The Best PC Games for 2021
Adventures of Pip (for PC)
Tic Toc Games' Adventures of Pip is a side-scrolling, action-platforming game that has an interesting premise: evolving and devolving a pixel-based hero between his 1-bit and 16-bit forms to fight through level after level of goons and bosses. The unique premise, rich environments, and fun gameplay combine to form a title with a lot of heart and charm, despite the limited scope of its weapons and power-ups.
Axiom Verge (for PC)
Batman: Arkham City
Bayonetta (for PC)
The original Bayonetta is one of the best action games ever made, and it easily stands alongside such genre classics as God Hand, Devil May Cry 3, and Ninja Gaiden Black. Bayonetta features explosive action, and it tests your combo prowess against every divine creature in the good book. Despite Bayonetta's poor PlayStation 3 performance, this PC port is excellent. It delivers the action at a rock-solid frame rate and a range of uncommon resolutions, which makes this version the definitive angel-slaying experience.
Blazing Chrome (for PC)
Simply put, the JoyMash-developed Blazing Chrome is one of the best run-and-gun shooters ever made. In its Terminator-like world, one wrecked by a robot apocalypse, you control characters toting high-powered weaponry designed to obliterate legions of mechanical enemies. Across the games' six stages you experience chunky explosions, wild multiplayer action, and hulking bosses. It doesn't do much to push the genre forward with fresh gameplay features, but Blazing Chrome's does nearly everything right.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (PC)
Lego Marvel Super Heroes is a near-perfect blend of three wonderful childhood staples: comic books, video games, and, well, Lego. Steeped in Marvel Comics goodness, Lego Marvel Super Heroes puts players in the role of superheroes—including the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man—who are tasked with recovering all-powerful Cosmic Bricks before top-tier baddies such as Loki, Dr. Doom, and Magneto get their hands on them. The open-world game features fun brick-bashing action and light puzzle challenges.
Mega Man Legacy Collection (for PC)
Capcom, in collaboration with Digital Eclipse, revisits Mega Man's past with a package that does the original six NES Mega Man games justice. Besides featuring high-definition versions of the classic 8-bit games, the collection contains new trial challenges, leaderboards, video replays, and developer art. It's one of the best retro compilations around. Besides the recent Rare Replay, Mega Man Legacy Collection is the closest to a video game equivalent of the Criterion Collection the medium has seen. If you're a Mega Man fan, consider this a must-have collection.
Metal Slug 3 (for PC)
Run-and-gun video games have a long history of thrilling fans with high-octane, shoot-everything-that-moves action, but few do it better than SNK's Metal Slug 3. Originally released to the Neo Geo platform in 2000, the acclaimed Metal Slug 3 has appeared on nearly every console and handheld since then—and now it's available for PCs. In this title, you control adorable, armed-to-the teeth soldiers who defend Earth from an alien invasion using guns, rocket launchers, and the eponymous Metal Slug tanks. Metal Slug 3 is a genre masterpiece due to its charming (and hyper-violent) cartoony graphics, tough-as-nails challenges, creative weapons, and varied level design.
Shock Troopers (for PC)
If you have the "I want to squash all threats to the republic" itch that's risen in recent days, do yourself a favor and play SNK's Shock Troopers. This run-and-gun action game tasks you with saving a biotech genius from The Bloody Scorpion terrorist organization by going into battle using a single soldier (Lonely Wolf mode) or a three-person squad (Team Battle mode). Cool weapons, fun vehicle-based levels, branching pathways, and co-op play make for a very entertaining, G.I. Joe-like experience.
Shovel Knight
Retro "8-bit" side-scrolling indie platformers have flooded the video game market, and it's easy to discount the entire genre as an easy-to-develop cash-in on nostalgia. Then there's Shovel Knight from Yacht Club Games, a studio created by former WayForward Technologies director Sean Velasco. You play as a shovel-toting knight who must rescue his partner, Shield Knight, from dastardly foes. It's an incredibly satisfying and expertly crafted platformer that recalls games like DuckTales and Mega Man, but also has some of the most authentic NES-style graphics to appear in the HD era.
