner estimated in 1983 that a quarter of corporate executives with computers 'have a game hidden somewhere in their drawers',[20] and InfoWorld in 1984 reported that 'in offices all over America (more than anyone realizes) executives and managers are playing games on their computers',[21] but software companies found selling games for the PC difficult; an observer said that year that Flight Simulator had sold hundreds of thousands of copies because customers with corporate PCs could claim that it was a 'simulation'.[22]
From mid-1985, however, what Compute! described as a 'wave' of inexpensive IBM PC clones from American and Asian companies, such as the Tandy 1000, caused prices to decline; by the end of 1986, the equivalent to a $1600 real IBM PC with 256K RAM and two disk drives cost as little as $600, lower than the price of the Apple IIc. Consumers began purchasing DOS computers for the home in large numbers. While often purchased to do work in evenings and weekends, clones' popularity caused consumer-software companies to increase the number of IBM-compatible products, including those developed specifically for the PC as opposed to porting from other computers. Bing Gordon of Electronic Arts reported that customers used computers for games more than one fifth of the time whether purchased for work or a hobby, with many who purchased computers for other reasons finding PC games 'a pretty satisfying experience'.[23]
By 1987, the PC market was growing so quickly that the formerly business-only computer had become the largest and fastest-growing, and most important platform for computer game companies. DOS computers dominated the home, supplanting Commodore and Apple. More than a third of games sold in North America were for the PC, twice as many as those for the Apple II and even outselling those for the Commodore 64.[24] With the EGAvideo card, an inexpensive clone had better graphics and more memory for games than the Commodore or Apple,[25][26] and the Tandy 1000's enhanced graphics, sound, and built-in joystick ports made it the best platform for IBM PC-compatible games before the VGA era.[19]
By 1988, the enormous popularity of the Nintendo Entertainment System had greatly affected the computer-game industry. A Koei executive claimed that 'Nintendo's success has destroyed the [computer] software entertainment market'. A Mindscape executive agreed, saying that 'Unfortunately, its effect has been extremely negative. Without question, Nintendo's success has eroded software sales. There's been a much greater falling off of disk sales than anyone anticipated.' A third attributed the end of growth in sales of the Commodore 64 to the console, and Trip Hawkins called Nintendo 'the last hurrah of the 8-bit world'. Experts were unsure whether it affected 16-bit computer games,[27] but Hawkins in 1990 nonetheless had to deny rumors that Electronic Arts would withdraw from computers and only produce console games.[28] By 1993 ASCII Entertainment reported at a Software Publishers Association conference that the market for console games ($5.9 billion in revenue) was 12 times that of the computer-game market ($430 million).[29]
Computer games, however, did not disappear. By 1989 Computer Gaming World reported that 'the industry is moving toward heavy use of VGA graphics'.[30] While some games were advertised with VGA support at the start of the year, they usually supported EGA graphics through VGA cards. By the end of 1989, however, most publishers moved to at supporting at least 320x200 MCGA, a subset of VGA.[31] VGA gave the PC graphics that outmatched the Amiga. Increasing adoption of the computer mouse, driven partially by the success of adventure games such as the highly successful King's Quest series, and high resolution bitmap displays allowed the industry to include increasingly high-quality graphical interfaces in new releases.
Further improvements to game artwork and audio were made possible with the introduction of FM synthesis sound. Yamaha began manufacturing FM synth boards for computers in the early-mid-1980s, and by 1985, the NEC and FM-7 computers had built-in FM sound.[16] The first PC sound cards, such as AdLib's Music Synthesizer Card, soon appeared in 1987. These cards allowed IBM PC compatible computers to produce complex sounds using FM synthesis, where they had previously been limited to simple tones and beeps. However, the rise of the Creative LabsSound Blaster card, released in 1989, which featured much higher sound quality due to the inclusion of a PCM channel and digital signal processor, led AdLib to file for bankruptcy by 1992. Also in 1989, the FM Towns computer included built-in PCM sound, in addition to a CD-ROM drive and 24-bit color graphics.[16]
By 1990, DOS was 65% of the computer-game market, with the Amiga at 10%; all other computers, including the Apple Macintosh, were below 10% and declining. Although both Apple and IBM tried to avoid customers associating their products with 'game machines', the latter acknowledged that VGA, audio, and joystick options for its PS/1 computer were popular.[32] In 1991, id Software produced an early first-person shooter, Hovertank 3D, which was the company's first in their line of highly influential games in the genre. There were also several other companies that produced early first-person shooters, such as Arsys Software's Star Cruiser,[33] which featured fully 3D polygonal graphics in 1988,[34] and Accolade's Day of the Viper in 1989. Id Software went on to develop Wolfenstein 3D in 1992, which helped to popularize the genre, kick-starting a genre that would become one of the highest-selling in modern times.[35] The game was originally distributed through the shareware distribution model, allowing players to try a limited part of the game for free but requiring payment to play the rest, and represented one of the first uses of texture mapping graphics in a popular game, along with Ultima Underworld.[36]
In December 1992, Computer Gaming World reported that DOS accounted for 82% of computer-game sales in 1991, compared to Macintosh's 8% and Amiga's 5%. In response to a reader's challenge to find a DOS game that played better than the Amiga version the magazine cited Wing Commander and Civilization, and added that 'The heavy MS-DOS emphasis in CGW merely reflects the realities of the market'.[37] A self-reported Computer Gaming World survey in April 1993 similarly found that 91% of readers primarily used IBM PCs and compatibles for gaming, compared to 6% for Amiga, 3% for Macintosh, and 1% for Atari ST,[38] while a Software Publishers Association study found that 74% of personal computers were IBMs or compatible, 10% Macintosh, 7% Apple II, and 8% other. 51% of IBM or compatible had 386 or faster CPUs.[29] By 1992 DOS games such as Links 386 Pro supported Super VGA graphics.[39] While leading Sega and Nintendo console systems kept their CPU speed at 3–7 MHz, the 486 PC processor ran much faster, allowing it to perform many more calculations per second. The 1993 release of Doom on the PC was a breakthrough in 3D graphics, and was soon ported to various game consoles in a general shift toward greater realism.[40]Computer Gaming World reiterated in 1994, 'we have to advise readers who want a machine that will play most of the games to purchase high-end MS-DOS machines'.[41]
By spring 1994 an estimated 24 million US homes (27% of households) had a personal computer. 48% played games on their computer; 40% had the 486 CPU or higher; 35% had CD-ROM drives; and 20% had a sound card.[42] Another survey found that an estimated 2.46 million multimedia computers had internal CD-ROM drives by the end of 1993, an increase of almost 2,000%. Computer Gaming World reported in April 1994 that some software publishers planned to only distribute on CD as of 1995.[43] CD-ROM had much larger storage capacity than floppies, helped reduce software piracy, and was less expensive to produce. Chris Crawford warned that it was 'apublishers may be losing their focus'. While many companies used the additional storage to release poor-quality shovelware collections of older software, or 'enhanced' versions of existing ones[44]—often with what the magazine mocked as 'amateur acting' in the added audio and video[43]—new games such as Myst included many more assets for a richer game experience.
Many companies sold 'multimedia upgrade kits' that bundled CD drives, sound cards, and software during the mid-1990s, but device drivers for the new peripherals further depleted scarce RAM.[45] By 1993, PC games required much more memory than other software, often consuming all of conventional memory, while device drivers could go into upper memory with DOS memory managers. Players found modifying CONFIG.SYS
and AUTOEXEC.BAT
files for memory management cumbersome and confusing, and each game needed a different configuration. (The game Les Manley 2 satirizes this by depicting two beautiful women exhaust the hero in bed, by requesting that he again explain the difference between extended and expanded memory.) Computer Gaming World provided technical assistance to its writers to help install games for review,[46] and published sample configuration files.[47] The magazine advised non-technical gamers to purchase commercial memory managers like QEMM and 386MAX[45] and criticized nonstandard software like Origin Systems's 'infamous late and unlamented Voodoo Memory Manager',[48] which used unreal mode.
Contemporary gaming[edit]
By 1996, the growing popularity of Microsoft Windows simplified device driver and memory management. The success of 3D console titles such as Super Mario 64 and Tomb Raider increased interest in hardware accelerated 3D graphics on PCs, and soon resulted in attempts to produce affordable solutions with the ATI Rage, Matrox Mystique, S3 ViRGE, and Rendition Vérité.[49] As 3D graphics libraries such as DirectX and OpenGL matured and knocked proprietary interfaces out of the market, these platforms gained greater acceptance in the market, particularly with their demonstrated benefits in games such as Unreal.[50] However, major changes to the Microsoft Windows operating system, by then the market leader, made many older DOS-based games unplayable on Windows NT, and later, Windows XP (without using an emulator, such as DOSbox).[51][52]
The faster graphics accelerators and improving CPU technology resulted in increasing levels of realism in computer games. During this time, the improvements introduced with products such as ATI's Radeon R300 and NVidia's GeForce 6 Series have allowed developers to increase the complexity of modern game engines. PC gaming currently tends strongly toward improvements in 3D graphics.[53]
Unlike the generally accepted push for improved graphical performance, the use of physics engines in computer games has become a matter of debate since announcement and 2005 release of the nVidiaPhysXPPU, ostensibly competing with middleware such as the Havok physics engine. Issues such as difficulty in ensuring consistent experiences for all players,[54] and the uncertain benefit of first generation PhysX cards in games such as Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and City of Villains, prompted arguments over the value of such technology.[55][56]
Similarly, many game publishers began to experiment with new forms of marketing. Chief among these alternative strategies is episodic gaming, an adaptation of the older concept of expansion packs, in which game content is provided in smaller quantities but for a proportionally lower price. Titles such as Half-Life 2: Episode One took advantage of the idea, with mixed results rising from concerns for the amount of content provided for the price.[57]
Platform characteristics[edit]
Fidelity[edit]
In high-end PC gaming, a PC will generally have far more processing resources at its disposal than other gaming systems.[58] Game developers can use this to improve the visual fidelity of their game relative to other platforms, but even if they do not, games running on PC are likely to benefit from higher screen resolution, higher framerate,[59] and anti-aliasing. Increased draw distance is also common in open world games.[60]
Better hardware also increases the potential fidelity of a PC game's rules and simulation. PC games often support more players or NPCs than equivalents on other platforms[61] and game designs which depend on the simulation of large numbers of tokens (e.g. Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft) are rarely seen anywhere else.[citation needed]
The PC also supports greater input fidelity thanks to its compatibility with a wide array of peripherals.[citation needed] The most common forms of input are the mouse/keyboard combination and gamepads, though touchscreens and motion controllers are also available. The mouse in particular lends players of first-person shooter and real-time strategy games on PC great speed and accuracy.[62]
Openness[edit]
The defining characteristic of the PC platform is the absence of centralized control; all other gaming platforms (except Android devices, to an extent) are owned and administered by a single group.
The advantages of openness include:
- Reduced software cost
- Prices are kept down by competition and the absence of platform-holder fees. Games and services are cheaper at every level, and many are free.[63][64]
- Increased flexibility
- PC games decades old can be played on modern systems, through emulation software if need be.[65] Conversely, newer games can often be run on older systems by reducing the games' fidelity and/or scale.
- Increased innovation
- One does not need to ask for permission to release or update a PC game or to modify an existing one, and the platform's hardware and software are constantly evolving. These factors make PC the centre of both hardware and software innovation. By comparison, closed platforms tend to remain much the same throughout their lifespan.[2][66]
There are also disadvantages, including:
- Increased complexity
- A PC is a general-purpose tool. Its inner workings are exposed to the owner, and misconfiguration can create enormous problems. Hardware compatibility issues are also possible. Game development is complicated by the wide variety of hardware configurations; developers may be forced to limit their design to run with sub-optimum PC hardware in order to reach a larger PC market, or add a range graphical and other settings to adjust for playability on individual machines, requiring increased development, test, and customer support resources.[citation needed]
- Increased hardware cost
- PC components are generally sold individually for profit (even if one buys a pre-built machine), whereas the hardware of closed platforms is mass-produced as a single unit and often sold at a smaller profit, or even a loss (with the intention of making profit instead in online service fees and developer kit profits).[64]
- Reduced security
- It is difficult, and in most situations ultimately impossible, to control the way in which PC hardware and software is used. This leads to far more software piracy and cheating than closed platforms suffer from.[67]
Modifications[edit]
The openness of the PC platform allows players to edit or modify their games and distribute the results over the Internet as 'mods'. A healthy mod community greatly increases a game's longevity and the most popular mods have driven purchases of their parent game to record heights.[68] It is common for professional developers to release the tools they use to create their games (and sometimes even source code[69][70]) in order to encourage modding,[71] but if a game is popular enough mods generally arise even without official support.[72]
Mods can compete with official downloadable content however, or even outright redistribute it, and their ability to extend the lifespan of a game can work against its developers' plans for regular sequels. As game technology has become more complex, it has also become harder to distribute development tools to the public.[73]
Modding has a different connotation on consoles which are typically restricted much more heavily. As publicly released development tools are rare, console mods usually refer to hardware alterations designed to remove restrictions.[74]
Dominant software[edit]
Although the PC platform is almost completely decentralized at a hardware level, there are two dominant software forces: the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Steam distribution service.
Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs).[75] Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal computer market with over 90% market share, overtaking Mac OS, which had been introduced in 1984.
Valve does not release any sales figures on its Steam service, instead it only provides the data to companies with games on Steam,[76][77] which they cannot release without permission due to signing a non-disclosure agreement with Valve.[78][79]However, Stardock, the previous owner of competing platform Impulse, estimated that, as of 2009, Steam had a 70% share of the digital distribution market for video games.[80] In early 2011, Forbes reported that Steam sales constituted 50–70% of the $4 billion market for downloaded PC games and that Steam offered game producers gross margins of 70% of purchase price, compared with 30% at retail.[81] In 2011, Steam served over 780 petabytes of information, double what it had delivered in 2010.[82]
Digital distribution services[edit]
PC games are sold predominantly through the Internet, with buyers downloading their new purchase directly to their computer.[2][83] This approach allows smaller independent developers to compete with large publisher-backed games[1][84] and avoids the speed and capacity limits of the optical discs which most other gaming platforms rely on.[85][86]
Valve Corporation released the Steam platform for Windows computers in 2003 as a means to distribute Valve-developed video games such as Half-Life 2. It would later see release on the Mac OS X operating system in 2010 and was released on Linux in 2012 as well. By 2011, it controlled 70% of the market for downloadable PC games, with a userbase of about 40 million accounts.[87][88]Origin, a new version of the Electronic Arts online store, was released in 2011 in order to compete with Steam and other digital distribution platforms on the PC.[89] The period between 2004 and now saw the rise of many digital distribution services on PC, such as Amazon Digital Services, GameStop, GFWL, EA Store, Direct2Drive, GOG.com, and GamersGate.
Digital distribution also slashes the cost of circulation, eliminates stock shortages, allows games to be released worldwide at no additional cost, and allows niche audiences to be reached with ease.[90] However, most digital distribution systems create ownership and customer rights issues by storing access rights on distributor-owned computers. Games confer with these computers over the Internet before launching. This raises the prospect of purchases being lost if the distributor goes out of business or chooses to lock the buyer's account, and prevents resale (the ethics of which are a matter of debate).
PC gaming technology[edit]
An exploded view of a modern personal computer:- CPU (Microprocessor)
- Primary storage (RAM)
- Expansion cards (graphics cards, etc.)
- Secondary storage (Hard disk)
Hardware[edit]
Modern computer games place great demand on the computer's hardware, often requiring a fast central processing unit (CPU) to function properly. CPU manufacturers historically relied mainly on increasing clock rates to improve the performance of their processors, but had begun to move steadily towards multi-core CPUs by 2005. These processors allow the computer to simultaneously process multiple tasks, called threads, allowing the use of more complex graphics, artificial intelligence and in-game physics.[53][91]
Similarly, 3D games often rely on a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU), which accelerates the process of drawing complex scenes in realtime. GPUs may be an integrated part of the computer's motherboard, the most common solution in laptops,[92] or come packaged with a discrete graphics card with a supply of dedicated Video RAM, connected to the motherboard through either an AGP or PCI-Express port. It is also possible to use multiple GPUs in a single computer, using technologies such as NVidia's Scalable Link Interface and ATI's CrossFire.
Sound cards are also available to provide improved audio in computer games. These cards provide improved 3D audio and provide audio enhancement that is generally not available with integrated alternatives, at the cost of marginally lower overall performance.[93] The Creative LabsSoundBlaster line was for many years the de facto standard for sound cards, although its popularity dwindled as PC audio became a commodity on modern motherboards.
Physics processing units (PPUs), such as the NvidiaPhysX (formerly AGEIA PhysX) card, are also available to accelerate physics simulations in modern computer games. PPUs allow the computer to process more complex interactions among objects than is achievable using only the CPU, potentially allowing players a much greater degree of control over the world in games designed to use the card.[92]
Virtually all personal computers use a keyboard and mouse for user input. Other common gaming peripherals are a headset for faster communication in online games, joysticks for flight simulators, steering wheels for driving games and gamepads for console-style games.
Software[edit]
Computer games also rely on third-party software such as an operating system (OS), device drivers, libraries and more to run. Today, the vast majority of computer games are designed to run on the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems. Whereas earlier games written for DOS would include code to communicate directly with hardware, today application programming interfaces (APIs) provide an interface between the game and the OS, simplifying game design. Microsoft's DirectX is an API that is widely used by today's computer games to communicate with sound and graphics hardware. OpenGL is a cross-platform API for graphics rendering that is also used. The version of the graphics card's driver installed can often affect game performance and gameplay. In late 2013, AMD announced Mantle, a low-level API for certain models of AMD graphics cards, allowing for greater performance compared to software-level APIs such as DirectX, as well as simplifying porting to and from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, which are both built upon AMD hardware.[94] It is not unusual for a game company to use a third-party game engine, or third-party libraries for a game's AI or physics.
Multiplayer[edit]
Local area network gaming[edit]
Multiplayer gaming was largely limited to local area networks (LANs) before cost-effective broadband Internet access became available, due to their typically higher bandwidth and lower latency than the dial-up services of the time. These advantages allowed more players to join any given computer game, but have persisted today because of the higher latency of most Internet connections and the costs associated with broadband Internet.
LAN gaming typically requires two or more personal computers, a router and sufficient networking cables to connect every computer on the network. Additionally, each computer must have its own copy (or spawn copy) of the game in order to play. Optionally, any LAN may include an external connection to the Internet.
Online games[edit]
Online multiplayer games have achieved popularity largely as a result of increasing broadband adoption among consumers. Affordable high-bandwidth Internet connections allow large numbers of players to play together, and thus have found particular use in massively multiplayer online role-playing games, Tanarus and persistent online games such as World War II Online.
Although it is possible to participate in online computer games using dial-up modems, broadband Internet connections are generally considered necessary in order to reduce the latency or 'lag' between players. Such connections require a broadband-compatible modem connected to the personal computer through a network interface card (generally integrated onto the computer's motherboard), optionally separated by a router. Online games require a virtual environment, generally called a 'game server'. These virtual servers inter-connect gamers, allowing real time, and often fast-paced action. To meet this subsequent need, Game Server Providers (GSP) have become increasingly more popular over the last half decade.[when?] While not required for all gamers, these servers provide a unique 'home', fully customizable, such as additional modifications, settings, etc., giving the end gamers the experience they desire. Today there are over 510,000 game servers hosted in North America alone.[95]
Emulation[edit]
Emulation software, used to run software without the original hardware, are popular for their ability to play legacy video games without the platform for which they were designed. The operating system emulators include DOSBox, a DOS emulator which allows playing games developed originally for this operating system and thus not compatible with a modern-day OS. Console emulators such as Nestopia and MAME are relatively commonplace, although the complexity of modern consoles such as the Xbox or PlayStation makes them far more difficult to emulate, even for the original manufacturers.[96] The most technically advanced consoles that can currently be successfully emulated for commercial games on PC are the PlayStation 2 using PCSX2, and the Nintendo Wii U using the Cemu emulator. A PlayStation 3 emulator named RPCS3 is in development, although it can currently[when?] only run small Homebrew games and certain old arcade titles that were originally ported to the PS3 from older platforms.[97]
Most emulation software mimics a particular hardware architecture, often to an extremely high degree of accuracy. This is particularly the case with classic home computers such as the Commodore 64, whose software often depends on highly sophisticated low-level programming tricks invented by game programmers and the demoscene.
Controversy[edit]
PC games have long been a source of controversy, largely due to the depictions of violence that has become commonly associated with video games in general. The debate surrounds the influence of objectionable content on the social development of minors, with organizations such as the American Psychological Association concluding that video game violence increases children's aggression,[98] a concern that prompted a further investigation by the Centers for Disease Control in September 2006.[99] Industry groups have responded by noting the responsibility of parents in governing their children's activities, while attempts in the United States to control the sale of objectionable games have generally been found unconstitutional.[100]
Video game addiction is another cultural aspect of gaming to draw criticism as it can have a negative influence on health and on social relations. The problem of addiction and its health risks seems to have grown with the rise of massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs).[101] Alongside the social and health problems associated with computer game addiction have grown similar worries about the effect of computer games on education.[102]
Computer games museums[edit]
There are several computer games museums around the world. In 2011 one opened in Berlin, a computer game museum that documents computer games from the 1970s until today. The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment, in Oakland, California also exhibits PC games in its general collection. The Video Game Museum in Rome is dedicated to the preservation of videogames, and includes Pss games in its collection. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California holds a collection of PC games, and allows visitors to play Spacewar!, the first computer game, on a restored original DEC PDP-1.
See also[edit]
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External links[edit]
- April 2, 2019 2:20PM EST
- April 2, 2019
Goku still doesn't realize he's a bone-headed dad. Scorpion continues his body-crippling blood feud with Sub-Zero, leaving blood, guts, and broken bones in his wake. The stoic Ryu once again dons his hobo gi to obsessively pursue a false sense of purpose. Cerebella and other cutesy, cartoon-like combatants exchange fists, feet, and projectiles against art deco backdrops in hopes of making their wildest dreams come true.
Yes, my fellow digital pugilists, fighting games are back after an extended lull.
Traditionally, the genre has thrived on the home video game consoles, leaving the PC master race feeling rather plebeian. In a bizarre twist that's not unlike Dhalsim's limb-lengthening attacks, the Windows PC platform has recently doubled as a dojo for many great fighting games. Yes, fighting games are now great PC games. Anyone hungry for martial arts action has plenty of options, including comical, macabre, 1-on-1, and team-based fighting games.
That said, there are some holes in the library. You won't find excellent, retro gems, such as Capcom vs. SNK 2 or Darkstalkers (well, at least not legally). Still, there's enough variety among PC fighting games to please genre fans.
PCMag's favorite PC fighting games are highlighted below. This isn't a hastily crafted roundup designed to simply appease the Google gods. Uh-uh. You'll find links to in-depth reviews, as well as summaries for those of you who are pinched for time. And rest assured that all these reviews are penned by fighting game fans. It's all love.
We recognize that there are a few coverage gaps. We're working on that. In fact, this article will be updated with a new fighting game whenever we give one a rating of 3.5 stars or higher; we're very much looking forward to reviewing Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- and the BlazBlue and Injustice titles. So, please, return. Often. If you really feel jumpy, drop your Steam handle in the comment section, grab a controller or fight stick, and catch these refined hands. Or, come see me at Evo.
While you're practicing combos at home, you may want to secure your PC from unsavory types who want to slide into your network for dastardly reasons. We suggest checking out our roundup of the best VPNs for gaming, a collection of PCMag-tested virtual private networks. Explore our reviews to learn about the VPN services that add the least latency to your fighting game sessions.
1Dead or Alive 6
Dead or Alive 6, much like its immediate predecessor, is one part fighting game, one part fashion show, and one part schlocky action movie. Individually, each of the game's widely differing elements might not stand up to scrutiny. After all, DOA 6 isn't the best fighter, doesn't offer the deepest character customization, and doesn't quite reach the Tekken series' level of story insanity.
Still, Dead or Alive 6 is an entertaining and surprisingly strategic PC game that offers enough freshness to warrant playing with its new Break Blow and Break Hold tools. Plus, the game's familiar Triangle System and Danger Zones are highly entertaining, too.2Divekick
Iron Galaxy Studios' Divekick is the most hipster fighting game ever created. It's the product of the indie scene that mercilessly parodies fighting games and their die-hard community, yet demands that you be part of the underground circle to fully get all of the references and in-jokes.
It's an odd game, but an interesting one if you open your mind to the insane concept of a two-button fighter based entirely on the idea of jumping and kicking. And 20-second rounds. And one-hit kills. And a line of scrimmage. Yes, Divekick is a fighting game freak show, but one worth checking out.3Dragon Ball FighterZ
Beside Fist of the Northstar and Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure, there are few anime properties that are as intrinsically suited to the fighting-game treatment as the Dragon Ball series. Spanning multiple series, movies, and generations of characters, Akira Toriyama's manga-turned-anime-turned-game series is all about buff monkey men, humans, aliens, and androids trading blows in actual earth-shattering battles.
