The 100 best PC videogames according to PC Gamer

[Cyan]

no star control.
No sierra titles.
No space sims.
No RTS titles.
No simulations.

Amazing list. 10/10 would recommend to those born after 2000.

the list is not that bad for the media stereotype gamer, it's not just a couple of the most popular genres at least, but it seems to be a list made for the games of the last 2 years or within the last console cycle, games like Command & Conquer or Total Annihilation don't appear at all. Some games just don't seem to belong and the ranking is terrible. Doom 2 at the middle of the list is a joke, for instance.

Skyrim also deserves a better place. It is still played these days and mod support never ceases, and expands the game, something which is quite important in PC gaming. I don't recall seeing Warcraft either, though I didn't play it, but it is a very important game in the PC world.

I'd also add Dragon Age, The Witcher and Vampire: The Masquerade Redemption (great great story).

Editors for digital publications have clearly stated that these "list of X best things on Y subject" are made mostly to attract ad revenue.
It makes sense. If you don't know what to play you'll google "best PC games to play right now". If you want a new camera under $300 and know nothing about cameras you start by googling "best camera under $300", even if you end up doing a bit more research afterwards.
These articles are great for revenue from search engines.


As for the list itself, I guess the list seems complete enough but I don't really see the reasoning behind each title's positioning. It's definitely not sales because Star Craft and Skyrim aren't even in the top 20. It's not any kind of metascore either.
Who or how does someone get to decide that an indie visual novel is better than Skyrim or Bayonetta?

maybe just because everyone's preferences are entirely subjective, but if that's the case that isn't very professional, because popularity and metascore or repercussion are the factor that should be considered first before, and not just one's personal taste.

And you don't need to be a expert on the PC to know that. I barely played Dark Souls for instance but I think it should be there too

 

[Pressure]

Sid Meier's Civilization, Dune II: Battle for Arrakis, Populous, Diablo II, Street Fighter II, The Secret of Monkey Island, R-type II, Xenon 2, Day of the Tentacle, Another World, Prince of Persia, The Chaos Engine, Mega lo Mania, Shadow of the Beast, Speedball 2, Flashback, Gods, Syndicate, Starcraft, Beneath a Steel Sky ... just to name a few.

 

[eloic]

Sid Meier's Civilization, Dune II: Battle for Arrakis, Populous, Diablo II, Street Fighter II, The Secret of Monkey Island, R-type II, Xenon 2, Day of the Tentacle, Another World, Prince of Persia, The Chaos Engine, Mega lo Mania, Shadow of the Beast, Speedball 2, Flashback, Gods, Syndicate, Starcraft, Beneath a Steel Sky ... just to name a few.

I. LOVE. YOU.

 

[Grall]

I would like to add the Dungeon Keepers as well. I dunno though, maybe people didn't care for these? No idea. Anyway, I thought they were brilliant, heh. Especially the 2nd; the new rooms and monsters created some quite interesting gameplay.

Some aspects needed work, tho. The AI was pretty rotten, monsters having difficulty prioritizing - like knowing they should fight invading heroes rather than frolick away in the torture chamber for example. After all, they are monsters. They should love to fight above all else. Also, the gameplay mechanic of picking up monsters on your hand and just dropping them wherever you wanted/needed in your territory seemed a band-aid to cover the weak monster AI.

I also wanted to be able to BUILD walls, not just chop them down...

There were bugs galore in Dungeon Keeper 2 as well. Monsters getting stuck in the prayer pools for example - sometimes getting sacrificed through no player action as I recall. Also, they could get pissed off for no discernible reason, and no amount of food or gold or punishment would placate them. And certain monster types constantly getting into fights in your own dungeon (and killing each other if you didn't notice in time) was tedious. (This isn't a bug tho - it's intended behavior...)

But overall small complaints.

I loved creating skirmish games and just dig out huge territories with endless warrens of treasure room tunnels (ok, not precisely endless...), making them glitter with gold in the torchlight. Really beautiful, so classy. The most amazing treasure rooms you can imagine, really great. The greatest, I have the greatest treasure rooms - *ahem*

Shoo with you Donald! Off with you. Stop making me channel you!

 

[Bludd]

I wonder if you guys read the intro to the article. They have a link there to the top 50 games which shaped pc games. This top 100 is just their favourites now, that is why it is top-loaded with recent stuff.

 

[iroboto]

I wonder if you guys read the intro to the article. They have a link there to the top 50 games which shaped pc games. This top 100 is just their favourites now, that is why it is top-loaded with recent stuff.

Admittedly I didn't.

That being said, explains a lot. Still a poor list.

 

[Bludd]

Admittedly I didn't.

That being said, explains a lot. Still a poor list.

In the context of "100 best pc games ever" yes
but in the context they stated "100 best pc games right now" it is as good as any list, and of course they want to be controversial, that's how you get readers in this click-bait world we live in.

 

[iroboto]

In the context of "100 best pc games ever" yes
but in the context they stated "100 best pc games right now" it is as good as any list, and of course they want to be controversial, that's how you get readers in this click-bait world we live in.

yea, I mean I get those aspects. It appeared to be lacking some staples that are still current and alive and well today.

 

[eloic]

The title is misleading. Yes, they clarify it later ("now"), but the main title just says "best PC games".

Plus, there are quite old titles in the list, so... why are some classics "now" and some others aren't?

 

[PSman1700]

https://www.pcgamer.com/au/22-years...HI97awPYM9ctaRm9saxip2RT9DP_QEApT7NFrWe7DFnSA

Article on HL2, didn't know where to post this otherwise

 

[Cyan]

https://www.pcgamer.com/au/22-years...HI97awPYM9ctaRm9saxip2RT9DP_QEApT7NFrWe7DFnSA

Article on HL2, didn't know where to post this otherwise

HL2....heheheh, it's a game I played a lot later than its release date but I remember it fondly because the campaign was very fun and because to me the "ingame" cinematics was a big deal and completely caught my attention because I was used to see a cinematic -sometimes boring- for every single dialogue with more than 10 words.

 

[Davros]

why are some classics "now" and some others aren't?

I'm guessing because they are still on sale

 

[eloic]

I'm guessing because they are still on sale

Quite an old post to quote.

Maybe...