4. Disco Elysium
The CRPG mechanics in Disco Elysium have been transformed into something completely new. This game transplants dice rolls and deep dialogue options from Dungeons and Dragons into a noir-detective setting, as well as offering entirely new ways to play, such as debating with 24 different sections of your own brain that represent different skills or traits.
There’s a murder that you must solve as your down-and-out detective, but with all great stories, it’s not the ending that makes you happy, but the journey to get there as its ludicrously detailed world and cast of characters drive it along, supported by some of the best writing I’ve ever seen. In any era, let alone this one, playing Disco Elysium on PC feels entirely different from all the other games you’ve ever played.
A new quest system and voice acting are included in Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, making the acclaimed RPG even better. It was rated 10/10 by IGN, who said: “The Final Cut elevates Disco Elysium to a true masterpiece.”.
3. XCOM 2
With its War of the Chosen expansion, XCOM 2 expands on the brilliant, high-stakes tactical combat of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. In addition to the constant threat of permanent death for your customised soldiers, it has the same tension of going from technologically inferior underdog to powerful war machine.
This game recasts XCOM as a guerrilla force trying to liberate Earth from alien occupation, which makes the situation even more desperate than before. Aside from adding new soldier classes, weapons, and aliens to the game, this bigger, deeper sequel also emphasises replayability. With procedurally generated maps, you can avoid repeating tactical patterns, frequent random events on the strategic map shake up your build and research orders, and mods galore.
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
There are very few PC games that offer as much sophisticated content as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. There are plenty of monsters to slay, intriguing mysteries to solve, and intriguing personal stories to discover in its massive sandbox open-world areas.
Furthermore, it’s one of the best overall productions in gaming history, with a stellar voice cast and an amazing original soundtrack, as well as graphics that meet both technical and artistic standards.
The Witcher 3 is now scheduled for release in Q4 2022 with “visually and technically enhanced features”. The studio has announced it is working on a new Witcher game using Unreal Engine 5 after selling 40 million copies of its epic RPG to date.
1. Half-Life: Alyx
As Valve’s first Half-Life game in 13 years, we were reminded of the signature innovation that makes this series so special. Half-Life: Alyx redefines virtual reality shooters, setting a new standard for polish and a truly unique experience, just as Half-Life proved you could tell a compelling story in a first-person game without taking control of the camera, and Half-Life 2 pioneered physics-based puzzles and combat. This impressive experience fully justifies investing in a VR headset for your PC if you haven’t already (especially now that a Meta Quest 2 connects wirelessly to your PC for $300).
When the simple act of reloading your weapon becomes a desperate life-or-death struggle as headcrabs leap toward your face, Alyx’s full-length campaign pulls out all the stops for an incredible and horrifying fight against aliens and zombies. Despite having great shooting, no other VR game has matched Valve’s level of detail a year later. With clever three-dimensional puzzles and excellent and often humorous performances, it’s all topped off with a fantastic ending that almost makes the decade-plus we waited for Half-Life 3 worth it.