The series' latest video game adaptation, Dragon Ball FighterZ, ditches the Xenoverse games' arena-brawling model in favor of 3-vs.-3, tag-team fighting on a 2D plane. The gameplay shift is just one of the many reasons Dragon Ball FighterZ is being held aloft as one of 2018's notable titles. Its beautiful design, intense combat, and accessible control scheme add up to a game that anyone can jump into for Super Saiyan thrills.
Plus, you can kick Cell through a mountain.
4Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Upon its 1999 release, Garou: Mark of the Wolves—a surprisingly deep and visually stunning entry in the long-running Fatal Fury series—was hailed as SNK's wondrous response to Capcom's Street Fighter III. Nearly 20 years later, SNK has finally given the fighting game the proper PC treatment by releasing it with numerous additional graphics options, leaderboards, and online versus play.
Despite removing and downplaying some series-specific elements, Garou doesn't feel any less of a Fatal Fury game, however. It's set in the Southtown, and it features multiple fighters with classic Fatal Fury lineages, whether it's blood relationships to, or martial-arts tutelage from, older characters. Kim Kaphwan isn't in the game, for example, but his sons continue his legacy of swift, combo-heavy tae kwon do kicks.
The result is an excellent game that boasts beautiful animation, Just Defend parries, and the strategic T.O.P. system that delivers increased attack damage, limited health regeneration, faster super-meter build up, and an exclusive special attack when your activate the mode.5Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign-
Guilty Gear is a niche series within a niche genre, one that's enjoyed a cult following since its first appearance in 1998. With Xrd -SIGN-, developer Arc System Works ditches the series' 2D sprites in favor of 3D cel-shaded graphics in an attempt to expand its audience. Likewise, series creator Daisuke Ishiwatari sought a more approachable play style that maintains the depth and high skill ceiling that long-time Guilty Gear fans love.
It's a feature-packed fighting game that boasts incredible, anime-like graphics and rich mechanical depth. Unfortunately, Xrd -SIGN- arrived on PC after many Guilty Gear fans had moved on to the next game in the series: Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator-. So, like The Last Blade, Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- is a game that's worth buying if you don't mind local play and the lack of online competition.6Killer Instinct
When Killer Instinct debuted for Windows 10 in March 2016, it represented the latest chapter in the continued PC fighting game renaissance. With its arrival, Microsoft's one-on-one game of fisticuffs joined the likes of Guilty Gear, The King of Fighters, Street Fighter, and other high-profile series that now grace the personal computer.
Killer Instinct has a combo-heavy engine that caters to both novices and pros, incredibly detailed graphics that boast ridiculous particle effects (everything explodes!), and an over-the-top, NBA Jam-like announcer who screams your accomplishments ('C-c-c-combo Breaker!') at the top of his lungs.
Even better, Killer Instinct is part of Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative. So, if you buy Killer Instinct from the Microsoft Store, you'll also be able to play it on Xbox One at no additional cost. It has cross-platform play with Xbox One, too, thus expanding the online player base.
7The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match Final Edition
The King of Fighters '98—with its hops, rolls, blowback attacks, and meter-filling Advance and Extra modes—is one of the best fighting games ever made, so it's no surprise that developer SNK has returned to the title many times since the game's original release.
In 2008, SNK celebrated the game's tenth anniversary by porting the team-based fighter to the PlayStation 2 as The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match, a game loaded with extra characters (including the almighty '96 Boss Team!), stages, moves, and gameplay modes. Now, a tweaked Ultimate Match is available for purchase under the title The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition.
This version adds numerous graphics options and good, but not great, online connectivity that lets you battle other KOF fans around the globe in 3-vs.-3 action.
8The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition
The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition brings SNK's incredibly dense, 3-vs.-3, team-based fighter to the PC via Valve's video game marketplace. It's an all-around excellent fighting game, and one of the best in SNK's rich catalog.
If you've rumbled with friends and foes in the version that appeared on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, you'll feel right at home here: The intricate combat mechanics, meter management, and the best sprite-based graphics ever seen in a fighting game are brought over successfully in this Steam port.
Even better, The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition contains all the console DLC and the King of Fighters XIII: Climax arcade features. Similar to The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match Final Edition, The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition has decent online play, but you can expect some hiccups.
9The Last Blade
SNK put weapons-based, 2D fighting on the map with 1993's delightful Samurai Shodown, but the developer went on to refine the idea of sword-based combat four years later in a somewhat lesser-known Neo Geo title: The Last Blade.
Released to the Steam platform with several contemporary bells and whistles, The Last Blade boasts excellent swordplay, a dozen exquisitely designed characters, and a gorgeous anime- and manga-style presentation that make its 19th-century Japanese setting one of the most beautiful in fighting-game history.
Genre fans shouldn't hesitate to pick up this excellent title, but the barren online play means most matches will take place locally or with homies in your buddy list.
10Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite has taken its fair share of flack since its reveal, and the venom is not at all unwarranted. The initial trailer for the tag-team fighting game featured dull, washed-out graphics, and Capcom highlighted the new novice-friendly, auto-combo options that are designed to help casuals bust out cool-looking moves in an otherwise hardcore genre. As a result, fight fans were highly skeptical of the game, as was I.
Fortunately, my Infinite sentiments changed upon logging several hours with the game. The Infinity Stone hook and the move to 2-vs.-2, tag team action make Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite an incredibly fun PC game to play in both casual and hardcore sessions.
Still, Infinite has presentation and MCU-focused roster issues that prevent it from rising to the very top of the fighting game elite.
11Mortal Kombat XL
When NetherRealm Studios released the blood-drenched Mortal Kombat X to consoles in 2015, the one-on-one fighting game continued to evolve via free and paid updates that added characters, balanced the roster, and improved online play. However, the High Voltage Studios-ported PC version of the game received zero post-launch support, much to the dismay of hardcore Mortal Kombat fans.
Thankfully, that changed with the Mortal Kombat XL update, a version of MKX that finally gives PC gamers all the extras that console-based fight fans have enjoyed for some time now. I dislike the idea of paying more money for PC content released long after the console version, but it's hard not to love the additions, which include even more fighters, stages, costumes, and gore.
Paid DLC added plenty of guest fighters, which has becoming commonplace in the fighting game circle. They include the Predator and Friday the 13th's Jason Vorhees.
12Skullgirls 2nd Encore
Skullgirls 2nd Encore, the update to Reverge Labs's critically acclaimed original game, takes cues from many highly regarded fighting titles and blends it with the series' unique, cartoony, art deco-influenced visual style.
However, Skullgirls 2nd Encore's graphics aren't all that separate it from the competition. The indie fighter boasts a Capcom vs. SNK-style ratio system that lets you select up to three characters to battle up to three rival characters, as well as a Marvel vs. Capcom-style assist system. The fighter also has a built-in system that automatically stops infinites, those annoying and abusive combos that never end.
13Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Film aficionados rely on The Criterion Collection to take vital classic and contemporary movies and present them in thoughtful, information-filled packages for modern audiences. Until very recently, the 40-year old video game industry lacked its own Criterion Collection, letting important pop culture contributions slip into oblivion due to incompatible hardware and software formats, expired licenses, and plain neglect. Thankfully, the games preservation experts at Digital Eclipse have taken up the task, blessing gamers with titles that celebrate classic titles via accurate emulation and a bounty of production-related extras and modern touches. The company's first foray into the fighting game genre is Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.
This collection doesn't include Street Fighter: The Movie, the Street Fighter EX titles, or X-Men vs. Street Fighter, but you will find all the core arcade releases. The lineup includes Street Fighter (1987), Street Fighter II (1991), Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (1992), Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting (1992), Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (1993) Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994), Street Fighter Alpha (1995), Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996), Street Fighter III: New Generation (1997), Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact Giant Attack (1997), Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998), and Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight For The Future (1999).
Even better, you don't just get the games. This collection includes a sprite/animation view, design documents, a historical timeline, and a jukebox. In short, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a love letter to one of the most important video game franchises of all time.
14Street Fighter V
In February 2016, Street Fighter V arrived on PC with many flaws that detracted from the stellar gameplay, including awful server instability, no true single-player mode, and a surprisingly limited multiplayer Battle Lounge. However, over the course of the last few years, developer Capcom released several updates that addressed (most of) those issues while also adding new stages and playable characters.
Street Fighter V, with its fresh and returning characters, new fight systems (like the cool V-Skills and V-Triggers mechanics), interactive stages, Cinematic Story Mode, and cross-platform play with PlayStation 4 owners, finally make the one-on-one fighting game a title to pick up even for gamers who don't have Evo dreams.
15Tekken 7
Tekken 7, like the main-line Tekken games that came before it, is a tale of fathers and sons attempting to murder each other to purge the Mishima clan of the Devil Gene, a magical bit of DNA that transforms certain people into hell spawn.
The excellent combat accentuates the narrative ridiculousness. Like its predecessors, Tekken 7 is a fighting game that features simple, limb-mapped controls, massive character move sets, and numerous juggles that let you keep a combo flowing, if you're skilled enough to input the correct move at the right moment. With Tekken 7, the series receives super moves (Rage Arts) and enhanced, special attacks that can blow through an opponent's attack (Power Crush).
Tekken 7 is an incredibly tense game of jabs, feints, and sidesteps, because any hit may lead to a long combo sting. Factor in characters with move sets that emulate real martial arts, interactive stages that let you knock people through floors and walls, and terrific slowdown effects that happen when both fighters' health bars are in the red and they perform close-quarter melee attacks, and you have a fighting game that's essentially an interactive martial arts flick.
16Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 pits Marvel's superheroes against Capcom's video game characters in a frantic 3-vs.-3, tag team brawl. The 48-character headcount is impressive, but it's the individual characters and visual aesthetic that truly make the game shine (unlike its Infinite sequel).
Marvel's side has several popular and obscure characters, including Captain America, Iron Man, Iron Fist, and She-Hulk, and Spider-Man. Capcom's side mainly comprises characters from the company's fighting and action games, including Final Fight's Mike Haggar and Street Fighter's Ryu. The comic book-style graphics, with their bright colors and heavy black lines, gives Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 an eye-popping look.
In terms of gameplay, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 builds upon its Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds predecessor by including a three-button control scheme, the momentum-changing X-Factor mechanic, and retooled aerial combat.
17Ultra Street Fighter IV
Ultra Street Fighter IV marks Capcom's fourth version of Street Fighter IV and the third version available on the Steam platform. Like vanilla Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV, Ultra's combat is centered on Focus Attacks, a move that lets your character tank a blow and unleash a counterattack.
This final iteration adds five new characters (Decapre, Elena, Hugo, Poison, and Rolento), six new stages, a YouTube upload option, Edition Select (which lets you pick different versions of characters, based on their past Street Fighter IV iterations), and Double Ultra (which makes a character's Ultra Combos available simultaneously, in exchange for reduced damage).
It's Street Fighter IV's best and meatiest update, though some balance issues prove a bit irritating in play. Still, Ultra Street Fighter IV is an excellent, competitive one-on-one fighting game.
18Check Out Our Non-Fighting Content
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It’s springtime, so we’ve refreshed our list of the 25 best PC games to play right now – and it’s gone through a bit of an overhaul since our previous version from October of 2018.
Before we defined “best” as both games that are at the top of our list of recommendations today and games that were amazing in their heyday, even if those glory days were over. This time around we’ve decided to refocus our picks on the first part of that idea: if you just got a new PC today, what are the games you absolutely have to play right now?
We’re still restricting our top 25 to games released in the last decade, because how do you compare something like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to a classic like Wing Commander? So if you're wondering why there's no Half-Life 2 on here, that's why.
The team charged with arguing about and ultimately choosing this list includes James Duggan, Miranda Sanchez, Tom Marks, Dan Stapleton, and Brandin Tyrrel, so this list represents our collective thoughts on the decade's highlights. Now let's get on with it!
The 25 Best PC Games
Click on the name of a game below to jump to its description and find out what makes these games the best PC games so far.
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25. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
There’s a reason Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been popular for as long as it has: it’s one of the most focused and technical first-person shooters out there, with a heavy reliance on team-based dynamics, game sense, and pure skill. Its challenge and depth don’t just make it one of the toughest competitive shooters to master, it also makes it the most rewarding. CS:GO did a lot to make the Counter-Strike formula appealing to serious players and newcomers alike, and it’s now entirely free-to-play.
