*PC Games Buyer's Guide*

NOTE: THIS GUIDE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. FEEDBACK APPRECIATED.

PC Games Buyer's Guide

A Gamer's Look at the Best PC Games--Updated Regularly

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Here is a guide to some of the best PC games ever made. Games are organized by genre.

RED=First-person ShooterGreen=Strategy Dark Blue=RPGOrange=MMORPG Brown=Racing and Flight Yellow=MiscellaneousPurple=Retro Light Blue=Indie

FAQ

Q: What is Steam?

A: Steam is a program free for download that allows you to digitally purchase games, among other things.

Q: Why don't you have (insert favorite game here) on the list!?!

A: I may not think it will appeal to most gamers, or perhaps I completely forgot about it! Post a message and I'll consider adding it.

First-Person Shooters

The Orange Box

Price: $40 on Steam

Gamerankings Score: 96/100

If there is one must buy game, this would be the one. The Orange Box includes Half-Life 2 and its first two episodes, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. There is something here for everyone. The Half-Life games are linear, highly-scripted affairs that follow the adventures of Gordon Freeman. Portal is a pseudo puzzle game that can be beaten in 3 hours by most gamers and features some of the wittiest dialogue you'll hear in a game. Team Fortress 2 is a c.lass based multiplayer game with cel-shaded graphics and a lot of character. Although not as competitive as Counter-Strike, TF2 is as much fun as can be had in a game. Valve continues to add more content to the game on a regular basis. You can download demos for Half-Life 2 and Portal on Steam.

Call of Duty 4

Price: $40 at Gogamer.com

Gamerankings Score: 93/100

Infinity Ward's latest and greatest game, CoD 4 is a strictly linear game that features both a singleplayer and multiplayer component. If you like modern warfare games this is a must play. Try out the demo here.

Crysis

Price: $40 at Newegg

Gamerankings Score: 91/100

Cevat Yerli's magnum opus and DirectX10 poster child is the source of much controversy. Although the system requirements are rather high, Crysis is one of the better first-person shooters of the last few years. The game features a Nanosuit that allows you to switch between various powers and semi-sandbox s.tyle play. Crysis is rendered on the Cryengine 2 and features both a singleplayer and multiplayer component. I stress that it is essential that you try out the demo first to see if it will run well on your PC. For more info, see mfsa's video review.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Price: $10 at Gogamer.com

Gamerankings Score: 82/100

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is considered by many to be a flawed masterpiece. Although it has some technical flaws, many have praised the game for its realistic gunplay and immersive atmosphere. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is not a game for everyone, but if you can overcome some of its hurdles you may find yourself rewarded with a very engrossing FPS.

Counter-Strike 1.6/Source

Price: $10 and $20 on Steam

Gamerankings Score: 89 and 88/100

Arguably the most iconic FPS mutiplayer game. Counter-Strike 1.6 is considered by many to be the more "hardcore" version since it is faster-paced and headboxes are smaller. Counter-Strike: Source is perhaps even more popular and uses the Source engine used in other Valve titles. If you're looking for a competitive multiplayer experience and don't mind a bit of a learning curve (and perhaps a lot of taunting), you will probably find Counter-Strike to be a fantastic value.

F.E.A.R.

Price: $30 for F.E.A.R.Platinum or $22.50 at nuLime

Gamerankins Score: 89/100

F.E.A.R. is an intense, horror first-person shooter. Although the horror elements aren't as pronounced as in other games, F.E.A.R. still delivers a lot of terrifying moments. However, it's the enemy A.I. and the gunplay that are the stars of the show here. You can also download F.E.A.R. mutiplayer for free. A word of caution: stay away from the expansion pack Perseus Mandate.

Battlefield Series

Price: Battlefield 2 Complete-$31 at Newegg Battlefield 2142-$23 Newegg

Gamerankings Score: 90/100 and 80/100

The Battlefield series takes large scale multiplayer to new heights. If you're looking for a large team based shooter with modern combat, this may be the series for you. Most people consider Battlefield 2 and it's expansion packs to be the better game, but you may also want to try out the newer 2142 version.

The Chronicles of Riddick

Price: $25 at Gogamer.com

Gamerankings Score: 91/100

Riddick is one of the rare, if not wholly unique, instances where the game is better than the movie. Although it's a forgotten game from 2004, it's still among the best first-person shooters. Make sure you get the director's cut version if you can. For more information on the game, see mfsa's video review.

