The Best PC Games

Taking place in the dying days of the Wild West, Red Dead Redemption 2 has players explore the erau2019s last hurrah in the face of impending modernisation. The world that Rockstar has made is painstakingly detailed and full of life, wonder and opportunity. There are cowboy moments aplenty as the player confronts gangs, governments, wild animals and local hicks in a game thatu2019s nothing short of a cinematic open-world masterpiece. Also available on PS4 and Xbox One.

IO Interactive's final outing with Agent 47 is arguably the pinnacle of the Hitman franchise. Featuring some incredible open-level designs - including one in which 47 goes all Sherlock Holmes in Blighty's Dartmoor - the game refines the Hitman experience to great effect. Itu2019s not just its own content that earns the game its high-status, but the fact that you can pull in levels from Hitman 1 and 2 into this installment for one, centralised experience. Newcomers are going to get just as much from the finale too, and there's plenty of post-game content, with new approaches to each map opening up, countless kill tactics to master and online rankings to climb. On the strength of IOu2019s Hitman trilogy, weu2019re more than ready to see what they can do with James Bond. Also available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Dishonored 2 takes place in a fully realised steampunk world, where grime and industry rubs up against the occult. As either Empress Emily Kaldwin or Royal Protector Corvo Attano, you must find a way to undo a mysterious coup. The game is home to incredible level design, allowing you free reign to achieve your goals, and take out targets, however you please. It comes to us from Arkane Studios, so this gameu2019s accomplishments promise big things for the upcoming release of Deathloop. Also available on PS4 and Xbox One.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pilot a commercial jet flying from New York to Tokyo in real-time? How about whether you could land a prop plane on an uphill slope in the middle of a rainforest? If so, Microsoft Flight Simulator might be for you. Not only does this sim contain a realistic rendering of the entire planet and dozens of aircraft, it runs real-world weather simulation downloaded from the internet. If you've got the rig to run it and the time to master it, youu2019re in for a treat.

Like any good Doom outing, Doom Eternal has players rip and tear their way through a labyrinth of hostility and hellish monstrosities. The chaotic FPS action is relentless and frenetic with plenty of gore and splatter to go around. It looks amazing, it sounds amazing and the controls are silky smooth. Turn it up, and get to killing. Also available on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Letu2019s clear one thing up right away - to play Half-Life: Alyx, you need a PC-powered VR headset, ideally the Valve Index. Chronologically, Alyx comes before the events of Half-Life 2 and sees players return to the dystopian City 17. Valve has taken its time with Alyx, ensuring that the game isnu2019t just some on-rails shooter cashing in on the Half-Life name but a finely crafted and fully formed VR experience that will likely define the VR space for years to come.

In Alien: Isolation, you take control of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, who is part of a team sent to retrieve the Nostromo's flight recorder 15-years after the happenings of the original motion picture. Predictably, things go wrong and you find yourself alone, stranded with hostile humans, androids and an Alien. Because you can't kill the freaky beast, youu2019re forced to adopt a strategy of evasion, using your sparse resources to trick your way to freedom. The survival-horror genre feels like it's designed to capture the essence of 1979's Alien, and thanks to the first-person perspective and atmospheric world, lighting, and sound design, youu2019ll never be free of an unrelenting sense of dread. Also available on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

In 2020, for just a moment (before Cyberpunk 2077 was a thing), World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was the fastest-selling PC game of all time. Not only does this demonstrate that thereu2019s still a thirst for WOWu2019s MMORPGing, but that Shadowlands is offering something truly compelling. The expansion takes place in _WOW_u2019s afterlife realm, which on its own is a pretty cool place to be, but also injects a host of new quests, features and solo-play modes into proceedings.

Death Stranding is Hideo Kojimau2019s walking sim that found its stride on PC, following a mixed reception from console audiences. Set in an open and barren post-apocalyptic world, you painstakingly navigate the landscape to fulfill Sam Bridges delivery missions. Itu2019s a slow burn, but a lot is bubbling under the surface. Thereu2019s also an interesting asynchronous online feature that sees players leave behind equipment to help other players master the landscape. Itu2019s unique, indulgent and idiosyncratic in ways that only a Kojima title can be. Also available on PS4.

Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist game that takes the point-and-click adventure and elevates it, with the influence of David Lynch sitting, not unwelcomely, close to the surface. The episodic narrative follows truck driver Conway as he takes an unexpected journey through a surreal community. The gameplay focuses heavily on storytelling and rewards multiple playthroughs and exploration thanks to the plethora of hidden scenes and events. Oh, and take some time to listen to the soundtrack – it's something special. Also available on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Outer Wilds is as much an experience as it is a game - there's nothing else like it around. Part sci-fi, part mystery and part open-world explorer, the game sees you trapped in a solar system thatu2019s destroyed every 22 minutes by a supernova. As the planets crumble and change around you, you explore, looking for clues that will guide you to the root of the looping death. And then you die. And then you start again, armed with whatever nuggets of information you uncovered in your previous life. Not only is the gameplay innovative and the narrative compelling, but it's also beautiful and has one of the best soundtracks, well, ever. Also available on PS4 and Xbox One. Now on Game Pass.

Ghostrunner takes place in Dharma Tower, a grim cyberpunk building serving as the last bastion of humanity. Here, itu2019s very much the case that if (and when) you donu2019t succeed, die and die again. And by again, we mean dozens and dozens of times. The gameplay is a brutal combination of first-person enemy-splicing swordsmanship and freerunning platforming, with each level demanding the utmost precision because you, the Ghostrunner, can be killed with a single hit. Itu2019s hard, itu2019s infuriating, itu2019s great. Also available on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is brimming with memorable characters, inventive lore and meaningful RPG progression. You take up the role of Geralt, the burly monster hunter and sword for hire, as he quests his way across the lush and sprawling Riva, fighting, magicking, bartering and card gaming his way to victory. The map is vast and world detailed, and the massive quest log will have players engrossed in this award-winning game for hundreds of hours. Also available on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Sid Meieru2019s Civilization series has been a mainstay of PC gaming for decades, drawing in players with its strategy-based gameplay and intelligent treatment of politics, diplomacy and history. The sixth installment might be the best of the bunch, taking the tried-and-tested Civ formula to new depths. Starting from the Stone Age, you will endeavour to develop a world-dominating civilisation that can carry right through to the tech-driven information age. Through the annals of time, youu2019ll encounter historical figures and leaders, each of whom has a plan for the future of civilisation. Also available on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

XCOM 2 is a sci-fi turn-based strategy game that near-enough defines the genre. In it, you command an elite military XCOM squad, rebelling against the tyranny of an alien force. The squad is made up of a mix of classes, from your standard Ranger and Sharpshooter roles, through to the telepathic Psi Operatives. Skirmishes take place in procedurally generated levels, so no two encounters are ever the same. Outside of the fighting, studying fallen aliens and their technology, and upgrading your research facilities, can yield rewards to help further your rebellious efforts. Also available on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Final Fantasy XIV Online is high-fantasy and then some. Set in the huge three-continent world of Hydaelyn, the MMO packs in all of the biomes and areas a Final Fantasy fan could hope for, including snowy mountains, forests, deserts and dense urban cities. Character skill development is rich and intricate, with weapons and armour sets aplenty offering even greater customisation. Though it's now one of the most popular MMORPGs around, FFXIV Online got off to a rocky start. Thankfully, quick and agile minds prevailed and the development team overhauled the systems to create one of the best gaming experiences available today. Currently, Square Enix is letting newcomers play for free until level 60. Also available on PS4.