One of the world's most played PC games. A wonderfully comedic take on the "me too" FPS genre. An engaging sequel to a successful fantasy-themed MMO. If you identified those scenarios as representing League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, and Guild Wars II, congratulations, you're a hardcore gamer! And, if you're also a PC gamer, you can be doubly happy, as these three titles, and many more, are available on your gaming platform of choice.PC gaming has a few advantages over console gaming. The first is that you have more control over your gaming experience; you can upgrade your CPU, GPU, RAM, and HDD at any time—you don't have to wait five years or more for console manufacturers such as Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony to churn out new hardware. Video games released for PCs, therefore, have the graphical potential to be leaps and bounds better than their console counterparts. Plus, interacting with certain games and genres (RTS and point-and-click adventures, most notably) can be far more intuitive with a mouse-and-keyboard combo, though console-like gamepads and joysticks are available for use as wellThe flip side of this PC advantage, however, is that PC gaming carries the stigma of being an expensive hobby due to the cost of high-end gaming rigs from the likes of Alienware. however, are typically let you upgrade the RAM and hard drive, but not the GPU. Plus, you can save some cash by purchasing titles online through services like the Editors' Choice award-winning Steam (Free, 4.5 stars), which offers mid-week and weekend sales ranging from 20 to 75 percent of regular prices. Steam also has larger, seasonal sales that include discounts on publishers' entire libraries or bundles of their top games.
1) Battlefield 3
$59.95 Battlefield 3, the latest wartime first-person shooter title from DICE, launched the opening salvo in this fall's FPS conflict. Battlefield 3 puts gamers in the role of U.S. Marines who battle opposing forces (The People's Liberation and Resistance) in New York, Paris, and Tehran—the perfect settings for making things go boom. The military combat title is powered by DICE's proprietary Frostbite 2 engine, which enabled the developer to build massive, destructible environments, dynamic audio, and incredible animation (utilizing ANT technology) that its rival, Activision's mega-popular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, simply can't match. The FPS features a variety of controllable vehicles (sonic boom producing fighter jets, helicopters, tanks, APCs, and transport vehicles), co-op split screen play, and a competitive multiplayer mode that supports up to 64 combatants.
2) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
$59.99 The fifth installment in Bethesda Softworks' long-running fantasy action-RPG series is easily one of the most anticipated games of 2011. Set two centuries after the events in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Skyrimsees gamers trekking through the open-ended Skyrim world during the midst of a civil war—all while a prophesized apocalypse at the hands of a dragon god looms. Players can "roll" a character based on human, elf, and other races, each of which come with their own specific attributes that you can tweak over the course of the adventure by adding new abilities, magic, and weapons.
3)NBA 2K12
$29.99 The 2012-2013 NBA season coincides with the inevitable video game tie-in with the release of 2K Sports' NBA 2K13. Featuring outstanding ball-handling and shooting controls, and the presentation sensibilities of executive producer Jay-Z, NBA 2K13 feels fresh—something you wouldn't expect from a sports game that lacks competition (EA Sports' NBA Live is M.I.A. for the third consecutive year). Simply put, NBA 2K13 is the best NBA simulation ever made.
4) StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
$59.99 Blizzard Entertainment has a reputation for taking a long, long time to release titles, but military strategy fans were more than a little pleased that the developer displayed a slow hand with StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The sequel to the award winning StarCraft sees three factions—the Protoss, Terrans, and Zerg—battling it out with weapons both old and new. An expansion, Heart of the Swarm, is set to appear…someday.
5) Team Fortress 2
Free to PlayValve's team-based first-person shooter is almost five years old, but the game's personality and comedic take on the FPS keeps it fresh. TF2 lets players play as one of nine offensive, defensive, an support classes—Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Demoman, Heavy, Engineer, Medic, Sniper, Spy—in a war between two organizations , RED (Reliable Excavation & Demolition) an BLU (Builders League United). The game's recently gone free-to-play, so you can jump into the shenanigans without opening your wallet
6) Wakfu
FreeWakfu, developer Ankama's free-to-play tactical MMO that combines political intrigue, anime-style visuals, and turn-based strategy gameplay, opens to the public on February 2012, but you can get on the closed beta right now by signing up at the official site. Wakfu features customizable character classes that gamers can use to defend their nation against enemy attacks, conquer new territories, vote, elect government officials and even run for governor. An optional $6.00 monthly subscription fee opens the door to premium content, and a microtransaction–based store allows users to purchase cosmetic items to help differentiate their on-screen avatars.
7) Guild Wars 2
$59.99ArenaNet's massively multiplayer online role-playing game is set in the world of Tyria, a land overrun by hulking dragons. Your mission? Reunite the troubled Destiny's Edge guild and combat the fire-breathing threat. Players select a race, profession, and skill set which they use to battle enemies in "PVE" and "PVP" combat. Guild Wars 2 also features "World vs. World" persistent battles that see players entering cross-server wars. Despite being a MMO, Guild Wars 2 has no monthly fee, meaning that your pockets will survive the online warfare.
8) Hawken
FreeAdhesive Games' Hawken is a free-to-play Unreal-powered mech action game that appeals to the anime fan who still dreams of piloting lumbering metal machines that boost through war-torn environments while firing off Macross-style missile swarms. There are three mech types (light, medium, heavy), each has its own speed and armor ranking. You can further customize mechs by selecting a secondary type within a weight class, such as Brawler or Sniper. If you have mech fantasies, this is your game.
9) League of Legends
FreeRiot Games’s mega-popular MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) games features two teams of “Champions” engaged in either 3 vs. 3 or 5 vs. 5 combat. Each player begins at opposing sides of a map with the mission to destroy the opposing side’s Nexus while plowing through Turrets, monsters, and minions. Earned experience points and gold lets you improve your fighters' abilities, and outfit warriors with better combat tools. LoL is a very team-oriented game, so find a crew of like-minded folk and have a blast.
10) Torchlight II
$19.99All hail the new action-RPG king. Runic Games' monster-slaying titles manages to out-Diablo the legendary Diablo with its unique, hand drawn art style, customizable skill trees, randomized dungeons, pets (hawks, dogs, and more), and the ability to actually—gasp!—play the game without an internet connection. Torchlight II also includes a new game plus so that you can tackle a new set of challenges with your character and skills in tact after you complete the game's main campaign.
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