Serious Sam Series and Painkiller

Price: SS Gold-$10 at JoellyJoel.comPainkiller:Gold-$8.50 at Priceparts

Gamerankings Score: SS First Encounter-84/100 SS Second Encounter-85/100 Painkiller Gold-86/100

Sometimes you're in the mood for a deep, engaging game with a profound plot. At other times, you just want to shoot the hell out of things and not take a second look back. If you are looking for the latter, the Serious Sam series and Painkiller may just be the games for you. Although these titles are older (circa 2001, 2002, and 2004), they offer intense, fast-paced, over the top action. Painkiller also features some pretty epic boss battles. Make sure you get the gold versions of these games for maximum value. For more info, see Greg Kasavin's reviews: First Encounter/Second Encounter/Painkiller

Strategy Games

Starcraft Battlechest

Price:$20 at Amazon

Gamerankings Score: 93/100

Arguably the most iconic real-time strategy game of all time and an integral Blizzard franchise. A good analogy would be Counter-Strike:Multiplayer FPS as Starcraft:RTS. Despite being ten years old, Starcraft remains among the most religiously played games, having evolved into a full-fledged sport in South Korea. You may be put off by the simple, dated graphics, but if you just want a pure, unadulterated RTS, this is a good place to start. Get the Battlechest which includes the Brood War expansion if possible.

Command and Conquer 3

Price: Either $30 or $48 w/Kane's Wrath Expansion at Gogamer.com

Gamerankings Score: 86/100

The Command and Conquer series has always been a cl.assic in the RTS lineup. C&C 3 follows the same vein with traditional gameplay and full motion videos. Some have criticized C&C3 for straying a little too far from the cl.assic formula, while others think that the latest patch breaks the game, but many C&C fans will no doubt find lots to enjoy in this package. If you can, get the game along with the expansion, Kane's Wrath.

Total War Series

Price: Rome: Total War-$14 for Gold edition at AmazonMedieval II: Total War Gold-$38 at Gogamer

Gamerankings Score: 92/100 and 88/100

If you're looking for epic battles set in historic eras, look no further than the Total War series. Rome: Total War should run well on most computers and takes place in the glorious days of the Roman Empire. Medieval II: Total War is more taxing on hardware, but the eye candy may be worth it for some. As the name implies, you will battle with maces and swords of steel among European castles and plains. The expansion pack, Viking Invasion, also features combat in the Middle East and the Americas. The Total War series has a deep turn-based strategic component in addition to the tactical battles. You can try out the official demo for Medieval II on Steam.

Age of Empires Series

Price: AoE II Gold-$20AoE III-$13

Gamerankings Score: 92/100 and 82/100

Age of Empires II is still remembered for being a genre pusher that redefined RTS's as we know them. It is considered a c.lassic by many and takes place int the medieval ages. Age of Empires III is arguably an improved verion of its predecessor, but it didn't leave quite the same impact. It takes place later on starting with the colonial period in the Americas and going through the industrial revolution. AoE III also has two expansion packs, The Warchiefs and The Asian Dynasties. Try out the demo here.

World in Conflict

Price: $38 at Gogamer

Gamerankings Score: 89/100

World in Conflict is a highly tactical, fast-paced RTS that takes place during the fictional World War III in a world where the Cold War never ended. WiC is a very taxing game, so you'll need a multi-core processor and a good graphics card to run it well, but the eye candy is fantastic (keep a lookout for nuclear explosions). If want a tactical modern combat RTS, you may very well like World in Conflict. I recommend you try out the demo to ensure it runs well on your PC.

Sins of a Solar Empire

Price: $40 at Newegg

Gamerankings Score: 88/100

Sins of a Solar Empire is a hybrid game that fuses 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) and real-time strategy gameplay. You command massive space fleets and maneuver them through large galaxies. Sins has a very slow, leisurely pace, so the game isn't for everyone, but once you get past the initial learning curve you will discover a very addictive strategy game. Expect to stay up playing into the wee hours of the night on multiple occasions. If Sins has a major fault, it's that it lacks a singleplayer campaign, but Stardock has already announced that one will be added in the first expansion pack. Sins has a multiplayer component for online play. For more info, see mfsa's video review. Try out the demo to see if you like the pacing.

Company of Heroes

Price: $23.40 for GOTY Edition

Gamerankings Score: 94/100

This is Relic's new WWII franchise. Like many other modern RTS's, CoH focuses more on combat than on base building. Make no mistake though, the tactical strategy is profound. CoH has both a singleplayer campaign and a multiplayer mode with an active community. Graphically the game looks sharp, but system requirements are fortunately moderate. You can try out a demo on Steam.