The Walking Dead: Episode 2 - Starved For Help
The Walking Dead is back! After disappearing from digital marketplaces when developer Telltale Games went under, the touching and harrowing The Walking Dead returns to life courtesy of publisher Skybound Games. The choice-based adventure game puts you in the role of Lee, a former professor and convicted criminal who tries to survive a zombie invasion while safeguarding a young girl named Clementine. Keep some tissues close for the ending.
Please note that PCMag didn't review this new five-part series collection, but we did review chapter one and chapter two back when they were available individually.
The Wolf Among Us (for PC)
The Wolf Among Us, a game that's a canonical prequel to Bill Willingham's popular Fables comic book series, features a well-written story, light puzzle-solving challenges, and reflex-testing Quick Time Event (QTE) sequences. The visually striking title draws inspiration from film noir cinema, while keeping the heavy black outlines and bright colors associated with its source material. The murder-mystery isn't particularly challenging, but if you want to spend a few hours in an immersive world filled with interesting characters and top-notch voice acting, The Wolf Among Us should find a home in your PC gaming library.
Treachery in Beatdown City (for PC)
On the surface, Treachery in Beatdown City appears to be a strict homage to classic beat ‘em up games from the 1980s and 1990s. However, the brawler's menu-driven, tactical combo system and biting urban satire reveals a game that's radically different than what's come before it. Developed by Nuchallenger, Treachery in Beatdown City is a fun indie game that requires you to use your brain to battle the way through the gentrification elements that plagues a fictional city's streets, but its pace may prove too slow for traditional beat 'em up fans. Tactics fans, on the other hand, may dig it.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (for PC)
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life serves as a delightful, action-packed conclusion to Kazuma Kiryu's gangster-filled story. The beat-'em-up game features streamlined controls, fun boss bottles, and the oddball happenings you'd expect to find in the ridiculous, fictional Tokyo district of Kamurocho. It's a bit on the easy side, though.
The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition (for PC)
The King of Fighters '98 is widely regarded as 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, stages, and gameplay modes. Now, a tweaked Ultimate Match is available for PCs as The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match Final Edition, a game that rebalances the massive 64-character roster and adds Steam trading cards and achievements. Final Edition's gameplay retains its predecessor's wonderfully deep and flexible fighting mechanics, but it's missing features that were present in the beloved PS2 version.
Dead Island (PC)
When Techland's Dead Island trailer debuted, it featured one of the most moving video game sequences ever produced: a small child and her family being slaughtered by zombies against the backdrop of a soft, haunting Giles Lamb musical score. Dead Island's gameplay doesn't quite match the trailer's promise, but the open-world action-RPG offers a very solid zombie-slaying good time as you craft weapons and try to stay alive in an island paradise gone wrong.
Dead Rising 2: Off The Record (PC)
Frank West returns to zombie-slaying action in Dead Rising 2: Off The Record. Capcom's reimagining Dead Rising 2 sees the gruff photojournalist facing off against a wider array of monsters, building new weapons, snapping photos, and best of all, mixing it up in a new open-world sandbox mode. Stomping the undead is fun—for a while—but bugs and repetitive gameplay keep Dead Rising 2 from achieving true greatness.
Resident Evil HD Remaster (for PC)
Nearly 20 years after its debut, Resident Evil returns as an HD remaster of the 2002 GameCube remake of the 1996 original. Resident Evil HD Remaster brings the remake back from the dead by unshackling the game from Nintendo's console and bringing it to PC. However, Capcom had some trouble during the transition to HD. The remake's gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds and video cutscenes were difficult to update for the modern era of widescreen displays and maxed-out resolutions. As a result, there's a mish-mash of uneven quality backgrounds, many of them inferior to the GameCube originals. Don't let that deter you, though. Resident Evil HD Remaster is still a great zombie-blasting game, even if it is a little worse for the wear.
Resident Evil Village (for PC)
Resident Evil Village is a direct Resident Evil 7 follow-up that continues Ethan Winters’s story by dropping him in a new locale, the eponymous village in a fictional Eastern European country. Although Resident Evil 7's first-person camera remains, Capcom mixed older flavors into the pot. Village walks like a remix of Resident Evil 4, with gameplay that hews closer to RE2 or Code Veronica. Village is bigger and weirder than its grounded predecessor, but it doesn’t go into full action hero mode like Resident Evil 5 or 6. Village is an excellent survival-horror game that shouldn't be missed.
