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PC gaming isn't dead, and you know it. Just take a look at the new games available on Steam or populating the shelves at Target. The sheer number of excellent PC games released this holiday season is a testament to the strength of the platform. From high-profile blockbusters like Batman: Arkham Asylum to critical darlings like Torchlight, there's no shortage of quality content to keep you gaming through the new year. We pick out 22 of the best PC games you can buy right now (many of them already discounted as a part of holiday deals), and spotlight several indie gems that cost under $10. We also name 8 highly-anticipated games coming out in the first part of 2010.
Read on for proof that PC gaming still has a lot of fight left in it. And be sure to let us know what your favorite PC games of 2009 have been, what you've bought this holiday season, and what you're looking forward to as well!
Publisher: Eidos
Genre: Action-Adventure
Price: $49.99
Batman’s had a bit of a rocky relationship with videogames, but under the watchful eye of developer Rocksteady, the gadget-obsessed vigilante has finally come to grips with the tricky art of game development. In fact, for the first time ever, we’re hearing whispers on the wind of “Batman” and “Game of the Year.” And it’s not empty praise. Arkham Asylum deftly mixes one of the best combat systems we’ve seen in years with Batman’s trademark sleuthing to create what is – without a doubt – our favorite superhero game of all time. Even if the titular caped crusader wasn’t involved, this game would still be a must-buy. Yeah. It’s that good.
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Open World
Price: $49.99
With games like Imagine: Interior Designer littering the shelves, it’s nice to see that someone remembered buildings aren’t just for decorating. See, they can also be smashed. In Red Faction: Guerrilla, every single structure – from the lowliest of shacks to the tallest of towers – is completely destructible. It helps, too, that your character happens to be pretty handy with a hammer. A giant, brick, steel, and concrete-smashing hammer, to be precise. Oh sure, there’s gunplay too, but destructibility and the combat strategies you can form around it are the real stars of the show. Also, you can hit things with an Ostrich. How can you say “no” to that?
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Survival Horror
Price: $49.99
Back in ye olde year of 2007, Capcom outsourced its PC port of Resident Evil 4 to a company by the name of SourceNext. The result? A game absolutely riddled with bugs – and we’re not just talking about the Plagas. If RE5 is any indication, though, Capcom has learned its lesson. As part of its renewed devotion to the PC as a gaming platform, the publisher’s released a picture perfect port of Resident Evil 5 – with PC-exclusive 3D support, no less. If you’re in the mood for some co-op friendly shooting and shouting, you can’t go wrong with RE5.
Publisher: Deep Silver
Genre: Massively Single-Player RPG (Think Oblivion)
Price: $49.99
For the longest time, developer Piranha Bites was known throughout a small sphere of the PC gaming sector for its high-quality line of free-roaming fantasy RPGs. Then Gothic 3 came along. After that glitch-ridden step off the developer’s beaten path – which subsequently continued right off a cliff – Piranha Bites is back with a new MSRPG called Risen. Unfortunately, though, early reports peg the game as suffering from many of the same rough edges that cut away at Gothic 3’s potential playerbase. Ugly graphics, janky combat, and a general lack of polish are usually reliable warning signs to heed, and we see no reason to break that general rule here. Stay away from this one unless you picked up a case of Stockholm Syndrome while playing Gothic 3. If that’s the case, you’re probably beyond our help anyway.
Publisher: Codemasters
Genre: Open-World Shooter
Price: $49.99
Codemasters and original Operation Flashpoint developer Bohemia Interactive may have gone their separate ways, but according to early reviews, Dragon Rising is arguably better for it. Like its predecessor, Dragon Rising is a shooter’s shooter – a realistic military affair that drowns wannabe Rambos in gunfire and grenade shrapnel. This time around, though, Codemasters wisely chose to lay off the realism just a teensy bit, resulting in an ambitious open-world FPS that’s actually fun. Even better, if you enjoy your shooters with a heaping helping of military simulation, the game also includes a hardcore mode that harkens back to the first Operation Flashpoint. If you thought Arma II was a neat idea, but ran crying back to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare after failing the helicopter tutorial more times than you could count, Dragon Rising’s your game.
Publisher: Kalypso Media
Genre: City Builder
Price: $39.99
The people have spoken! They loved Tropico 1, but Tropico 2? Not so much. And unlike the sleazy banana republic which the series depicts, here, the common man’s voice actually matters! So this time around, we’re getting Tropico 1, but better. Or at least, that’s the idea. New features include customizeable avatars, a timeline editor, and a robust election system that’s just asking to be rigged by a creative dictator. Still not sold? Then try before you buy with this demo!
Next: Yoda's worst nightmare, a frenzied co-op FPS, and the best Diablo game that isn't Diablo.
Comments are closed on this article
aben2
December 22, 2009 at 4:15am
-Technology... will kill us one day.....