Dawn of War Series

Price: $30 for Platinum Edition

Gamerankings Score: 87/100

Relic's inspiration for Company of Heroes and a highly regarded fantasy franchise. The game has both a singleplayer campaign and multiplayer. There are numerous expansion packs that add new factions, units, and campaigns. I recommend getting the Platinum Edition which includes the expansion packs Winter Assault and Dark Crusade. You can try out the free demo on Steam.

Supreme Commander

Price: $23 or $40 for Gold edition

Gamerankings Score: 87/100

Supreme Commander is the brainchild of Chris Taylor and the spiritual successor to 1997's Total Annihilation. It features massive fleets composed of land, air, and naval units. The game focuses both on base building and tactics. Supreme Commander's claim to fame is the zoom function, which allows you to zoom out and see the entire battlefield or zoom to where your cursor is positioned. The game does have a steep learning curve. Also, you will need a powerful computer (particularly a beefy CPU) to run the game well with hundreds of units. Try out the demo for yourself.

Warcraft III

Price: $33 for Battlechest

Gamerankings Score: 93/100

Warcraft III is similar to Starcraft in many ways, although it is fantasy themed rather than sci-fi. It still has a fairly active online community, although it doesn't have quite the same following as Starcraft. Recommended if you enjoy Blizzard RTS's.

Galactic Civilizations II

Price: $60 for Ultimate Pack, which includes the game+two expansions

Gamerankings Score: 92/100

Another Stardock strategy game, although unlike Sins of a Solar Empire, Galactic Civilizations is turn-based. As opposed to most modern games, purchasing the expansion packs is absolutely essential to getting the most out of the game which is why I urge you to buy the Ultimate Pack from Stardock. Each expansion pack adds a lot of content and game mechanics, as well as improving both visuals and performance. If you want a very deep, highly polished turn-based game, you won't be making a mistake by getting Galactic Civilizations.

Civilization IV

Price: $15 or $38 for Gold Edition + $20 for Beyond the Sword

Gamerankings Score: 93/100

Sid Meier's cl.assic game is back and better than ever. The Civ series epitomizes the "just one more turn" addictiveness of turn-based games. If you can, buy the game with the expansion packs. Beyond the Sword in particular adds a lot of content to the game and is well worth the $20. Keep in mind that this is a turn-based game, so don't expect any frantic action. Nonetheless, the Civ series will go down in the books as a masterpiece.

RPGs

Mass Effect

Price: $45

Gamerankings Score: 91/100

Mass Effect is the spiritual successor to Bioware's own Knights of the Old Republic. The game takes place in a unique sci-fi universe that draws inspiration from sources such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Blade Runner, etc. Although Mass Effect is an RPG, the combat is more reminiscent to a third-person shooter. Mass Effect's main appeal is the character interaction which allows you to select from multiple responses in realtime. If you are looking for a good sci-fi RPG or have enjoyed the KOTOR series, it is very likely that you will like exploring the galaxy in Mass Effect.

The Witcher

Price: $40

Gamerankings Score: 81/100

The Witcher is based on a series of best-selling Polish novels. You control the Witcher Geralt, who begins the game with no recollection of his past. Aside form this amnesia plot device, the story is relatively deep. The Witcher doesn't need gore or lewd themes to feel mature, although both are present in droves. Instead, it's the witty humor and characters that help bring the world to life and give the game some depth. Although in it's current state the game is rather buggy, in September developer CDProjekt will release a major patch that will address most of its technical issues. If you don't mind a few glitches and are looking for a good "under-the-radar" game you may have missed, you'll surely find something to like in The Witcher.

Elder Scrolls Series

Price: Arena and Daggerfall can be found on Ebay/ $13 for Morrowind GOTY/ $38 for Oblivion GOTY

Gamerankings Score: Daggerfall-79/100 Morrowind-89/100 Oblivion-93/100

The Elder Scroll series consists of Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, and Oblivion. Through the years Bethesda has created a complex world with a lot of lore. The games are set in a fantasy/Medieval setting in the fictitious land of Tamriel. Most consider Morrowind to be the best, but if you don't mind older games then you may enjoy Arena and Daggerfall as well. Oblivion is very controversial. Some love the game, some despise it. If you don't mind a "dumbed down" RPG and are more concerned about combat and graphics than role-playing, you may very well enjoy Oblivion. However, if you are looking for a deep RPG that gives you options, consider getting Morrowind instead. Both Morrowind and Oblivion have enormous mod databases that add significant amounts of content to the games and address some of their most egregious problems.