Dota 2 (for PC)
"Easy to learn, hard to master" is a phrase commonly heard in gaming circles, but few titles exemplify the idea more than Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2). This free-to-play MOBA game tasks you with selecting one of 111 playable Heroes to take to the battlefield, utilizing the character's unique abilities, play style, and attributes to help your team achieve victory. Dota 2 lacks Paragon's graphical flair, and it doesn't have Smite's many unique play modes, but it is the best and most balanced MOBA on PC.
Bejeweled 3
Bejeweled 3, when compared to its predecessors, is a gold rush of new features and enhancements. Skeptics who previously found little appeal in gem-swapping will enjoy new objective-oriented modes, be it saving butterflies, digging for gold, shattering ice, or concealing a poker hand. Bejeweled 3 doesn't remake the franchise, but that isn't the aim. For the millions who already enjoy it on computers, websites, and mobile phones, Bejeweled 3 polishes an already shining gem.
Papo & Yo
Papo & Yo, a puzzle-platformer from Minority, crossed over to PC from PlayStation Network with grace and style. This tale of a boy and a monster takes places in an imaginative world filled with South American-style houses, reason-defying physics, and a heartfelt story that explores the relationship between a child and an alcoholic, abusive parent.
Portal 2
Valve's original Portal was noteworthy for its witty and acerbic dialogue, creativity in blending the previously incompatible brain-teasing-puzzle-game and first-person-shooter genres, and relative shortness. With Portal 2, Valve has left intact the first quality, expanded and elaborated on the second, and done a bit to address the third. What this adds up to is a sequel that stands up proudly to the original, updating the characteristics that made it a distinctive success without dulling their memory. Limited multiplayer and post-campaign options slightly diminish the replay factor, but in almost every way Portal 2 is just as amusing and exhilarating as its predecessor.
Diablo III (PC)
Blizzard seems to be one of the few companies committed to sticking with old-school expansions for its games and not just DLC packs. World of Warcraft received several large, and full-priced expansions, as did Diablo III, with Reaper of Souls. The add-on contains a good chunk of content that, with some much-needed tweaks to the base Diablo III, make the whole game feel fresh and fun.
Disco Elysium- The Final Cut (for PC)
If you don’t think video games should have politics, don’t play Disco Elysium - The Final Cut. If you don’t think games should aspire to say something, this detective-RPG isn’t the game for you. That’s not to say the game is a manifesto. The way it cynically, yet thoughtfully, criticizes a range of ideologies reveals the game’s politics aren’t nearly as narrow you might expect. But this isn’t wishy-washy centrism. Disco Elysium’s sympathies ultimately lie with working people and movements that center their best interests, despite asking you to play as cops on the other end of that equation. The brilliant role-playing mechanics and richly realized world would be impressive no matter the story, but Disco Elysium’s beating, thematic heart makes it the best PC game you can play at this moment in history.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series has consistently been on the front lines of RPG immersion, giving you ever bigger and more elaborate realms to explore. The quantum strides made in Morrowind (2002) and Oblivion (2006) continue in Skyrim, which provides the most delicious perspective to date on this fascinating world over which you have almost complete control. It's no challenge to set yourself up as a warrior, a wizard, or a pickpocketing miscreant, of either gender, of any of ten species, and with just the physical and facial characteristics you desire.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (for PC)
The Mass Effect trilogy is one of the most influential franchises in video games. Its utopian futuristic setting, endearing characters, and gripping narrative put it on par with the science fiction greats. We’ve heard the title “this generation’s Star Wars” bandied about for numerous franchises, but Mass Effect actually lives up to (and sometimes exceeds) that lofty proclamation. Because of its importance to video games and the sci-fi genre, Mass Effect was overdue for an update that improved the graphics and tightened the controls. While not perfect, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is the best way to experience these modern-day classics.
