As the gaming landscape continually evolves, identifying the truly exceptional titles can be a daunting task for many enthusiasts. The year 2024 has already been observed as a landmark period for high-quality releases, yet the sheer volume of outstanding experiences necessitates a discerning eye. While many games achieve critical acclaim, a comprehensive list of the best PC games requires rigorous evaluation, often leaving beloved recent releases, such as Balatro and Helldivers 2, under consideration for future updates rather than immediate inclusion. The following discussion delves deeper into why certain PC games are celebrated, providing extended insights into their lasting appeal and significant contributions to the gaming world.
The Best PC Games of 2024: A Deep Dive into Essential Titles
The selection of top PC games is frequently influenced by factors such as innovation, replayability, and narrative depth. The titles highlighted here represent a collection that consistently delivers compelling gameplay experiences on the PC platform. These games are not merely temporary distractions; they are often considered benchmarks in their respective genres, offering hundreds of hours of entertainment and engagement.
Masterful Action-Adventures and Unforgettable Narratives
Many players are drawn to PC gaming for its capacity to deliver sprawling worlds and intricate storylines. Within this category, several titles have distinguished themselves through their meticulous design and impactful storytelling.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077: CD Projekt Red’s Epics
Few deep, lengthy RPGs have presented as much sophisticated content as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Its massive sandbox open-world areas are impressive, both in terms of their sheer scope and their incredible density, generously dotted with monsters to slay, mysteries to solve, and personal stories to unfurl. This title is widely regarded as one of gaming history’s most impressive overall productions, featuring reams of excellently written dialogue, a stellar voice cast, an incredible original soundtrack, and graphics that stand as both technical and artistic achievements.
In contrast, Cyberpunk 2077 experienced a different journey. While it was arguably great on PC upon its release at the end of 2020, it was not until CD Projekt Red launched the significant 2.0 patch and the Phantom Liberty expansion in 2023 that its undeniable quality became universally acknowledged. Now, exploring the gleaming yet seedy open world of Night City offers an experience unlike anything else available today. The base game provides more than 30 hours of story alongside Keanu Reeves’ iconic Johnny Silverhand, and the spy-themed Phantom Liberty expansion adds another 20 hours, starring Idris Elba as sleeper agent Solomon Reed. This chapter introduces new and more interesting themes, exploring the complex intersections of capitalism, police states, and the mind-warping effects of near-future technology and human augmentation.
Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V: Rockstar’s Open Worlds
Arthur Morgan’s sprawling tale of loyalty, conviction, and the price of infamy forms the foundation of Red Dead Redemption 2. The marvelous PC port further enhanced the gorgeous Wild Western atmosphere of Rockstar’s recent open-world adventure, adding even more activities, unlockables, and impossibly fine details to its expansive map. This title is considered one of the biggest and best single-player PC games ever, and it includes an extensive multiplayer mode. The potential for high jinks within this enormous sandbox of towns, outlaws, and wildlife was already nearly limitless, but the PC version integrates new missions, treasures, gear, and more, layered atop the 60-plus hours of story content in the base game, without even mentioning the multiplayer features of Red Dead Online or the vast potential for customization through mods.
Similarly, Grand Theft Auto V‘s sprawling yet meticulously detailed map continues to set the high bar for most open-world games. It is not only huge but also incredibly dense with excellent content, encompassing not just the driving, shooting, and three-protagonist story of its campaign, but also numerous side activities, sights, sounds, and the bustling activity expected in a teeming city, including its seeded underbelly. With so much to do, explore, and interact with, both as a single-player PC game and through Grand Theft Auto Online, coupled with great creative tools and mods, its achievement is truly amazing on multiple levels.
God of War and Spider-Man Remastered: Console Exclusives on PC
God of War made a monumental impact upon its 2018 launch as a PlayStation exclusive, even securing IGN’s Game of the Year award. However, its greatness was not solely dependent on its original platform; its arrival on Steam in early 2022 opened it to a whole new audience. This reinvention of the classic series is truly fantastic, from its excellent and challenging combat to the incredibly touching story that weaves through it. It is gorgeously presented and thorough in its detail, building upon its roots while innovating in a way that feels incredibly fresh. This title stands out as a true achievement of the last decade, absolutely deserving its place among PC greats now that it is widely available.