Jade Empire

Price: $9

Gamerankings Score:81/100

Jade Empire is another RPG made by Bioware set in an Asian universe. You can develop your character based on several martial arts st.yles. Jade Empire is a game worth exploring for the story and setting.

Knights of the Old Republic

Price: Varying prices-Check Amazon.com/or buy as part of the Star Wars collection for $36

Gamerankings Score:93/100

Yet another Bioware RPG and arguably their finest. Set in the Star Wars universe, the game will take you through various Star Wars locales. The combat appears to be realtime, but you select attacks much like in a turn-based game. Your character must make several crucial decisions throughout the course of the game that will impact your allegicance to either light or dark forces. Keep in mind that you may encounter some problems with Vista and newer hardware.

Neverwinter Nights

Titan Quest Gold

Fable: The Lost Chapters

Vampire the Masquerade (another flawed masterpiece)

Reserved for MMORPGs

Guild Wars

WoW

Lord of the Rings Online

Age of Conan

EVE Online

Reserved for Racing and Flight

GTR 2

GRID

Trackmania Nations

rFactor

Flight Simulator X

Reserved for Miscellaneous

Psychonauts

Mafia

Max Payne 2

Longest Journey Series

Sam and Max Season 1 and 2

Indigo Prophecy (I may not add it)

Sims games

GTA: San Andreas

Thief Series

No One Lives Forever series (based on recommendation by RobbieH1234)

American McGee's Alice

Beyond Good and Evil

Reserved for Retro

Half-Life

Doom

Quake Series

Command and Conquer Series

Total Annihiliation

Homeworld

Diablo

Baldur's Gate

Might and Magic Series

Lucas Arts Adventure games (Grim Fandango, Monkey Island series, Sam and Max originals)

System Shock 2

Planescape: Torment

Fallout 1 and 2

Myst Series

Deus Ex

Leisure Suit Larry Series

King's Quests

Reserved for Indie Games

Audiosurf

Darwinia

Aquaria

Narbacular Drop

Great Job! Good luck in further progress - always love threads like these. :)Begemott

Thanks. I hope to finish the guide within the next couple days if not sooner. If anyone has any feedback that would be appreciated (constructive criticism please:) ). I've kept the descriptions short intentionally to help forumgoers quickly sift through the games. Here's a full list of the games I plan on adding, recommendations are appreciated:

Strategy

Civilization 4

C&C 3

Starcraft

Warcraft III

AoE Series

Total War Series

Sins of a Solar Empire

World in Conflict

Supremme Commander

Company of Heroes

Dawn of War

Galactic Civilizations

RPG

Diablo

Elder Scrolls Series (Probably not Oblivion:? )

Neverwinter Nights

Mass Effect

KOTOR

The Witcher

Titan Quest Gold

Jade Empire

Fable: The Lost Chapters

Vampire the Masquerade (another flawed masterpiece)

MMORPGS

Guild Wars

WoW

Lord of the Rings Online

Age of Conan

EVE Online

Racing and Flight

GTR 2

GRID

Trackmania Nations

rFactor

Flight Simulator X

Miscellaneous

Psychonauts

Audiosurf

Mafia

Longest Journey Series

Sam and Max Season 1 and 2

Indigo Prophecy (I may not add it)

Sims games

GTA: San Andreas

Thief Series

Retro

Half-Life

Doom

Command and Conquer Series

Total Annihiliation

Homeworld

Baldur's Gate

Might and Magic Series

Lucas Arts Adventure games (Grim Fandango, Monkey Island series, Sam and Max originals)

System Shock 2

Planescape: Torment

Fallout 1 and 2

Myst Series

Indie

Darwinia

Aquaria

Narbacular Drop

Nice so far. But im curious as to your choice of retailers on where to buy. Almost every game you have listed in cheaper at gogamer.com. Stalker is only $10. European CoD4 is $40. The rest of the titles are cheaper by about 2 or 3 bucks at gogamer.XaosII

Thanks for the heads up. I'll update the thread. Also, I tried to factor in shipping to the total cost.

Can you also post deals from european sites? I once had a bad experience when I ordered from outside the continent.ZuluEcho14

First let me just finish the basic guide, I still have a lot to do. Once all is said and done though, I can try and find some good European prices.

Add:

No One Lives Forever & No One Lives Forever 2 to FPS.

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura to RPG.

Heroes of Might and Magic 2 & 3 to retro.

Add:

No One Lives Forever & No One Lives Forever 2 to FPS.