Competitive matchmaking and a ranking system adds a way to track skill and progress, while built-in casual modes offer a reliable place to practice. Integration with Steam Workshop also allows for quick installation of useful training maps. While Counter-Strike can be an intimidating game to pick up, those with the patience and dedication to learn the complexities of this team-based shooter are in for one heck of a ride. From our 2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive review: “Global Offensive is definitely a Counter-Strike sequel – it looks and feels familiar, with minor tweaks here and there to help balance old issues and surprise longtime players. This is a demanding, skill-based multiplayer game that's as satisfying now as it ever was, but it's for a specific kind of player. If you're not willing to learn to play different than you're used to, look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a top-tier tactics game that will probably share the long-tailed legacy of its predecessors.”
24. Slay the Spire
In a roguelike, variety is king: Slay The Spire's constantly changing decks of ability cards, powerful relics, and the three drastically different playable characters keeps these turn-based battles fresh and engaging for far longer than they have any right to. Watching your character's attacks, defenses, skills, and powers evolve across its three chapters is a journey, and throwing your hand in at the end of a run knowing you may never see its like again can be like saying goodbye to a friend you were only just getting to know.
Of course, the possibility of getting an even better combination the next time through makes it tough to resist hitting the New Game button, and the randomized Daily Climb runs give even veterans a new and interesting way to play every day.
From IGN’s 2019 Slay the Spire review: “Slay the Spire takes some of the best parts of deckbuilding games, roguelikes, and dungeon crawlers and mixes them into a wholly new and extremely satisfying package. It encourages experimentation, gives you time to make mistakes, and will challenge you immensely as you navigate your way through floor after floor of entertaining, puzzle-like fights. It’s an idea so good that it’s inspired a dozen games like it before it even left early access, but is executed so well that none of them even come close to matching it.”
23. Return of the Obra Dinn
We voted Return of the Obra Dinn IGN’s best PC game of 2018, and you don’t have to play much of it to understand why it’s so special. It’s a detective investigation game that actually lets you detect. None of its clues are outlined for you, nothing is glowing or shoved in your face as an interactable object.
As you board the Obra Dinn and try to make sense of what happened to its crew and passengers, you do so by literally looking around and drawing your own conclusions. Obra Dinn empowers the player with a locket that lets you hear and see the last moment of a person’s death, but you’re not Batman here with fancy tracking and high tech analysis. Determining someone’s fate is a puzzle to solve, and requires ingenuity – as well as a bit of educated guessing when the dots don’t quite connect all the way. It gives you just enough feedback while you’re filling out every fate that it’s consistently rewarding, which makes Return of the Obra Dinn one of the best adventure-puzzle games around.
From IGN’s 2018 Return of the Obra Dinn review: “Return of the Obra Dinn stands as something wholly unique. An investigative puzzle game with clear goals but completely open ended paths to completing them, it’s a challenging exercise in piecing together a mystery without being spoon fed what to pay attention to. It’s got some small quality of life issues here and there, but the “moment of death” clue-hunting mechanic at its core is an absolute triumph. Return of the Obra Dinn is one of the best detective games I’ve ever played, and now I want so much more of it.”
22. Undertale
Undertale is a delightfully inventive exercise in subverting expectations. It knows you're playing a roleplaying game and messes with you at every turn, remembering your saving habits, following your story decisions, and constantly adjusting itself in surprising ways to remind you that actions have unexpected consequences.
An involving and emotionally charged story thematically supports Undertale’s underlying message: every choice you make matters, not just to you but to the people around you. It’s subversive, occasionally confounding, replayable, unapologetically melancholy, and a worthy member of the fraternity of all-time great PC games.
From IGN’s 2017 Undertale review: “It's hard to express just how much I adore Undertale without spoiling anything significant, but that's what I love about it. It tells its story in such a dynamic way, and with such a great understanding of the RPG player’s mindset, that it couldn’t have been told in any other way. It's a masterfully crafted experience that I won't forget any time soon.”
21. FTL: Faster Than Light
No game simulates the feeling of being in command of a starship flying by the seat of your pants like FTL: Faster Than Light. It's a game you shouldn't expect to survive - more likely, you'll be blasted out of the sky by a vastly superior enemy ship or boarded by a death squad of giant killer insects who massacre your crew. Maybe your life-support system will be hacked and everyone will suffocate.
But FTL’s not about winning – it's a story generator, where you get to talk about the time you got a killer beam weapon combo that cuts enemy ships to ribbons while your ship remains cloaked, or vented a boarding party into space. Its tactical combat never gets old, tons of loot and random events keep every game feeling unpredictable, and unlockable ships force you to change up your strategies. And every so often, you might even win.
From IGN’s 2014 FTL: Advanced Edition review: “FTL: Advanced Edition is an incredibly replayable game, and each run gives me something memorable and rewarding – even the ones that end with my entire crew dead. The excellent iPad version has just become my go-to mobile game, since it includes all of the tense decision-making and unpredictability that make it endlessly entertaining on PC. Though I still prefer the speed and accuracy of the PC’s controls, the iPad version is very smooth and a close second.”
20. Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is one of the best modern Metroidvania’s around. It’s beautiful, expansive, and full of delightful secrets to discover that will keep you playing for dozens of hours. The kingdom of Hallownest is a brutal one, and Hollow Knight doesn’t ease you into it, causing a lot of people to bounce off of it initially – but when it finally gets its hooks in you it’s irresistibly hard to put down.
Its sprawling caves open up and offer multiple paths to you at any given time, but no matter which way you go there are exciting bosses to fight and significant power-ups to make you stronger. And even though it was already a massive game, Hollow Knight has only gotten bigger since its launch in early 2017. Developer Team Cherry released multiple free updates with new areas and bosses, each harder than the last. But whether you just want to get to the credits, find the true ending, or push even farther than that, Hallownest is a world worth exploring.
From IGN’s 2018 Hollow Knight review: “Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania with a well of content to discover that’s as deep as its labyrinthine caves. The world of Hallownest is compelling and rich, full of story that’s left for you to discover on your own, and built with branching paths that offer an absurd amount of choice in how you go about discovering it. With such a high density of secrets to find and fun, challenging enemies to face, it’s worth spending every moment you can in Hollow Knight.”
19. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley makes the mundane seem more wonderful. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but marvelously distills the best essence of Harvest Moon's long's genealogy into a simple, accessible, and incomparably addictive game. Tranquil and purposefully provincial, Stardew celebrates the simple joy of watching the fruits of your labor grow.
A world of opportunities beckon from the first moments, and while there’s some guidance, you’re free to experiment, change your mind, and play as efficiently or loosely as you wish. Your choices carry the gravity of consequence, but learning what does and doesn’t work, fiddling with your clock management, and discovering ever-more efficient ways to play out your days is half the fun.
From IGN’s 2018 Stardew Valley review: “Stardew Valley is a beautiful, fun game that, when all of its parts are pulled together, make for a wonderful countryside adventure. Whether it’s rainy, sunny, snowy, or dusted with pollen drifts through the air, each day offers an abundance of great activities ready to be collected or mastered and new friendships waiting to be made. Even 100 hours in with three in-game years in the books, I still feel like I have so many mysteries to discover, and plenty of items to collect. New items, goals, and events from all the updates since its launch make Stardew Valley more welcoming for new players and extends its life for seasoned farmers, too. The fantastic multiplayer is just the cherry on top of the cake to this marvelous farming RPG.
18. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey picks up (mechanically) where Origins left off, continuing the series’ evolution from stealth-sandbox to action/RPG. Taking place roughly 400 years before the events of AC Origins, Odyssey’s rendition of Ancient Greece is as gorgeous as the series (or games in general, quite frankly) has ever been.
Traversing its verdant forests and rocky hills or sailing shining seas of the Mediterranean always offers something new to find or an ancient ruin to explore, and its combat is equal parts arcadey fun and ARPG-style strategy. The new skill trees offer dozens of abilities useful both in and out of a fight, though the combat-centric ones like the 300-inspired Spartan Kick and brutally satisfying Shield Breaker often steal the show.
While it may not feature the best voice acting the series has ever seen, the main campaign succeeds at offering a compelling story with characters we found ourselves genuinely invested in - although its 50-60 hour critical path does feel a bit bloated with errands and fetch quests. That said, with all there is to explore beyond the confines of the core adventure (historical inaccuracies notwithstanding), Assassin’s Creed Odyssey stands out as a must-play title of the current generation. From IGN’s 2018 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey review: “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a resounding achievement in world building, environment, and engaging gameplay with occasional problems throughout. Its incredible recreation of ancient Greece is something I’ll want to go back to long after I’ve finished its main story, and its excellent systems mesh together in a way that’s hard to beat. While there are definite rough edges, Odyssey sets a new bar for Assassin’s Creed games and holds its own in the eternal debate over the best open-world roleplaying games ever.”
17. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
You can’t go too far wrong with any of the main games from Sid Meier’s seminal Civilization series, but with the Gathering Storm expansion, Civilization VI has taken its seat as one of the finest. Like all five iterations before it, Civ VI lets you pave your people’s way from nomadic tribespeople to sprawling near-future empire in competition or cooperation with neighbors, this time guided by narration from the undying Sean Bean himself.
But here, a unique approach to city building in which major structures like specialized districts and Wonders are placed on their own tiles gives it a distinctive flavor, and the newly added climate change mechanics add new long-term environmental considerations throughout and hazards that manifest in the late game. It’s also come as close as any game in the series to giving its AI leaders definitive and interesting personalities (which is not to say they’re perfect!).
From IGN’s 2016 Sid Meier’s Civilization VI review: “Civilization VI will go down in history as the most fully-featured launch version in the series. Many of those are smartly revamped versions of Civ classics, but it finds its own identity with great new ideas like spread-out cities, customizable governments, research boosts, and leader agendas. And even though the AI has some improving to do, it can put up enough of a fight to make world domination a challenge.”
16. Overwatch
With an amazing lineup of memorable characters and meticulously balanced abilities, Overwatch is a shooter that bobs and weaves almost perfectly between being the quick-fix adrenaline hit you might want after a long day of work, and the thoughtful, strategic multiplayer experience that becomes the center of evening-long binges with friends. It might not have the most exhaustive list of maps and modes, but the offerings grow with every new seasonal event, and what's already there provides nearly endless opportunities for exhilarating, coordinated play.
Overwatch won our 2016 Game of the Year Award, and Blizzard’s trademark polish and commitment to community should keep it as something that we’ll all revisit regularly for years to come.
From IGN’s 2016 Overwatch review: “Overwatch is an incredible achievement in multiplayer shooter design. It bobs and weaves almost perfectly between being the quick-fix adrenaline hit you might want after a long day of work, and the thoughtful, strategic multiplayer experience that becomes the center of evening-long binges with friends. It might not have the most exhaustive list of maps and modes, but it provides nearly endless opportunities for exhilarating, coordinated play, and when you’re the one at the center of it, it feels like nothing else.”
15. XCOM 2
XCOM 2 builds on the brilliant, high-stakes tactical combat of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and its War of the Chosen expansion made it even better. It has the same tension of going from a technologically inferior underdog to powerful war machine, with the constant threat of the permanent death of your customized soldiers looming over every decision.
However, it turns the formula of defending Earth from alien invaders on its head by boldly recasting XCOM as a guerrilla force attempting to liberate the planet from alien occupation, making the situation feel even more desperate than ever. This bigger, deeper sequel adds not just complexity in the form of new and more powerful soldier classes, equipment, and aliens, but also a huge focus on replayability. Procedurally generated maps keep you from falling into a repeatable pattern in tactical missions, frequent random events on the strategic map shake up your build and research orders, and of course mods galore.
From IGN’s 2016 XCOM 2 review: “With a focus on variety and replayability, this sequel has an answer to most of my complaints about 2012’s excellent XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and aside from some mostly cosmetic bugs, it comes together brilliantly. Thanks to a new spin on the same great tactical combat, plus unpredictable maps and randomized objectives and loot, XCOM 2 is an amazing game I’ll easily put hundreds of hours into.”
14. Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2 has set the bar impossibly high for remakes and remasters of classic games by reimagining the 1998 original. But more importantly, it’s become the gold standard of survival horror in 2019. The derelict corridors of the Racoon City Police Department are brimming with both tension and action, which is a difficult balance to achieve in and of itself, but is just the beginning of Resident Evil 2’s triumphs.