Moreover, few games have as effectively captured the power fantasy of a beloved superhero and injected it so expertly into the gaming experience as the Batman Arkham series. Spider-Man Remastered, while native to the PlayStation 5, can be pushed even further on a high-end PC, allowing players to experience swinging around the open world of New York City with Spidey’s free-flowing combat and a fantastic story, all with ray-tracing wizardry pushed to its limits. This title represents the growing trend of console exclusives making their way to PC, enriching the platform’s library significantly.
Genre-Defining Experiences and Innovative Gameplay
Innovation often drives the PC gaming market, leading to titles that redefine their genres or introduce entirely new ways to play. These games are frequently celebrated for their bold design choices and their lasting influence.
Elden Ring and Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon: FromSoftware’s Evolution
In just over a year since its release, Elden Ring‘s reputation has only grown, which is remarkable considering its initial reception positioned it as one of the best-reviewed games of all time. This praise is well-deserved, as Elden Ring is a monumental achievement in the open-world and Souls-like genres. Its vast world is a wonder to explore, filled with memorable experiences, valuable rewards, and imposing boss fights covering nearly every square inch of its enormous map. While it has encountered some performance struggles on PC, this does not prevent it from being an easy selection for top PC games.
For many younger fans, FromSoftware may be known primarily for its work with the Souls series. However, for long-time enthusiasts, the studio first captured hearts with the sci-fi Mecha action of Armored Core. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon successfully combines the tried-and-true fundamentals of the classic series with the learnings and experience gained over years of developing the Souls series. The result is an action-packed, at times brutally difficult, yet carefully calculated action game that rewards smart preparation as much as it does twitch reflex skills, featuring some of the most outstanding boss encounters observed in a considerable time.
Doom and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus: Redefining First-Person Shooters
Considered one of the greatest reimaginings of a classic game ever made, the 2016 reboot of Doom held nothing back, thrusting players face-first into hordes of space demons and inviting them to rip and tear them to shreds. While its sequel, Doom Eternal, arguably improved upon the combat by making it even more technical, the relative simplicity of Doom‘s satisfying slugfests remains unmatched for many. This wildly aggressive style of single-player action was seen as a breakthrough for first-person shooters, which, in the preceding year, had largely focused on multiplayer titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Battlefield Hardline, Halo 5: Guardians, and Star Wars Battlefront, many of which have not aged as gracefully. Doom, however, has become even easier to appreciate due to its exceptional longevity, and its influence is clearly noticeable in subsequent games.
Standing tall as one of the strongest single-player shooters in recent memory, MachineGames’ Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus transformed the rebooted Nazi-killing rampage series into a character-driven story. It provided BJ Blazkowicz not only with a wonderfully satisfying arsenal of alternate history weaponry but also added new dimensions to him as a person and introduced a fantastically evil villain in the gleefully sadistic General Engel. This cautionary tale of fascism conquering America has unfortunately become even more relevant in the years since its release in 2017.
Hades and Slay the Spire: The Pinnacle of Roguelikes
Hades is widely regarded as the current gold standard of the Roguelike genre. It is beloved for its exhilarating combat, incredible soundtrack, and a clever, well-written narrative with characters that seem to possess an endless supply of meaningful dialogue. Its deep and innovative post-game design keeps players eagerly returning even after defeating the final boss. Despite its incredible difficulty, defeat in Hades never feels truly punishing; dying is an integral part of the experience, often bringing its own rewards in the form of new conversations, opportunities to purchase game-changing upgrades, and a chance for a fresh run with a completely new set of godly boons that dramatically alter combat approaches. Hades is a masterclass in Roguelike design, further cementing Supergiant Games’ reputation for consistently delivering exceptional titles.
In the roguelite genre, variety is paramount. Slay the Spire‘s constantly changing decks of ability cards, powerful and transformative relics, and its four distinct playable characters ensure that these turn-based battles remain fresh and engaging for far longer than might initially seem possible. Observing a character’s attacks, defenses, skills, and powers evolve across its three chapters is a truly unique journey. The possibility of discovering an even better combination in a subsequent run makes it difficult to resist starting a new game, and the randomized daily climb runs provide veterans with a novel and interesting way to play every day. Furthermore, the distinctive hand-drawn art and peculiar lore of this weird and punishing world contribute to a surprisingly welcoming atmosphere with each playthrough.
Deep Immersions and Unconventional Explorations
Some PC games offer experiences that are difficult to categorize, standing apart due to their unique mechanics, profound narratives, or ground-breaking technical achievements.