I wish I was rich to buy all these games QQ.... lol , Seriosly.
jihnn
December 20, 2009 at 9:56am
how in the h did tourchlight make this list
for those that do not know it has a least 2 fatal flaws
fixed camera
click to move
runic must have greased some wheels on this one
for me i would really like my $10 back from steam, there are to many good games to waste my time on this crap.
aben2
December 18, 2009 at 2:06pm
-Technology... will kill us one day.....
EvEryone get borderlads and play online! theres zombies now too! and lol at Fate.
shdwdragon7
December 17, 2009 at 10:15am
How the H*^L is CoD MW2 on this list!!!! I think I've lost all respect for MaximumPC... $60 for a FREAKIN' exspantion pack!!! Yes, that's all MW2 is, an exspantion pack. I guess MW is following in FEAR's foot step's... Sad.
stradric
December 17, 2009 at 12:05pm
Granted, I just sold my copy of MW2 cuz I find it completely uninteresting and I find multiplayer more of a chore than fun to play with racist and otherwise ignorant morons. But it's definitely more than an expansion pack. Sure, it's the same engine, but it's a good engine. There's a ton more weapons and perks and call-ins (that are annoying as hell) and there are a ton of new multiplayer maps. Plus there's co-op mode. So it's definitely a new game.
I'm convinced that the only reason people like this game is because of the seemingly accurate depiction of all the guns. It's really rather unremarkable otherwise.
shdwdragon7
December 17, 2009 at 5:46pm
"more weapons and perks and call-ins...and there are a ton of new multiplayer maps." That's what an exspantion pack is... Remember CoD4 v1.7 (this being v1.8) You just made my point ;-)
I'm sorry I was thinking "patch" not exspantion (with the whole 1.7/1.8) It's the SP and Co-Op modes that makes this an exspantion pack :-P
exile550
December 16, 2009 at 5:54pm
Crysis 2 doesn't have a release date yet
STALKER: Call of Prypiat anyone?
Who
December 16, 2009 at 4:45pm
See this is why I got a nice computer and a ps3. Xbox exclusives usually come out on PC anyway, so I get the best of both worlds! :D
van_helblaze
December 16, 2009 at 2:57pm
looks like I'll be getting myself some new games. I'm originally a consol gamer, but I switched to PC, originally just to see the difference, and stuck because I feel like a better gamer on the PC.
I still play consols, since all of my friends are consol gamers, the best games IMO I get for both PC and PS3.
Bad Company 2 is one of those games.
The Saboteur and flashpoint look to be deffinat buys for me.
also, why is there a pic from COD4 for MW2?
Digital-Storm
December 16, 2009 at 3:31pm
Because they spend about 5 minutes copy and pasting images?
blobro
December 16, 2009 at 2:20pm
I would have gotten CoD 4 because of the 20 dollar price difference, but because the serviers are drying up, i decided not to and got TF2 with the orange box
It depends on what your definition of is "is"
Phosphorous
December 17, 2009 at 2:51pm
You're on crack if you think the COD4 servers are drying up. Most of the PC community is going back to COD4 because MW2 was such a major disappointment for us PC gamers.
I'm sorry to see that MaxPC is actually promoting that sad little game.
Ghostryderflyby
December 16, 2009 at 12:32pm
I'd love to play COD MW2, but refuse to pay 60 bucks for a measly 5 hour title. How Activision get off charging $60.00 for a pathetically short title, when Dragon Age offers 100+ hours of game play for 10 bucks less, is beyond me. Apparently they don't want to sell very many copies. I'll abstain for now and pick it up on Steam for $29.00 after Activision pulls their head out and drops the price.
Walnut
December 16, 2009 at 4:10pm
On top of the comments about multiplayer, it should be said that the SP game has great replay value. It's short but sweet, and just about every level is perfectly orchestrated to feel like a scene out of a movie. Much better overall experience than CoD4. Hell, Veteran difficulty is fun enough to warrant at least one additional playthrough, where it seemed like a chore in the previous game.
jrocknyc
December 16, 2009 at 3:51pm
*"Apparently they don't want to sell very many copies."*
It was the BIGGEST SELLING GAME OF ALL TIME.
I don't think MW1 has gone below $45 on Steam yet, and that was only a temporary weekend sale. MW2 probably won't be $25 until 2019!
Danthrax66
December 16, 2009 at 2:10pm
People buy COD for multiplayer not single player so it can be like 40 hours a week if you have no life. So your 5 hours of game play is a really bad estimate.
lunchbox73
December 16, 2009 at 1:34pm
Don't hold you breath. COD4 is still going for $40 in most stores.
Digital-Storm
December 16, 2009 at 11:47am
Red Faction Geurilla? That game was a direct console port to PC. It sucks, and has no comparison to what Red Faction 1 was when it was released.
bikerbub
December 16, 2009 at 4:29pm
not all direct ports are bad. as far as i can tell, there arn't even any glitches that are pc only. i didn't have to do anything to my copy to get it to run, worked first time, it's a fantastic game, decent storyline, but not much replay value.