Each item, weapon, and enemy is part of a brilliant ecosystem that either hastens or hinders your progress through it. Even your run-of-the-mill zombie presents a unique obstacle in the sense that the ones you’ve already “killed” sometimes come back “life.” It’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth it to expend valuable resources like shotgun shells or plywood boards to deal with them for good. As new elements are introduced old ones gain new meaning, and the bigger picture becomes a bit more clear. Throw in an excellent narrative, brilliant level design, and a wealth of addition modes and playthrough options, and Resident Evil 2 is more than worthy of your time.
From IGN’s 2019 Resident Evil 2 review: “Capcom did a fantastic job of resurrecting all the best parts of the classic Resident Evil 2 and making them look, sound, and play like a 2019 game. If you’re of the mind that the series had lost its way for a while there, this game is very much a return to form. The zombie combat is satisfying and exploring the dilapidated ruins of Raccoon City is a thrill. The one big letdown is that the two characters’ stories aren’t different enough to make the second playthrough as rewarding as the first, even after unlocking the 2nd Game mode. But whichever you choose to play as, the experience of playing through the new Resident Evil 2 for the first time establishes a new standard for remaking classic games.”
13. Celeste
Release Date: January 25, 2018 ● Developer: Matt Makes Games ● Last position: 14 (↑ 1) ● IGN’s Celeste Wiki
Celeste’s 2D platforming levels are as challenging to figure out as they are satisfying to complete. Hidden throughout those levels are a wealth of secrets, some of which push the skills it teaches you to the absolute limit. But its greatest triumph is how it blends that platforming with a sincere story and an incredible soundtrack that make it a genuinely impactful game too.
From IGN’s 2018 Celeste review: “Celeste is a surprise masterpiece. Its 2D platforming is some of the best and toughest since Super Meat Boy, with levels that are as challenging to figure out as they are satisfying to complete. Hidden throughout those levels are a wealth of secrets and collectibles, some of which push the skills it teaches you to the absolute limit, along with enough end-game content to keep you playing for dozens of hours. But the greatest triumph of Celeste is that its best-in-class jumping and dashing is blended beautifully with an important and sincere story and an incredible soundtrack that make it a genuinely emotional game, even when your feet are planted firmly on the ground.”
12. Fortnite Battle Royale
Release Date: September 26, 2017 ● Developer: Epic Games ● Last position: 8 (↓ 4) ● IGN’s Fortnite Wiki and interactive map
Fortnite’s Battle Royale quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, but its fast and frequent updates have shown it’s more than just a flash in the pan. Its free-to-play format and relatively simple shooting mechanics make it a significantly more accessible take on the battle royale shooter. But that’s coupled with unique building tools that push its skill cap sky high.
From IGN’s 2018 Fortnite Battle Royale review: “Mastering Fortnite Battle Royale’s many systems is worth every second of investment. Whether you go it alone or queue up with a squad, even if you’re the first to die or you actually manage to earn the Victory Royale, Fortnite’s zany style and unique blend of shooting and building almost never offers anything less than an outstanding time. It may not be the first battle royale game, and it certainly won’t be the last, but Fortnite sets itself apart from the crowd by giving you the freedom and tools to express your own personal playstyle.”
11. League of Legends
League of Legends is at the forefront of the esports explosion. Back when the only big MOBA was the original Defense of the Ancients, League took the formula and tweaked it, resulting in a more accessible game that still offers immense depth for those who want to dive in deep. Its 132 heroes are fun, varied, and tough to master, and can be customized even further by rune and mastery systems.
Developer Riot Games is also pioneering new practices in competitive gaming, hiring teams to play seasons and earn spots in exciting playoff matches, just like you’d see in traditional sports. 20 years down the line, the documentary that looks back on the beginning of esports will credit League of Legends as the tipping point.
From IGN’s 2014 League of Legends review: “Even though you play on the same few maps with similar items, there’s so much depth and strategy going on that no two matches of League of Legends ever feel the same. It’s distinctive style encourages surprise attacks and frequent use of skill-shot powers, and its colorful art style makes everything pop on the screen. Learning how to make the most of its characters and to become an asset to a team is a long and challenging process, but once you’ve got it down, it’s incredibly satisfying to work together to destroy your enemies in this amazing MOBA.”
10. Dota 2
MOBAs have earned a reputation for being dense and difficult to learn, but immensely strategic for those who put in the time. Spend some quality time with Dota 2 and you’ll understand why. Though all matches take place on one map, and there’s only one objective, its 100+ characters and thousands of item combinations make each round feel unique.
Because every second matters, matches are always exciting even when they seem slow. Are you farming gold? Are you scouting the enemy? Or crossing the map to help out a teammate? Or heading back to base to heal? Its complexity can scare players off, but those who stick through it will be rewarded with some of the most strategic gameplay around.
From IGN’s 2013 Dota 2 review: “Dota 2 deserves its intimidating reputation, and it probably won’t suit you if you’re looking to play casually. There’s a huge time investment before you can even enjoy a game, let alone feel competent at it. But once you start to learn its secrets, there’s a wild and exciting variety of play here that’s unmatched, even by its peers. It’s a challenge of knowledge as well as reflexes, and success is a rush. The fact that it’s completely and totally free to play in the way we wish all free-to-play games could be isn’t just one of the most generous propositions anywhere in gaming, it creates a level playing field where skill and cooperation is paramount. May the best team win.”
9. Warframe
Warframe first launched six years ago, but it just keeps getting better and better. It’s an often overlooked co-op action game that can quickly be summed up as “space ninjas,” and t’s undoubtedly grown past that moniker over the years. You can dash through space ships at breakneck speeds, smash and shoot enemies with dozens of varied weapons, fly over and explore large open world areas, and more recently even follow a story line that’s surprisingly engaging compared to where Warframe started.
The look and feel of Warframe has evolved over the years as well, with far-stretching systems changes and huge graphical overhauls that keep it from looking dated. Digital Extremes is one of the most dedicated developers around, and constant free updates and additions mean Warframe always stays engaging and fresh. But even as more content comes, there are already enough missions to play and items to collect to keep you playing for hundreds of hours.
From IGN’s 2018 Warframe review: “Warframe isn’t an easily approachable game, but it’s one that’s worth getting comfortable with. It’s a game that never stops growing from a developer who is passionate about working with its community. It also just feels amazing to play, with a satisfying kill-collect-craft loop that’s supported by a mountain of player choice and some wonderfully responsive movement mechanics. Some of its systems are needlessly complex and improperly explained, making it easy to get overwhelmed or burnt out, but there’s just so much to do here that Warframe always excitingly pulls me back with its next update.”
8. Dead Cells
Release Date: August 7, 2018 ● Developer: Motion Twin ● Last position: 11 (↑ 3) ● IGN’s Dead Cells Wiki
Dead Cells offers flexibility in a way few games do. Each easily digestible run through its beautifully detailed and shifting levels goads you to push the limits of your ability, and crushes you when you get too comfortable.
There are layers of strategy and tactics buried not only in the immediate choices you make, but in the grander metagame, making it one of the best action platformers around.
From IGN’s 2018 Dead Cell’s review: “Dead Cells is rewarding in its flexibility in a way few games are. Each easily digestible run through its beautifully detailed and shifting levels instills a feeling of discovery and familiarity. It goads you to push the limits of your ability, and mercilessly crushes you when you get too comfortable. There are layers of strategy and tactics buried not only in the immediate choices you make, but in the grander metagame each run builds toward. Dead Cells is a triumphant union of instinct, forethought, fun, and failure.”
7. Monster Hunter: World
Monster: Hunter World is a new chapter for the series, and its innovations and changes have made a traditionally difficult to get into game significantly more accessible. Killing giant dinosaurs and mounting ice and fire breathing dragons is a thrill few other games deliver in such spectacular fashion, and it’s all made even more fun when you coordinate your kills with up to three friends.
Add in a deep and nuanced customization system and more equipment and weapons than you can imagine, and World will keep you playing for ages. It took a while for Monster Hunter: World to come to PC, and when it finally did it had some performance and control problems. But World has been updated and fine tuned since launch to work out the kinks, and it’s now an absolute must-play. The PC port now runs great and has more control options than its console counterparts – it even has an HD texture pack to download to make it look even crisper at higher resolutions. That support – plus non-stop events and added content (even if they are a little delayed on PC) – make Monster Hunter: World worth checking back in on again and again.
From IGN’s 2018 Monster Hunter: World review: “Whether or not it's the best, this is certainly the most audacious Monster Hunter game. World takes a dramatic leap into a look, feel, and size that feels truly new, simultaneously staying true to the series’ ideals by maintaining the addictive loop of combat, intimidating monsters and meaningful upgrades that fans love. The sheer depth and commitment required is still intense, but it clearly isn’t Capcom’s aim to court a casual crowd. This is as all-consuming and incredible a ride as ever.”
6. Apex Legends
As the battle royale genre grew and evolved, Apex Legends developer Respawn was clearly watching. Its take on the hugely popular mode improves upon standard battle royale mechanics to make this shooter one of the best – if not the best – in the growing arena. As with all battle royale games, Apex Legends challenges you to be the last squad standing on its singular map as a wall of energy forces players closer together.
The loop of dropping quickly, looting, and then outsmarting and outshooting opponents is incredibly fun, regardless of whether or not you win. Apex Legends' maintains the stellar shooting we saw in Titanfall 1 and Titanfall 2 – save for the Mozambique, but even Respawn is in on that joke. And as part of the Titanfall universe, the lore behind Apex Legends and its characters are a neat way to flesh out the identity of the game series further. Its charming and unique characters are an excellent spin on the blank canvases we usually have jumping into an arena.
Their abilities allow for players of all skills to contribute to their team, and regardless of who you're playing with, the innovative ping system makes communicating important information to teammates far easier. Respawn's good communication and game updates keep us excited to see how it'll continue to grow Apex Legends' exciting gameplay.
From IGN’s 2019 Apex Legends review: “Apex Legends makes squad-based battle royale work better than thought possible, even when playing with a randomly matched team. Its intuitive communication system makes strategic teamplay achievable without a word, and the eight unique legends each have cool abilities that are rewarding without feeling like restrictive roles. It all takes place in Kings Canyon, which is a fascinating sci-fi map that leads to tense encounters filled with all of the pristine gunplay and polish from the Titanfall series, and its free-to-play setup doesn’t pressure you to pay to keep up. Apex Legends has the goods to be a true challenger to Fortnite’s dominance.”
5. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition
Divinity: Original Sin 2’s Definitive Edition has cemented it as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It masterfully mixes pieces of classic cRPGs with more modern mechanics and designs, feeling old and new at the same time. The sequel has improved upon its predecessor's already incredible combat by deepening its systems while simultaneously simplifying and smoothing out its clunkier bits - not to mention it introduced some brutally smart new AI.
There's also an overwhelming amount of game here to play. With six different origin characters, custom tags to make your own, and over 74,000 lines of fully voiced dialogue, this massive RPG has more than enough to keep you coming back to it.
From IGN’s 2017 Divinity: Original Sin 2 review: “Divinity: Original Sin 2 may have been designed in the spirit of decades-old RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 2, but that legacy serves only as a foundation for the expansive game Larian has built on top of it. Few other RPGs allow such a wide range of flexibility while also supporting rewarding combat and a powerful story, all in a world that feels alive in the ways it reacts to you and goes about its business without you. It's a rare RPG that I’ll want to play through again and again, driven by the feeling that so many fascinating and surprising paths remain undiscovered, some of which might lead to different outcomes for the NPCs I’ve grown to care about – even the rats. When that happens, you're experiencing something worth remembering, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 will be remembered as one of the greats.”
4. Minecraft
Minecraft is the greatest video game about playing with blocks. It’s excellent for many reasons, but the most important is that it both encourages and enables a childlike sense of wonder. That mountain in the distance? You can burrow into it. You can make your home inside it and cover it with lava so it’s spooky and cool. And then you can dig deep into the ground to find treasure and fight monsters.
Some dedicated players have even recreated famous spaceships and even built working virtual 3D printers within their worlds. Minecraft can be played as a do-what-you-want sandbox, but there are enough game systems and rules to structure your time into a “campaign,” if that’s what you’re after. Few games have set the world on fire like Minecraft, and it’s likely few ever will in the same way again.
From IGN’s 2011 Minecraft review: “Like any review, my feelings on Minecraft are the result of my experience with it. Maybe you don’t thrive off random adventures like I do, or maybe you won’t feel the same sense of accomplishment I did when I completed my first house. If not, then you likely haven’t or won’t enjoy Minecraft in the same way. And that’s OK. Minecraft, more than any other game I know, isn’t about playing it a specific way; it’s an open-world, a blank page just daring you to jump in and do with it what you will. The question, then, isn’t what you need to do to succeed, what’s needed to win, but what are you willing to do to make your dreams come to life?”
3. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V’s sprawling, yet meticulously detailed map is still the high bar to which all other open-world games aspire. Not only is it huge, it’s incredibly dense with excellent content – not just the driving and shooting and three-protagonist story that make up its campaign, and not limited to the numerous side activities, but all the sights, sounds, and bustling activity you'd expect to find in a city teeming with humans, seedy underbelly included.
With so much to do, explore, and play with, both in single-player and Grand Theft Auto Online, plus great creative tools and mods, it’s truly amazing on multiple levels.
From IGN’s 2013 Grand Theft Auto V review: “Grand Theft Auto V is not only a preposterously enjoyable video game, but also an intelligent and sharp-tongued satire of contemporary America. It represents a refinement of everything that GTA IV brought to the table five years ago. It’s technically more accomplished in every conceivable way, but it’s also tremendously ambitious in its own right. No other world in video games comes close to this in size or scope, and there is sharp intelligence behind its sense of humour and gift for mayhem. It tells a compelling, unpredictable, and provocative story without ever letting it get in the way of your own self-directed adventures through San Andreas.”
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Deep, lengthy RPGs are a staple of PC gaming, and very few have put a larger chunk of sophisticated content forward than The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has. Its massive sandbox open-world areas impress, both in terms of scope and density; they’re generously dotted with great monsters to slay, tantalizing mysteries to solve, and personal stories to unfurl.
It’s also one of the most impressive overall productions in gaming history, with reams of excellently written dialogue performed by a stellar voice cast, an incredible original soundtrack, and graphics that qualify as both a technical and artistic achievement.
From IGN’s 2015 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review: “Though the straightforward and fetch-quest-heavy main story overstays its welcome, the option of joyfully adventuring through a rich, expansive open world was always there for me when I’d start to burn out. Even if the plot isn’t terribly interesting, the many characters who play a part in it are, and along with the excellent combat and RPG gameplay, they elevate The Witcher 3 to a plane few other RPGs inhabit.”
1. Portal 2
Portal 2 claims the top spot because, in the past decade, nothing else has struck so many chords so perfectly. No game accomplishes so much so well. Its impeccable level design, charming personality, and exceptional and varied puzzle systems make us feel smarter just for getting through it. Plus, its co-op campaign requires a different sort of smarts that remains one of the best multiplayer experiences with pals around.
Valve is a developer that, presumably because of the time it takes to make its incredible games, creates a feeling of timelessness in its design. Portal 2 – which iterated on and added to the brilliant puzzle design and world-building of its predecessor – feels just as clever and unique as it did in 2011. Simply put, if you’ve never played Portal 2, your top gaming priority right now should be to do just that.
From IGN’s 2011 Portal 2 review: “The original Portal benefitted from its brevity. It had a concise story paired with inventive first-person puzzle mechanics that challenged you to be creative while pulling the trigger. Portal 2 makes the original look like the prototype it was. It's filled with a larger cast of characters vividly brought to life through brilliant writing and some of the best voice acting in video games. Its puzzles are challenging without being unreasonable, and, once you're finished with the single-player mode, one of the best co-operative experiences on the market awaits. Valve cuts no corners and finds ways to make you care about everything from the major characters to the cubes used to solve puzzles. From the beginning of the single-player story to the end of the co-op mode, Portal 2 is a novel, unforgettable experience.
Those are our picks for the April 2019 update! Obviously there are dozens of incredible games we couldn't include, but that’s what happens when you only have 25 spots.
We ended up bumping nine games off with this refresh – and like we said at the top of the page, a large part of that was a refocusing of our criteria to be more about what we’d recommend you pick up right this moment, rather than games that were monumental at the time they released but may have since aged a bit.
With that in mind, here are the games that fell off with this update: The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Mass Effect 2, Fallout: New Vegas, World of Warcraft, Rocket League, Metal Gear Solid 5, The Witness, Spelunky, and Sid Meier’s Civilization 5. Again, all amazing games, but some like The Witness just had to make room for new picks while others like New Vegas just aren’t the first thing we’d tell you to run out in buy in 2019.
We’ll be back for another update in October and we’ll see how things have shaken out by then. Your picks may vary of course, so be sure to let us know in the comments what your favorite PC games of the last 10 years are!
Sometimes you need a hand to hold, so we’ve updated our list of the 25 best co-op games to play on PC with a headset-wearing friend or a muted stranger.
Everything’s better with a pal or two in tow, from collaborative puzzle solving to sublime double stealth takedowns. Equally sublime are when those takedowns go awry, your partner shrieks in panic and all hands are needed on deck to clear up the mess. Whether local or online, co-op games offer some of the best fun you can have in 2018.
Our criteria is our own. We’ve excluded competitive multiplayer games that require cooperation, so you won’t find PUBG or Dota 2 in the list. However, anything with a co-op mode counts, even if it’s a game chiefly thought of as being about its singleplayer or competitive modes.
Now let’s hold hands and together we’ll go on a magical journey through the land of correct opinions. You can navigate this feature using the arrows that appear above or below the header image on each page, or by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
Note: This feature lives on the internet, which means there’s a hole underneath for you to vent your frustrations into. Remember, your comment will live on forever, so make it a good one. “No Game X?” isn’t useful. A brief explanation of why Game X is wonderful absolutely is.
And while you’re here, why not watch the RPS Video Division’s take on the subject? In order to bond our new videographers we encouraged them to play every game on the list and document their findings. Their top ten leans towards bigger communities still playing today, and they want to publicly apologise to Graham for not including Spelunky.
25. Transformice
Developer: Atelier 801
Publisher: Atelier 801
It bills itself as an “MMO platformer” but it’s really a game of co-operation, confusion and callousness. A horde of small mice are at one end of a screen – you are one of them. At the other is a delicious piece of cheese. You want the cheese, but so does everyone else. It’s out of reach, perhaps floating in mid-air or resting across an impassable gap. The only way you’re gonna return it to your mousehole is by working together.
There’s another important element. One player is a shaman who builds objects – small platforms, balloon-powered lifts, etc. They cause co-op mayhem, sometimes helping, sometimes hindering. As the mage mouse, it’s a trollish game of placing sort-of-useful objects for your fellow rodents to use. The classic example of this is placing a see-saw over a large gap. Too many mice on one end, and it’ll tip. They have to intuitively organise themselves on both ends, to find a balance. But then, if you’re on this side, you have a better shot at the cheese, right?
Transformice understands something many co-op games don’t. Sometimes you are only co-operating with someone as a means to an end, with selfish motives that conflict with the very person you’re helping. Transformice puts selfishness at the heart of its co-op, and becomes a funnier game for it.
Notes: It began life as a free web game but got an eventual Steam release in 2015, prettified and expanded.
Where can I buy it: You don’t, it’s still free-to-play.
What else should I be playing if I like this: Not quite the same, but Agar.io has some similar moments of shifting allegiances.
Read more: Here’s Shawn on its mousey vision of competitive collaboration.
24. Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Developer: Fatshark
Publisher: Fatshark
Vermintide 2 is clearly indebted to Valve’s zombie shooter. Each level can be tackled by up to 4 players, and sees you slaughtering hordes of enemies to reach the end intact. Special enemies threaten to pick off anyone that strays from the group, and the appearance of an occasional boss can tear through an unprepared team.
Those similarities might make it tempting to dismiss as a Left 4 Dead knock off, but you shouldn’t because Vermintide 2 has the best rats in video games. They’re man sized opponents with weapons and minds of their own, making them individual combatants that are more satisfying to fight than ravenous zombies. The five classes, each with separate skills and access to different weapons, help to give each player their own role. Those vermin are more varied, too, with a random selection of mini-bosses and horde types to make each run feel a little different.
Fatshark nailed the melee combat at its core and sprinkled in some breathtaking level design, and the end result might be my favourite horde survival game. And I don’t even like Warhammer.
Where can I buy it:On Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: Left 4 Dead 1 or 2, obviously. Deep Rock Galactic would be another good choice, if a Dwarven blend of bug blasting and mining sounds like your cup of tea.
Read more: Here’s Alec’s review, and Natalie Clayton’s thoughts on what makes Vermintide a worthy successor to Left 4 Dead.
23. Viscera Cleanup Detail
Developer: RuneStorm
Publisher: RuneStorm
It’s not exactly the most original setting: a dilapidated space station filled with aliens and crimson, world-building wall graffiti. Viscera Cleanup Detail turns this tried and tested scenario on its head, tasking you not with repelling the aliens, but cleaning up the bloody aftermath with a mop that looks like Zoidberg’s mouth.
With up to 32 players, you mop up blood, collect spent shells, deposit bits of human in contaminant containers, refill med stations and incinerate body parts. You might think that more players means faster cleaning, but with you all tracking bloodied footprints across the floor and knocking over buckets filled with gory slop, it won’t be long before things devolve into a food fight. But with human limbs instead of food.
There’s something about removing decals from textures that’s oddly satisfying, and once you’re bored of that you can always try smudge a crude, bloody dick on every surface your friend cleans up.
Notes: Viscera Cleanup Detail is the product of a game jam and the multiplayer was added during its time on Steam Greenlight.
Where can I buy it: Steam or the game’s site
What else should I be playing if I like this: There are plenty of games on PC that make visual comedy the whole experience. Surgeon Simulator offers limited laughs, but lacks the hook of making something shiny.
Read more: Pip and Alice have a chat about what makes virtual cleaning so good.
22. Overcooked
Developer: Ghost Town Games
Publisher: Team 17
“I NEED MORE MUSHROOMS!” This is the cry of every angry chef in the local co-op of Overcooked. It’s a silly game of simmering and sizzling, the physical manifestation of the phrase “too many cooks spoil the broth”. You’re in a kitchen with up to three other players, and you have to make food to order by preparing and combining certain ingredients. A stacked burger requires chopped tomatoes, a beef patty, lettuce and a bun. To get this done in time will require everyone to carry out their appointed tasks pronto. If we all work together, and stick to our jobs (you: washing up, me: chopping onions) then we’ll be fine.
Nope.
The kitchens of Overcooked are constantly changing. Narrow spaces mean players get in each other’s way. Sometimes the whole level shifts, like a piece of frustrating clockwork. The benches on a ship will slide down the deck with each large wave, altering the layout entirely. Cooking in two trucks, driving side by side, means that one part of the kitchen will accelerate, suddenly becoming off-limits. How will you get the chow off the hob before it boils into an inedible paste? By shouting at your fellow chefs, of course.
Notes: Phil Duncan, co-founder of Ghost Town Games, once worked as a potwasher in a restaurant, an atmosphere which he said was an obvious fit for a co-op game. “There’s a constant timer ticking down,” he said, “and everyone is shouting and swearing at each other.”
Where can I buy it: It’s on Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this:Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime has 2-4 players operating a single ball-like spaceship, and Regular Human Basketball pits two teams against each other inside giant robots
Read more: Pip’s interview with Overcooked man Phil Duncan, and its festive Christmas update
21. Dawn of War 2
Developer: Relic Entertainment
Publisher: THQ
Set in Games Workshop’s Warhammer universe, Dawn of War 2 is a game about big men with bigger shoulder pads fighting big enemies with big guns. It’s just as focused on leveling up and finding sweeter gear as it is with tactics and micromanagement, blending action RPG elements with real-time strategy. In co-op you and a friend take control of hero characters and lead squads across war torn maps, dealing with any pockets of resistance along the way and watching each other’s backs.
Its expansion, Dawn of War 2: Retribution, does away with the RTS elements completely in its Last Stand mode, with three players controlling just a hero each and trying to survive against overwhelming odds. In this mode, which many consider to be better than the traditional co-op, you can concentrate on levelling, smashing enemies and experimenting with your skills to see which compliment which.
Notes: You can buy Retribution’s RPG-flavoured co-op as a standalone game called The Last Standalone.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: All of the other Dawn of War games and expansions would be a good start.
Read more: Alec on Dawn of War 2’s standalone expansion, Chaos Rising.
20. Towerfall Ascension
Developer: Matt Thorson
Publisher: Matt Thorson
To most people, Towerfall likely conjures images of frenetically firing arrows at and stomping on the heads of your friends. No, not in real life – although you might feel like it by the end of a few matches. But outside of killing your mates, there’s also the two-player co-op Quest mode. It might be cooperative, but Quest remains thrilling for the same reason as the versus mode: the danger posed by every arrow loosed by your friend. You’ll need to keep moving, too, picking up fired arrows to replenish your supply and bouncing down onto enemies’ heads – stray arrows are inevitable.