Baldur’s Gate 3 and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: RPG Excellence
While some might attribute it to recency bias, IGN’s 2023 PC Game of the Year winner, Baldur’s Gate 3, secures a top spot in 2024’s best PC games list. This massively role-playing adventure is both enormously ambitious in its scope and endearingly old-school in its style. Its storytelling is epic, featuring memorable characters rendered in impressive detail, and offers a multitude of meaningful choices to be made. Its tactical combat harks back to the turn-based BioWare RPGs of old and remains loyal to its Dungeons & Dragons roots, which can be quite intimidating initially. However, once immersed, players are treated to over 100 hours of compelling questing, largely free of filler content.
In short, Final Fantasy XIV is not just the best MMO currently available; it is a fantastic Final Fantasy game in its own right. Through its relaunch and subsequent four expansions, FF14 has gradually transformed from a relatively generic good-versus-evil plot into a sprawling, political, and fantastical thriller. The latest expansion, Endwalker, delivers a satisfying conclusion to the game’s more than eight-year storyline, bringing back familiar faces, settling old scores, and, of course, saving the world from its greatest calamity yet. Players should not be deterred by its online nature; despite being an MMO, Square Enix has streamlined the experience so effectively that interacting with other players is optional. Story missions are designed to be tackled solo, and even instance dungeons now include an option to enter with computer-controlled party members instead of forcing groups of strangers. Of course, it is also a fully-fledged MMO with end-game raiding that ranges from totally accessible to maddeningly punishing.
Final Fantasy VII Remake and Resident Evil 4 Remake: Modernized Classics
Defining Final Fantasy VII Remake is a challenge. Recreating the opening hours of the original RPG as a full-blown action game in stunning detail, it boldly reinterprets iconic characters and their story in ways that often feel more like a sequel than a remake. Regardless of the path this seemingly new series takes, and however one chooses to label Final Fantasy VII Remake, its quality is undeniable. Its combat is considered some of the best available, the city of Midgar is dense and stunning, and its characters are lovable recreations of the low-poly figures fans adored years ago. While it may not be the completely faithful reimagining some had hoped for, it is loaded with enough nostalgia that it is difficult to be disappointed. Final Fantasy VII Remake not only brought the original back to life but also set the stage for a new and equally exciting adventure.
Simultaneously one of the newest games on many lists and also a reflection of an older title, the 2023 remake of 2005’s Resident Evil 4 preserved everything that made the original a standout action-horror classic. It modernized the experience to thrill contemporary gamers just as much as it had those who remember it through rose-tinted glasses. Rebuilt from the ground up, it meticulously builds tension with high-intensity combat against a ferocious cast of creatures, bringing the Resident Evil world to life with rich detail as the story swiftly guides players through a series of consistently impressive action sequences. Many games have attempted to evoke the RE4 style over the years, but none have achieved it quite as effectively as this remake.
Outer Wilds and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe: Thought-Provoking Experiences
Every 22 minutes, everything ends and restarts again. In Outer Wilds, players experience this time loop, endeavoring to solve the mystery of their predicament and other enigmas by exploring ruins left by a long-dead civilization across multiple planets. This gorgeous, heartfelt space adventure is a prime example of exceptional video game exploration and discovery. It encourages players to freely navigate their spaceship or simply observe events on their home planet. Should one feel lost, a ship’s log helpfully records activities and progress, indicating areas with more to uncover. Time is the only limitation on curiosity, but even that can occasionally become an ally. The Echoes of the Eye expansion’s puzzles are as enjoyable as those in the main game, yet the pervasive, menacing tension in the expansion amplifies the reward of each step forward in its overarching mystery.
The Stanley Parable was a triumph upon its original release in 2013, ingeniously subverting player expectations and tried-and-true video game tropes through hilariously written and narrated commentary. Its Ultra Deluxe version from 2022 offers a visual refresh, but its greatest feat is the hidden sequence of new content beneath the surface. Instead of merely poking fun at games in general, it maintains impressive relevance by targeting the unsettling rise of DLC since the original. The result is a definitive version for newcomers and essentially a brand-new experience for returning fans, transforming the incredibly difficult task of following up The Stanley Parable with anything into an effortlessly clever endeavor.
Hitman World of Assassination and Dishonored 2: Stealth and Strategy
Collecting all of the deviously designed scenarios from IO Interactive’s recent Hitman trilogy under one banner, Hitman World of Assassination is an unmissable experience. With a multitude of rich, rewarding, and highly replayable sandboxes at one’s fingertips, there is virtually no end to the cold-blooded, and often humorous, trouble that can be caused as Agent 47. Tracking down surprising and imaginative assassination opportunities requires examining every nook and cranny, carefully observing every NPC’s behavior, and making full use of every piece of gear and weapon. Achieving a perfect hit, where no one even suspects your presence, is regarded as one of gaming’s most satisfying thrills.