BaggerX
December 16, 2009 at 3:22pm
I played it on PC. It's a pretty fun game. Gets a little repetitive in parts, but is overall a good time. If you can get it on sale for $30 or less, I'd recommend picking it up.
I'd like to see them do a sequel with better AI and better stealth capability to give some options beyond going in guns (and hammer) blazing. Being able to sneak around planting explosives before engaging the bad guys would be fun :)
lunchbox73
December 16, 2009 at 11:44am
PC gaming ain't dead but my computer is on life support. The Batman demo was completely unplayable on my computer even with everything dialed down. The Left 4 Dead 2 demo chugged too which is wierd since L4D runs silky smooth. I don't think they dialed up the graphics at all did they?
So do I say the hell with it and go with a $300 xbox 360 where I know all the games are going to run fine or do I invest at least twice that in order to play a game that might run well on my computer but I won't be sure until I've already bought it?
That's what's frustrating to me. I need to spend at least a grand for anything decent to run games on.
BaggerX
December 16, 2009 at 3:29pm
What the heck kind of hardware are you running? Spending a grand on a PC is usually more than enough to run anything that comes out over the next few years. Maybe not all maxed, but with all the console ports we're seeing, most things should run pretty well on the PC since even an average one is more powerful than any console out there.
If you like playing games on a console, then go for it. The types of games I prefer (CRPG, RTS, FPS) don't play well on consoles though, so I stick with my PC. Since I use it for a lot of other things that require significant hardware power, can justify putting money in the hardware. I just spend about $300 to upgrade my vid card every couple years or so to keep the visuals nice.
bigglesandginger
December 16, 2009 at 11:39am
The **reviews**, not previews, have pegged Rogue Warrior as absolute crap (metacritic gives it an average of 26%) . It would appear that this article was posted on the 16 Dec, 15 days AFTER the release of that game. At least try to pretend that you are an impartial entity and not a shill for the big game companies.
Vahn16
December 16, 2009 at 1:44pm
Sorry about that one. The feature's been in the oven for a while now, and that blurb was written before Rogue Warrior's launch. The entry should be revised to read: "Hahahahahahaha, NO."
GFC
December 16, 2009 at 11:17am
Wow, I can't believe you guys forgot Starcraft 2 for the "2010" list. Other than that.. hm.. I'll take BC2!
Member2600
December 16, 2009 at 5:55pm
seriously you think starcraft is comming out in 2010! Then I think we should all wager to see if when we think SC2 is really coming out. Dibs on 2011-3030
samduhman
December 16, 2009 at 11:18am
PC gamers know PC gaming is not dying. IMHO its back on the upswing. I just wish "ex" PC gamers who are now console gamers would stop attacking the PC as a gaming platform just becuase it's no longer "their thing". Its almost as if they need to justify their leaving PC gaming and to do that it needs to die as a gaming platform. Some of the most harsh trolls of PC gaming are so called ex PC gamers. Console gamers I'd assume don't give a rats fart, why should they since its never really been a serious threat (in recent history).
I've bought more PC games over the past two years than I probably will ever have enough time to complete. As far as exclusives they are dying on all platforms. The Wii probably has the most (crap) exclusives over the past couple years. So the question comes down to which platform provides the best gaming experience for the genre your playing. For me the PC does for FPS, strat, rpg, rts, pretty much historic pc gaming genres which have found their way to the console.
The kool part. PC gaming hardware is extremely reasonable compared to just a couple years ago. I remember dropping $1300 for a bare minimal gaming rig just to play Warcraft 2 back in the day. I'd say if that were today I'd spend around $500, maybe less.
PC gamings biggest issue, there is no one to promote it. The PC gaming Alliance fails. So PC gaming survives mainly on word of mouth and the fact that it remains speaks volumes for the platform.
stradric
December 17, 2009 at 12:23pm
I don't think PC gaming is going anywhere. It's a small market but it's consistent. Cost and learning curve deters your average user who can just plug in a $200 console and go, where as a PC requires a $600+ investment plus setup time and installation. Not to mention compatibility issues. The console also has a unified community in Xbox Live or the Playstation network where as the PC community is fragmented in Steam and wherever else (Battle.net, windows live, etc). Then there's the whole piracy issue. So many PC gamers shoot themselves in the foot and say "give me feature A and B or I'll pirate your game". What kind of mentality is that? Then on top of that, even when they pledge boycott, they don't actually boycott anything! They just prove to the developers that they shouldn't be taken seriously.
So, in my opinion, the only thing killing PC gaming, if anything, are PC gamers. It's just more lucrative for companies to develop on the console where piracy issues are minimal. But every once in a while you'll get a company (BioWare, Relic, Blizzard, Crytek) that wants to keep their game true to their vision and they'll release the best version of their game on PC (Dragon Age) and perhaps none at all on the console (Dawn of War, Starcraft, Crysis).
It's kind of a tightrope. We as PC gamers shouldn't just roll over and take what we're given, but we should also be respectful of the developers by not saying we're going to pirate their game if they do something we don't like. Just don't buy it and stick to your guns.