The co-op aspect comes in the form of a shot from the other side of the single-screen arena that barely misses your ally, instead striking a skeleton or burying itself into the wall next to them so they can restock. Once you’re both feeling zen, you can even use your dash ability to grab stray arrows from the air and fire them as you land in one awesome motion. If two players trying not to kill each other isn’t enough, you can always grab the Dark World expansion and try not be killed by the arrows of three of your friends.
Notes: Towerfall started life as a Zelda clone with a platforming twist. Thorson eventually cut all the other weapons because the bow was so satisfying.
Where can I buy it:Steam, Humble Store or GOG
What else should I be playing if I like this: It doesn’t take place on a single screen, but Rayman Legends is just as frantic and lets you team up with friends.
Read more: Here’s much more detail in Graham’s Towerfall Ascension review.
19. Payday 2
Developer: Overkill Software and Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: 505 Games
If you’ve never played Payday 2 or its predecessor, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was about perfect planning, stealth and crowd control. The reality is a bit different, and it usually goes like this: the four of you excitedly chat about how you’re going to approach a heist, you split up, someone fudges it almost instantly and every police officer in the world turns up to shoot you all in the head.
It’s more wave defense than precision stealth, with each player setting up traps, sharing ammo and trying to keep the police at bay as a timer ticks down. That’s not to say it’s not good. It’s chaotic and messy, but the shooting is weighty enough and the skill trees are satisfying.
You can get through each of the heists without raising an alarm, it’s just bloody hard and you stand very little chance until you’ve unlocked some of the more advanced skills. Still, the possibility hangs there like a 24 carat carrot, nudging you all to have another go until you’ve perfected every scenario.
Notes: Payday 2’s ultimate edition contains all the DLC thus far Free download free antivirus.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: If you’re looking for more authentic heists, GTA Online is a much more varied co-op heisting experience.
Read more: An interview with David Goldfarb, Game Director on Payday 2.
18. SWAT 4
Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games
A decade on and SWAT 4 still offers something different in the world of tactical shooters: snipers are restricted to set positions, suspects must be warned and force must be authorised. You’re punished for firing on any suspect who doesn’t pose an immediate threat, whether against yourself, a colleague or a hostage, making each confrontation tense. After giving a warning, enemies might bolt, surrender or open fire – you have to judge each situation accordingly. With four other players, it’s difficult to not judge the situation simultaneously, all five of you squeezing your triggers because someone’s trigger finger slipped.
SWAT 4 is a tactical shooter that rewards you for not actually killing anyone, subduing suspects by other means – points are deducted for any unauthorised force, so tasers are often more useful than SMGs. It takes about as long to adjust to the rules as it does to stop tasering each other and laughing at your twitching bodies flailing on the floor. SWAT 4 is as good for testing friendships as it is for testing your aiming skills.
Notes: The official game servers have been taken down, but you can still get a co-op game going if you follow these steps.
Where can I buy it: SWAT 4 was recently re-released via GOG alongside its expansion. Huzzah!
What else should I be playing if I like this:Rainbow Six: Siege is a more competitive take on the tactical shooter.
Read more:Jim and friends return to SWAT 4. Have you played… SWAT 4?.
17. Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes
Developer: Steel Crate Games
Publisher: Steel Crate Games
The best example of asymmetry in co-op. It involves two players – one of you is defusing a bomb with judicious mouse clicks and cautious wire snips, the other is giving instructions from a bomb-defusing manual. Neither player can look at what the other is doing. It’s one of the most perfect set-ups for the destruction of a healthy relationship and a fantastic example of leaving the screen itself behind.
You don’t have to print out the manual to read from it (you could just read the PDF file from a laptop) but, like the instruction booklet of SHENZHEN I/O, it’s the best way to play. You flip hurriedly through pages, trying to decipher the theory of these explosive devices. Then comes the challenge of communicating the quirks and symbols of the page in a way that won’t be misunderstood. As a pair, you end up inventing your own verbal shorthand, trying to save valuable seconds by talking with both clarity and speed, carefully enunciating the difference between the phrase “Uh uh” and “Uh huh”.
As the bomb handler, you’re consistently double-checking and second-guessing your team mate as they stammer out their directions. “Cut the red wire,” they’ll say. “No wait, the green wire. No, sorry, sorry. The red one. Yes, I’m sure.” In the end, you’ve got to trust them. Cut the red wire.
Notes: It’s playable in VR, which is probably amazing
Where can I buy it:Straight from the developers or from Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this:Bomb Squad Academy is a single player game of explosion-avoidance
Read more: Adam, Pip and Graham pass their verdict on the co-op bomb-defuser
16. Arma 3
Developer: Bohemia Interactive
Publisher: Bohemia Interactive
Arma 3 takes place on a pair beautiful fictional Greek islands. It does have a single-player campaign, but it’s that island, the vehicles, guns and mechanics, and the painstaking attention to detail, that makes Arma 3 great. It’s a platform for the community to create their own games upon, and there’s enough community made content that if you get into it, you’ll be playing Arma 3’s cooperative mode so long that the standalone version of Day Z will be finished before you’re done.
There’s something about Arma’s design philosophy that makes it especially well suited to playing with other people. Partly there’s the realism, which obviously lends itself well to the kinds of genuine squad tactics you can enact when playing with some dedicated friends or a committed community like ShackTac. Partly it’s the way in which the islands are designed in spite of you, not in service to you, making your steady journeys across the landscape with another person feel more satisfying than overcoming a set of contrived obstacles. Hopefully one of you is a good pilot.
Notes:Wasteland is a mod for Arma 3 that captures the same PvP essence as Day Z, but without the zombies. While holidaying on a Greek island that looks suspiciously similar to one seen in Arma 3, two of Bohemia’s staff members were arrested for espionage for allegedly taking snaps of a military base.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is the game that eventually became the original Arma and is worth a look to see how far the series has come.
Read more:. Read Polygon’s feature about the detention of two of Bohemia’s staff for espionage in Greece.
15. Artemis: Spaceship Bridge Simulator
Developer: Thom Robertson
Publisher: Thom Robertson
Have you ever fantasised about being Captain Kirk? So long as you have five friends who don’t mind you quipping “captain’s log” every time you take a toilet break, Artemis: Spaceship Bridge Simulator is for you. With the need for five friends and five PCs, games take some arranging, but if you can, it’s unlike any other experience you can have in your living room. It’s a game about communication, with the captain barking orders as everyone else panics and fails. When you do succeed, it was all down to the captain. Honest.
Besides the captain, there’s a weapons master, a helmsman, a science officer, an engineer and comms – everyone has a role to play, and their own unique screen of buttons and sliders to fiddle with. Engineers have to divert power where needed, either to warp away or power up the weapons. Science officers have to scan and provide bearings. Everyone is equally important – unless you’re the captain and then you’re the best, obviously – and one person’s failure will mean failure for everyone. It’s like LARPing in your front room, with computers instead of swords.
Notes: People have modded the game to be playable online, but it’s not the experience Thom Robertson envisioned, though he has previously stated he plans to support the modders as much as possible.
Where can I buy it:The official site and Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this:PULSAR: Lost Colony has a similar vibe, and Star Trek Bridge Crew uses VR to the same end
Read more:. Our interview with Thom Robertson. Graham boldly goes with the PC Gamer of 2011.
14. Don’t Starve Together
Developer: Klei Entertainment
Publisher: Klei Entertainment
Now available for free to anyone who already owns Don’t Starve and boasting compatibility with the Reign of Giants expansion, Don’t Starve Together lets you try and survive the Burton-esque nightmare wilderness of Don’t Starve with friends. While you might think it would be easier to survive with someone to huddle up to by the night’s fire, cooperation here won’t just see you chopping up firewood twice as fast – the more players you have, the more competition there is for food.
The trick is to work together instead of fighting over scraps: one of you can cook while another places traps; someone else can be chopping wood ready to stoke the night’s fire. With six players, there’s plenty of scope for creating a sustainable base, so long as everyone sticks to their roles and shares resources. Don’t Starve was already a brilliant story generator and the stories only get better when you’ve got people to share them with by a campfire.
Notes: Klei Entertainment are also working on another expansion, Don’t Starve: Hamlet as well as the RPG Griftlands.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: Outside of Minecraft and Terraria, survival sims like Day Z come closest, although these often have a PvP focus.
Read more: How Klei got excited and gave Don’t Starve Together free to existing Don’t Starve owners before it originally planned to.
13. Killing Floor 2
Developer: Tripwire Interactive
Publisher: Iceberg Interactive
Killing Floor 2 provides a familiar flavour of zombie wave defence (or ‘Zeds’, as the game calls them), tasking you and five other players with welding doors shut, swinging katanas and removing heads with panicked shotgun blasts.
What weapons you start with depends on the class, so while assault rifle equipped characters might be able to pick off Zeds at range, the Support class needs to stop undead that get close by removing half of their head with some buckshot. What makes Killing Floor 2 so great is the feedback: weapons punish trigger-happy players with recoil, body parts fly from enemies with each impact, and claret glistens on the ground, a bloody reminder of each skirmish. Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s dead.
Notes: Killing Floor started life as a mod for Unreal Tournament, with a standalone version released in 2009.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has a wave-based zombie mode where kills give you points to spend on weapons between rounds. Failing that, there’s Left 4 Dead. One of these suggestions made it onto the list and the other didn’t – make of that what you will.
Read more:Rich Stanton’s hands-on with Killing Floor 2.
12. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Developer: Larian Studios
Publisher: Larian Studios
Divinity: Original Sin let you create a character and then suggested it might be fun if you took a friend along. They would make their own character and you’d have adventures together. It was fun, because you got to do all sorts of silly things together and even though the game was fine if you played on your own, everything is better with a friend. Divinity: Original Sin 2 wants you to consider the possibility of playing with multiple friends. It supports up to four players but rather than simply increasing the size of the party, it does something far smarter and more insidious.
This time around, Divinity wants you to consider what might happen if your friends where no longer your friends. They’re colleagues, perhaps, and sometimes they’re rivals. And thus the competitive-cooperative RPG is born. You can take on quests with contradictory objectives, kill that one NPC your best mate really needs to talk to if she’s ever going to get closure on her character’s personal backstory, or poison all of the health potions and then share them with the party after the next battle. It’s a brilliant game however many people you play with, but it’s at its best when you’re playing with a group of your very best frenemies.
Notes: There’s also a GM mode which lets you torture your mates in wholly original ways.
Where can I buy it:On Steam or GOG
What else should I be playing if I like this: Torment: Tides of Numenera is an even wordier take on a complex fantasy world.
Read more: Larian on how the chaos of multipayer made the singleplayer even better, Adam and John pass their verdict
11. Borderlands 2
Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K Games
There’s something compelling about watching numbers float from enemies as you pepper them with automatic weapons, and watching those numbers go higher as the game progresses triggers something inside our lizard brains . We’re all suckers for character progression, compulsively plugging away until the next milestone. One thing that improves this is the existence of your friends and a headset. Borderlands 2 is an MMO without the ‘massively’ – you gather a party of three friends, go into a hub, accept quests from a bunch of NPCs and then go out in the world to complete them.
The quests are generally of the ‘go to place, kill a thing’ variety, but it’s the stories generated by the interactions with your co-op pals that make it special. The game’s procedurally generated weapons guarantee that you’ll come across unique and interesting gear – this often leads to everyone bolting for a weapon chest as soon as they see one, so they can get first refusal. Borderlands 2 is the kind of cooperation where you revive your downed friend after you’ve hoovered up the good stuff.
Notes: Borderlands didn’t always have its trademark cel-shaded visual style and rocked a much more muted look until an 11th-hour change of art.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: Dead Island has the same style of co-op questing, albeit less polished and with a melee focus. If that’s not to your liking, there’s always the original Borderlands or the Pre-Sequel to get stuck into.
Read more: Jim’s Borderlands 2 review.
10. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Chaos Theory bettered the Splinter Cell series. Along with Sam Fisher’s new combat knife came multiple attack angles, contextual animations when approaching enemies, the ability to attack while hanging and the most satisfying palm strike in any game ever. On top of this, it was the first game in the series to use ragdoll physics and introduced a dedicated co-op mode.
The co-op follows two rookie Third-Echelon agents as they take on seven missions which run parallel to the main story. One thing the Splinter Cell games have always done well is making the player feel just vulnerable enough to make each encounter tense. This is why silently popping the lights and taking out a room full of guards with a friend is nearly as satisfying as throwing a brick at a guard’s head just before your friend knocks them out. Sorry, pal!