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura to RPG.

Heroes of Might and Magic 2 & 3 to retro.

RobbieH1234

I'll have to add No One Lives Forever, probably to Retro though. Thanks for the recommendation!

- Another section you can do is Free Games (not mini games)

Quake live, Battlefield free game, Wolfenstein: enemy territory, etc

- On the side note, keep doing the order you're doing. Getting the games names, updating the games list (info, pic, other stuff), then the price.

- Gotta add Quake :P

- I gotta go right now, ill give more suggestions later

You have to add Audiosurf for the Indy game sectionnevereathim

It's under miscellaneous, but now that you mention it, it should go under Indie. Thanks!

You forgot to add Quake III Arena. It's 9 years old but highly competitive. Oh and you might wanna think of adding a Future Release list for possible AAA titles like Spore, STALKER and Project Origin. Just the possibly-AAA games though.TheBigBadGRIM

I totally forgot about Quake! I'll add it to retro. I won't do a future release list because it could confuse some people. Besides, we don't know if these games will be any good yet.:P I'll just add new games once I read some reviews and deem them worthy.

- Another section you can do is Free Games (not mini games)

Quake live, Battlefield free game, Wolfenstein: enemy territory, etc

- On the side note, keep doing the order you're doing. Getting the games names, updating the games list (info, pic, other stuff), then the price.

- Gotta add Quake :P

- I gotta go right now, ill give more suggestions later

Begemott

Thanks for the advice. I'll add Quake. I'll probably include free games and mods under the Indie games section when I get to it.

Riddick was released on both Xbox and PC in 2004, not 2005. Other than that, awesome guide!

Riddick was released on both Xbox and PC in 2004, not 2005. Other than that, awesome guide!

gotcha455

Ooops! I didn't know it was that old, I'll correct that.

Great Thread, brilliant with lots of work but into it, however some demos, like Company Of Heroes's are right here at gamespot which might be a good thing to mentiongamerguy845

Yeah, but unless you're a Total Access subscriber, download speeds tend to be a little on the slow side.

where is max payne 2?

fantastic thread!!:D

Can you add Grim Fandango into retro? It's teh best game eva!noswear

I already did (Lucasarts Adventure games).

where is max payne 2?

fantastic thread!!:D

jpph

I'll add it now. Thanks for the recommendation.

Great list but where's Dungeon Keeper?thusaha

I don't know anything about Dungeon Keeper. If you could give me some info about it, I might add it.

Not to flame but what is the point of putting all the games people already know are good and putting where to buy commonly avaiable games at retail price? This thread should focus on something we haven't all heard of or else its a lot of work for nothing.adrake4183

A lot of people who frequent these forums have recently purchased new PCs and are looking for some good games to play. I thought a guide like this could cut down on these threads.

[QUOTE="adrake4183"]Not to flame but what is the point of putting all the games people already know are good and putting where to buy commonly avaiable games at retail price? This thread should focus on something we haven't all heard of or else its a lot of work for nothing.BlueBirdTS

A lot of people who frequent these forums have recently purchased new PCs and are looking for some good games to play. I thought a guide like this could cut down on these threads.

oh, i thought you were trying to write a guide as to where you can find these (good) games for cheap(est).

well, no matter. still a good idea, i guess.

There are so many indie games, but these are some of the best of the best:

Cave Story

La-Mulana

Nifflas's games(Within a Deep Forest, Knytt, Knytt Stories)

Crayon Physics

Also, great idea on the guide. Hopefully it can cut down on the hundreds of "recommend me a game in x genre" threads.

[QUOTE="noswear"]Can you add Grim Fandango into retro? It's teh best game eva!BlueBirdTS

I already did (Lucasarts Adventure games).

Oh whoops, and thanks. It is a great game.

No Grim Fandango?AnotherKill

Oh, but there is! ;)

i just noticed - you have diablo in rpg but bg series in retro? what's up with that? and no sierra adventure titles, like king's quest series, space quest series, police quest series, quest for glory series, phantasmagoria, gabriel knight series, and leisure suit larry series? many of them are still available.fireandcloud

Yeah, I wasn't terribly consistent. I haven't played any Sierra adventure games, but I'll add them. I just know a few people who personally hate the King's Quest series, but I suppose it's still regarded as a cl.assic.

Also, you've got to keep in mind that I can't include every game made under the sun. Perhaps to a dedicated gamer like you who has nostalgic memories of these fantastic games they are worth mentioning, but does the average Joe really want to hear about all these games? I want to keep this guide accessible if possible.