Mass Effect 3
When the fate of the galaxy is in your hands, how often does it feel like it's really in your hands? It does in Mass Effect 3. Picking up where Mass Effect 2 left off, Mass Effect 3 thrusts you back into the persona of Commander Shepard, who's standing at the brink of one of the most daunting challenges ever. He's tasked with nothing less than rescuing the Earth, and the entire Milky Way, from the clutches of the all-consuming Reapers that are threatening them as never before. Packed with action, character development, and customizability that transcend what you find in most games, Mass Effect 3 is an entertaining and frequently engrossing trip into the psychology of helplessness, if one that doesn't realize all of its towering ambitions.
Nioh 2: Complete Edition (for PC)
Nioh 2 is a fantastic sequel that takes challenging combat, stat-allocating RPG elements, and gear-based character builds, and frames it within a Sengoku-era story that marries real historical figures and Japanese mythology. The original game's thrilling, technical action returns, but adds four new weapon types, yokai abilities that let you summon supernatural attacks, and an incredibly useful counterattack mechanic. If you like hardcore action and tweaking character builds, Nioh 2 is a RPG to pick up without hesitation.
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (for PC)
At a glance, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth shares much in common with Konami’s classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The games are similar, visually and tangibly, which is great if you’re looking to fill the undead-slaying void that Konami left behind once the developer shelved the Castlevania franchise. Wonder Labyrinth features excellent 2D visuals, tight controls, and clever element-swapping mechanics that expands the combat and exploration. The action-RPG is a bit short due to its linear progression, but the PC game is a satisfying Castlevania homage that tweaks the gameplay enough to feel fresh.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (for PC)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the final installment in CD Projekt Red's action-RPG series. Geralt of Rivia sets out one last time to slay beasts, collect bounties, and protect the child of destiny. CD Projekt Red changes the game formula by introducing a massive, open world filled with monsters to hunt and quests to undertake. But it also greatly improves the series' combat by making alchemy more accessible and tightening the action controls. The rich story narrative that drives the game is rife with tragedy, folkloric horror, humor, and intrigue, keeping you on your toes every step of the way.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (for PC)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon isn’t a game anyone expected, but it’s exactly the change that the franchise needed. Its turn-based combat system retains the classic Yakuza freneticism that series veterans love, while also serving as a newcomer-friendly jumping-on point that encapsulates everything that makes the series great. Even if you don't fancy yourself a JRPG lover, you may dig this title due to its enthralling world, memorable characters, and fast-paced combat.
Borderlands 2
Gearbox Entertainment and 2K Games take you back to the warzone with Borderlands 2, the sequel to the hit apocalyptic RPG-shooter that isn't Fallout. If you played the original Borderlands, you understand this game. You play a Vault Hunter, a treasure hunter looking for an alien vault on the barely colonized planet of Pandora. While doing so, you cut a swath of death through thousands of Mad Max-style raiders, mutant animals, and robots. Throughout your adventure, you level up your character in an RPG-like fashion, and collect hundreds of different guns, each with its own unique stats and attributes.
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops is less like a traditional first-person shooter than it is a plunge into someone else's fever dream. A jolting collection of intense action sequences, haunting writing, and ultra-dark humor, this installment in the popular franchise revitalized the historical-fiction FPS genre. Though its captivating campaign is on the short side, it's loaded with additional things to do, including cooperative and competitive multiplayer scenarios and plenty of unlockable extras.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Let's start with what will be the meat of the Black Ops II experience for many: multiplayer mode. Developer Treyarch has not toyed significantly with the formula, giving players numerous options for facing off against others across the country and around the globe. The missions include Team Deathmatch, Free-for-All, Search & Destroy, Capture the Flag, and eight others; you can also engage in two types of Combat Training runs to hone your skills, or play four Party Games that put interesting for-entertainment-only spins on the weapons you can use and the rules you play by.
Far Cry 4 (for PC)
Far Cry 4 is a fun sandbox of shooting with an interesting land to explore and tons of missions to find and collectibles to grab. It slavishly follows Far Cry 3's structure, but when the action is this entertaining, hard to complain. Far Cry 4 doesn't do much new, but it's an enjoyable and good-looking excuse to spend some hours stomping through jungles and sniping people from towers.
Star Wars: Battlefront (for PC)
Star Wars Battlefront II does many things right. It has top-notch environments, thrilling multiplayer modes, and engaging mechanics that will have you piloting ships and swinging lightsabers deep into the night. That said, an uproar over this first-person shooter's included microtransactions tanked its reputation at launch, causing publisher Electronic Arts to quickly reverse course and temporarily remove all microtransactions from the game on the eve of its release. Microtransactions will strike back in some form, however, in the near future.