Notes: Chaos Theory had ‘Mr. Ludonarrative Dissonance’ himself, Clint Hocking, as its Lead Designer. Jesper Kyd and Amon Tobin worked on the score.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: Every Splinter Cell game since Chaos Theory has had a co-op component, but stay away from Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent, as the co-op was only in the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions of the game
Read more:Eurogamer’s Kristan Reed on Chaos Theory.
9. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
You can play through the whole of Vegas 2’s brilliant but flawed campaign with a friend, rappelling down walls, breaching windows and taking out terrorists in unison. While that will keep you busy a while, it’s Terrorist Hunt – a mode where you team up with three buddies to hunt down a set amount of enemies across large sandbox maps – that will keep you coming back.
Guns are powerful and fast; death comes faster. This makes methodically creeping through the maps as a unit, covering corners and assaulting defended positions, an incredibly tense affair. This only ramps up when your squad inevitably gets picked apart on the harder difficulties, right up until three of you are sat watching the lone survivor, the whole success of the mission pinned on them scraping through. It could even be down to you and you’ll feel the tension ramp up as you suddenly become aware of being judged.
Notes: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege is the spiritual successor to this, but is more of a team-based shoot ’em up.
Where can I buy it:Steam and Uplay
What else should I be playing if I like this: Insurgency offers similar tense shootybangs the form of competetive squad-based street combat. SWAT 4 takes you back to urban spec ops and the more tactical leanings of classic Rainbow Six games.
Read more: Rainbow Six Vegas 2 also made it onto our list of the Best FPS Ever.
8. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Bandai Namco
While many are purists when it comes to From Software’s masterful action RPG, refusing to summon help or forcing themselves to equip just underwear whilst wielding only an overgrown twig, Dark Souls is fantastic in co-op. You can jump in with a friend, with a bit of planning, taking turns to help each other through each section. Even without friends, though, Dark Souls will have you forming bonds with silent strangers.
There’s an unwritten etiquette to the Souls games that sees people treating each other with respect, bowing to each other once summoned and waving each other off or cheering after a defeated boss. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of relief when a summoned co-op partner helps you finally beat Ornstein and Smough – the only thing that comes close is paying it back later, becoming the saviour in someone else’s story. Adam said it best in our review: “It’s superb, populating an already haunted world with phantoms and memories, and providing an eventual gateway by which to become an all-but anonymous hero or villain.”
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Notes: Dark Souls was originally going to be called Dark Ring for its Western release. However, once From Software realised that in the UK Dark Ring can conjure images of an anus, the name was changed. It was also almost called Dark Race, but was again changed for obvious reasons.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: Dark Souls 2 offers more of the same, although it’s missing some of the magic of Miyakazi’s focus, with a much larger and less connected world.
Read more:.Here’s how to mod Dark Souls to add high res textures.
7. Spelunky
Developer: Derek Yu
Publisher: Mossmouth
Spelunky is a moreish 2D platformer with roguelike elements that kicks your arse until it straightens your spine. Although the geometry might be constantly shifting with each frequent death, the rules that govern the enemy types remain constant. After a while, reflexes handle the enemies of The Mines – it’s like peeking into another dimension, but instead of losing your mind you become Neo. Can you dodge bullets? Yes.
Co-op changes the rules, making it perfect for seasoned players to team up. You might think things would be easier with more health and attack power, but stunning, whipping and blowing each other up will be a regular occurrence in the claustrophobic confines of the levels. More players only add more complication and four player co-op is chaos, creating more hilarious ways to fail. Timing, as ever, is key. Now see if you can make it to Hell with four players.
Notes: You can download a modded version of the free Game Maker-made Spelunky that includes online co-op.
Where can I buy it: Steam and GOG
What else should I be playing if I like this: Rogue Legacy delivers a similar flavour of procedural 2D sidescrolling, albeit more forgiving and missing a co-op mode.
Read more:Graham Smith on the clever design of Spelunky’s enemies, Spelunky’s level generation explained.
6. Far Cry 4
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
When asked what their favourite thing about Far Cry 3 is, most people will point at the outposts. Far Cry 4 takes it further by adding in the ability to respawn outposts you’ve already destroyed, plonking in four fortresses – like outposts, but more fortressy – and allowing you to take them all on with a friend. There are so many different ways you can tackle them and each features different topography and guard placements, giving them a distinct challenge.
Do you want to creep in, deactivate the alarms and then go loud, or would you rather hang from the side of a gyrocopter as your friend strafes the camp from the pilot’s seat? With the unpredictability of spreading fire and wild animals added in, the co-op can easily become the actual game for many, making the prescriptive single-player missions seem dull by comparison. Now who wants to see if we can wingsuit off this gyrocopter and land in that river?
Notes: Far Cry 5’s entire campaign will be playable alongside your mates.
Where can I buy it:Uplay and Steam
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What else should I be playing if I like this: Arma 3 provides a huge open-world and is also playable in co-op, but it’s more about carefully advancing than riding in on the back of an elephant.
Read more:Here’s the RPS team with a more in-depth look at why Far Cry 4 is one of the best co-op games ever.
5. Diablo III
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Diablo 3 is a beast of a game and it’s playable from start to finish with three friends. Not only is it absolutely huge, but there’s replayability in the different classes and combinations, not to mention the difficulty levels. On lower difficulties it’s kind of meditative – you just explore colourful environments bashing things as the world reacts to your destructive force and you pick up sweeter gear.
Like this, it’s one of the best social games around, requiring little in the way of planning while you chat to your friends and get on with bashing skeletons. Crank it up, though, and your party is in for a world of hurt if you’re not planning, talking about the fight and working together – providing buffs, healing and prioritising targets is essential to victory. It’s easy to pick up, difficult to master and even harder to put down.
Notes: The original Diablo began as a turn-based roguelike with clay character models.
Where can I buy it:Battle.net
What else should I be playing if I like this: Path of Exile is a F2P action RPG that offers seven playable classes and an interesting bartering system in-game.
Read more:Here’s Rich Stanton on Diablo 3’s first expansion, Reaper of Souls.
4. Grand Theft Auto V
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Los Santos is a gorgeous playground, each bend in the road bringing you level with a postcard view – every angle feels scrutinised. Trace a route from the peak of Mt Chiliad, driving down through the dusty plains of the Grand Senora Desert, snaking by the hilltop mansions of Vinewood Hills, cruising on through the twinkling city itself and finally coming to stop at Vespucci Beach – all this, including the skies above and the sea beyond, is your online playground.
Grand Theft Auto Online is stuffed full of co-op scenarios, but the best experiences are found in the Heists. These multi-part missions ask you and three other players to take part in everything from the setup – casing the joint and grabbing getaway vehicles – all the way to the caper itself. While all of them aren’t necessarily heists, each one does an incredible job of making sure all four players are busy. Everyone has their own job to do, sometimes all together, sometimes in pairs and sometimes alone. This, along with the randomness of the open-world’s systems, gives each heist massive replay value. The only real downside is that you really need to play with three friends to get the most out of it. With each heist taking a couple of hours from setup to execution, it can be as difficult to organise as an actual heist.
Notes: Rockstar sued the BBC for creating a drama called Game Changer, which was about the company’s legal duel with Jack Thompson. It starred Daniel Radcliffe as Sam Houser, one of Rockstar’s founders and was kinda naff when it finally came out
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: PayDay 2 offers first-person heisting, but it’s much more focused on just shooting police officers in the face, believe it or not.
Read more:Our review.
3. Minecraft
Developer: Mojang
Publisher: Mojang
Nobody knew how huge Minecraft would be when the alpha released in 2010, but there were hints of it even from the first few hours, when the game’s first players started building rudimentary shapes and sharing screenshots of what they’d created.
Today, Minecraft is played by people of all ages. Part of its appeal, aside from its openness, is the social aspect. Whether helping your child stave off monsters as you build a fantasy land together or collaborating with a group of adults to make a working hard drive, there’s something for everyone.
You can even play it as an RPG, killing mobs with your co-op partner, levelling up and building equipment to grow stronger, with the eventual goal of taking on the final boss, the Ender Dragon. Minecraft is whatever you want it to be and you can play it all with friends.
Notes: Microsoft paid $2.5bn to acquire Mojang.
Where can I buy it:Minecraft.net
What else should I be playing if I like this: Block N Load blends Minecraft’s building elements with an FPS. Terraria is Minecraft if it were a 2D sidescroller.
Read more:Our guide to Minecraft mods and mod packs. Alec Meer Minecraft review.
2. Left 4 Dead
Developer: Turtle Rock Studios/ Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
Left 4 Dead is proof that all you need is a simple idea and an element of chance to make something hard to put down. Although a lot of people prefer its sequel, the foundations were laid by this zombie-infested classic. The AI Director that adjusted each round’s difficulty, pacing and drama made it feel fresher than an ice bath in the Alps and it retains that distinct feel to this day.
Everyone remembers their first encounter with a Witch, hearing its cries as you and your teammates desperately shout at each other to kill your torches. The mix of infected attacking you and the location they spawn stops it feeling repetitive, and it’s all thanks to the AI Director.
Co-op games should reward teamwork and Left 4 Dead nails this by punishing lone wolves with a speedy death. Unlike many co-op games, it works almost as well with strangers as it does with friends – jumping in with a group of random mic warriors only reinforces the apocalyptic fantasy of banding together with people you don’t know.
Notes: Left 4 Dead was inspired by Terror Strike, a mod for Turtle Rock Studios’ own Counter-Strike: Condition Zero.
Where can I buy it:Steam
What else should I be playing if I like this: Its sequel, Left 4 Dead 2 would be a good start. Failing that, there’s the Warhammer-based Vermintide.
Read more:.Kieron Gillen’s review over at Eurogamer.
1. Portal 2
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
What happens when you take a single-player game about traversing intricate puzzle rooms with portals, and then double everything? It becomes twice as complicated and twice as satisfying. Portal 2 already expands on everything introduced in the bite-sized Portal, adding things like Excursion Funnels, Thermal Discouragement Beams, Propulsion Gel and other fancy sounding words, but the addition of another player changes things the most.
Four portals make each room more confusing to explore, especially when you consider both players need to reach the exit. In essence, many rooms require two solutions. Some puzzles require both thought and dexterity, and firing your friend across a chasm by moving a portal while they freefall through another eventually becomes as normal as walking.
There’s a lot of personality in the design of the two robotic protagonists, too – the Laurel and Hardy of robotics. When you’re working together, you’ll be high fiving each other’s metal hands and barking possible solutions through your headset.
If you’re not using chat, Valve were kind enough to provide lots of ways to communicate in-game, with players able to place markers and emote. Every puzzle solution is punctuated by a dance. Portal 2’s co-op is an experience you can’t quite replicate, its systems a perfect balance of cooperation and friendly rivalry. Grab a friend and become the most stupid pair of geniuses around.
Notes: Portal 2’s map editor, the brilliantly named Perpetual Testing Initiative, also now supports co-op mods through Steam Workshop.
Where can I buy it:Steam, of course!
What else should I be playing if I like this: Although you can’t have a similar experience in co-op, Quantum Conundrum and Antichamber offer spatial awareness puzzling in first-person. If you love Portal 2’s personality more than its puzzles, there’s always The Stanley Parable.
Read more:Andrew Smee on some of the best community co-op maps.
Postscript
Before you start screaming about why this list didn’t put the game you want in the place you wanted it in, please try and remember what this list was about: cooperation. So keeping in that spirit, please use the comments to be nice to each other, and to write your own entries for 26-100.
You can see the full list below without all those other pesky words getting in the way.
25. Transformice
24. Warhammer: Vermintide 2
23. Viscera Cleanup Detail
22. Overcooked
21. Dawn of War 2
20. TowerFall Ascension
19. Payday 2
18. SWAT4
17. Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes
16. ARMA 3
15. Artemis Bridge Simulator
14. Don’t Starve Together
13. Killing Floor 2
12. Divinity: Original Sin 2
11. Borderlands 2
10. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
9. Rainbow Six Vegas 2
8. Dark Souls
7. Spelunky
6. Far Cry 4
5. Diablo 3
4. GTA 5
3. Minecraft
2. Left 4 Dead
1. Portal 2
In the most recent update (May 2018)
We kicked out: Trine 2
And introduced: Warhammer: Vermintide 2
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Most of these words are by Kirk McKeand, some are by Brendan Caldwell and Matt Cox, and all the worst ones are by Adam Smith. Co-operation! [Adam Smith has activated friendly fire]
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