Arcane is known for many impressive games, but without detracting from the fantastic Prey and Deathloop, Dishonored 2 is often considered their masterpiece. The darkly fantastical world of magic and intrigue established in the original is further developed in the thriving city of Karnaca, which is populated by convincing NPCs and towering clockwork soldiers. These mechanical adversaries represent both dire threats and tempting opportunities if they can be turned against their masters. Two separate playable characters, Corvo Attano and Emily Kaldwin, each possess their own unique set of supernatural abilities, immediately doubling the original’s potential for creative and stealthy solutions in thwarting the latest coup attempt. An unforgettable series of 10 brilliantly designed levels, including the magnificent Clockwork Mansion, makes it an absolutely compelling adventure to either eliminate or sneak one’s way through, as preferred.
XCOM 2 and Nier: Automata: Tactical Depth and Philosophical Action
XCOM 2 builds upon the brilliant, high-stakes tactical combat that Firaxis reinvigorated with XCOM: Enemy Unknown back in 2012, with its War of the Chosen expansion further enhancing the experience. It features the same tension of evolving from a technologically inferior underdog to a powerful war machine. However, it boldly reverses the formula of defending Earth from alien invaders by recasting XCOM as a guerrilla force attempting to liberate the planet from alien occupation, making the situation feel even more desperate. This bigger, deeper sequel adds not just complexity through new and more powerful soldier classes, equipment, and aliens, but also a significant focus on replayability. Procedurally generated maps prevent repeatable patterns in tactical missions, and frequent random events on the strategic map disrupt build and research orders. Furthermore, a vast array of mods allows players to customize the rules as desired.
Technical issues with the PC version historically kept Nier: Automata from high positions on many lists. However, with Steam user reviews now signaling a “very positive” status, its popularity among critics and players alike has propelled it into a strong position. This action RPG opus delivers a ridiculously entertaining journey filled with awesome ideas that is equally strange and beautiful. Few games parallel its ability to seamlessly transition between genres and styles, offering a rollercoaster of different gameplay opportunities wrapped within a fascinating futuristic dystopia story that boasts many possible endings, encouraging exploration of every corner of its engrossing world. Coupled with frenzied combat and an unforgettable soundtrack, it is certainly worth checking out if it was previously missed.
Half-Life: Alyx and Disco Elysium: Groundbreaking and Narrative-Heavy
Valve’s first Half-Life game in 13 years served as a powerful reminder of the signature innovation that defines this series and why its return was so highly anticipated. Just as the first Half-Life demonstrated that a compelling story could be told in a first-person game without cinematic interruptions, and Half-Life 2 pioneered physics-based puzzles and combat, Half-Life: Alyx established a new standard for polish in virtual reality shooters, offering a truly unique experience. It is so impressive, in fact, that it is believed to fully justify the investment in a VR headset for PC if one has not already done so. Alyx’s full-length campaign utilizes all available resources for an amazing and horrifying battle against aliens and zombies, where the simple act of reloading a weapon transforms into a desperate, life-or-death struggle as headcrabs leap towards one’s actual face. While other VR games feature great shooting mechanics, even years later, nothing has yet matched Valve’s level of detail, clever three-dimensional puzzles, and excellent, often humorous performances from its cast. It all culminates in a fantastic ending that almost makes the decade-plus wait for a Half-Life return feel worthwhile.
Disco Elysium ingeniously adapted age-old cRPG mechanics to create something entirely modern. Beyond transplanting the dice rolls and deep dialogue options of Dungeons & Dragons into a less common Noir Detective setting, it offers entirely original ways to play, such as engaging in debates against 24 different sections of one’s own brain, each representing a distinct skill or trait. Players assume the role of a down-and-out detective thrust into circumstances where a murder must be solved. However, as with many great stories, the conclusion is not the sole gratification; the journey through a ludicrously detailed world and its rich cast of characters provides immense satisfaction. All of this is underpinned by some of the finest writing seen in a game to date, making playing Disco Elysium feel entirely fresh and practically unlike anything else experienced on PC in any era, let alone the current one.
This curated selection of the best PC games represents a diverse array of experiences, demonstrating the platform’s enduring strength as a hub for innovation, storytelling, and technological prowess. Exploring these titles often reveals the profound impact that well-crafted narratives and engaging mechanics can have on players, making them truly unforgettable.