Elite: Dangerous (for PC)
If you want to appreciate the vastness of space, play Elite: Dangerous. This PC game by Frontier Developments is a crowdfunded follow-up to the classic Elite series of space sims. It's a game that gives you a ship, a handful of equipment, and a full tank of fuel, then sets you out on your own in the vast cosmos. It's huge, slow, deliberate, and open, and it will reward players with the patience stay with it. And if you need helping deciding where to fly, check out our favorite Microsoft Flight Simulator destinations.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination (for PC)
It’s rare for a video game to receive a full sequel nearly two decades after its release. The first Evil Genius, released to PC in 2004, was a curious mix of another PC gaming classic, Dungeon Keeper, and the James Bond spy films. Evil Genius received decent reviews, but it didn't get a sequel to expand the concept—until now. Evil Genius 2: World Domination is very much the child of that first game. In fact, it almost feels like a clone, but with improvements courtesy of updated technology and new features. Evil Genius 2 works because the original title was such a great PC game, so more of the same is a good thing. Despite that, this sequel has a few rough edges carried forward from the classic entry, and new features that could use better implementation.
The Pinball Arcade (for PC)
Pinball—the classic game of reflexes, luck, and spatial recognition—isn't nearly as popular as it was 25 years ago, but its legacy of tables, flippers, and gaudy lights lives on in FarSight Studios' The Pinball Arcade. Unlike Pinball FX 2, a pinball collection for PC gamers that features original tables from popular entertainment properties, The Pinball Arcade focuses on recreating classic real-world pinball machines from renowned manufacturers Bally, Gottlieb, Stern, and Williams. The result is a collection that looks, sounds, and feels like the pinball games of yore. Amassing all of your favorite tables could be a serious investment, however, because of the way game's season packs are organized.
Rocksmith 2014 Edition - Remastered (for PC)
In the mid- to late- aughts, Guitar Hero and its evolutionary spin off, Rock Band, gave people with zero musical talent the opportunity to realize their dreams by playing instrument-based karaoke with plastic axes. Now, they can learn to play the real deal with Ubisoft's Rocksmith 2014 Edition Remastered. The "game" teaches you the intricacies of learning bass, lead, and rhythm guitar via dynamic challenges, mini-games, and instructional videos. An enormous assortment of downloadable songs (which cost extra) ensures that your music library stays fresh.
The Sims 3 (for PC)
With The Sims 3, the Sims series has finally grown up. No longer are the Sims just digital action figures in a big dollhouse. The new Sims have personalities, goals, and unique body types and hairstyles. The Sims themselves aren't the only thing overhauled in this release, either. The game mechanics have been changed to make it easier to customize your environments and surroundings, giving users millions of ways to create the worlds of their choice.
Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock
The Battlestar Galactica property has enamored two generations of sci-fi enthusiasts, with both the original 1978 series and the 2007 reboot achieving cult classic status. Deadlock sets itself on ground left relatively untouched by either series, taking players into the throes of the first Cylon war. The turn-based strategy game puts you in command of the entire colonial fleet and the disposition of its forces. Though some tactical elements occasionally feel unbalanced, Deadlock does justice to the franchise by delivering incredible space battles and intriguing lore.
StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (for PC)
The third and final StarCraft II expansion is both a fantastic conclusion to Blizzard's five-year saga and a great entry point into one of the most complex, but satisfying, strategy games ever made. Unlike the previous StarCraft II expansion, Legacy of the Void doesn't require you to buy any previous versions of the game to play this package. It's completely standalone. Factor in a varied single-player campaign, gorgeous cinematics, and new noob-friendly co-op modes, and you'll see that Legacy of the Void is one of the best PC games of all time.
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is a sci-fi real-time strategy game in which you build structures and gather resources to build an army and defeat your opponent through cunning tactics and sheer firepower. Nothing could quite live up to the hype surrounding the real-time strategy game's release, but, even so, this is a wonderful title. The story is well-paced, and the strategy and resource-management missions will lock you into finishing the game.
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