Computer

Best mini gaming PC 2024

By admin January 15, 2024

Best mini gaming PC 2024, Gaming PCs don’t have to be enormous and finding a powerful compact PC is easier than ever. We’ve tested the best mini gaming PCs at all price points.

What is the best mini gaming PC? The traditional image of a gaming custom PC is some hulking behemoth of a machine, with frantically spinning fans, blazing rainbow RGB LEDs, and monstrously large graphics cards. But the best mini gaming PCs are compact machines that house full-scale components. Despite their size, mini PCs don’t skimp on performance and are ideal for smaller gaming desks or if want to take it traveling.

In this guide, we’ve chosen pre-built mini gaming PCs from the likes of Origin, Corsair, and more. Check out how to build a gaming PC if you want to choose the components and PC case yourself.

Some exceedingly small and cheap mini gaming PCs such as those offered by Minisforum take AMD mobile CPUs, with their iGPUs that punch well above their weight and let them rip with their maximum power draw – which can be capable even at 1080p.

We suggest thinking about cooling solutions and how easy it is to upgrade the machine. There’s no point in spending money on components that are going to throttle the moment they heat up. These are the best mini gaming PCs to game in confidence and small spaces. If you want full power (and have the room), check out our full best gaming PCs guide.

The best mini gaming PCs today:

1.Minisforum UM773 – best for most gamers

2.Origin PC Chronos V3 – best premium PC

3.Intel NUC 12 Serpent Canyon – true mini PC

4.Corsair ONE i400 – stunning design

5.Beelink SER6 – best budget option

6.Blackview MP200 – best under $450/£350

7.Asus Rog Ally – best handheld PC

1. Minisforum UM773 Lite

Best mini PC overall for light gaming.

Minisforum Venus UM773 Lite Specs:

.	.
Graphics	AMD RDNA 2 680M
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS 8 core 3.2GHz – 4.75GHz
RAM	32GB DDR5
Storage	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Connectivity	RJ45 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Port, USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C, USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A ×2, USB2.0 Type-A ×2, USB4 Type-C, HDMI ×2, 3.5mm Combo Jack ×1, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth,
Cooling	Liquid metal thermal compound, Airway Design 120 fan, two heat pipes
Dimensions	5.03 x 4.9 x 1.8 inches (12.78 x 12.45 x 4.57 cm)
Weight	3.65 lbs (1.66 kg) including power brick

Pros

• Small yet mighty

• Plenty of RAM

Cons

• Reported defective WiFi cards

“Integrated graphics?” we hear you cry, and we respond with a resounding yes. The $539.99 (£495.20) Minisforum UM773’s AMD 680M sits between the integrated graphics of Valve’s Steam Deck and the Asus ROG Ally which as we all know by now are very capable little machines.

The 680M is allowed to perform at its best because of the inclusion of very fast DDR5 which AMD’s CPUs and iGPUs work nicely with and 32 GB of it no less. Though it is not as capable as its younger sibling the 780M, it manages to be slightly more efficient due to its lower power draw so those working with constrained power budgets will be served here.

Esports titles will run well at 1080p and emulation will be no problem at all. Older titles too will, of course, return great performance so if you’re not too fussed about the latest AAA games, you’re sure to have a great time with this seriously handy little machine, especially when paired with the best gaming monitor to get the most out of this mighty box.

Whilst the Minisforum Venus UM773 doesn’t offer the same portability as the Deck or Ally, it makes up for it in connectivity with a plethora of ports making this a very practical little machine.

It is also surprisingly upgradable with two SODIMM slots, a PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot, and room on the bottom for a 2.5-inch hard drive. You could also connect an eGPU via the USB4 port if you wanted some extra GPU down the line as the CPU will age more gracefully than the iGPU.

Best mini gaming PC 2024

2. Origin PC Chronos V3

Best premium mini gaming PC.

Origin Chronos V3 specs:

.	.
Graphics	Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti 12GB
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
RAM	32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5600Mhz
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I WiFi
PSU	850 Watt CORSAIR SFX-L Series
Storage	1TB Samsung PM9A1 M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0
Connectivity	2 x USB-C 4.0, 1 x USB-C 3.1, 5 x USB-A 3.2, 3 x USB-A 2.0, 5 x USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm headphone/mic
Cooling	2 x 120mm fan, 80mm fan, iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX XT Liquid CPU Cooler
Dimensions (W x H x D)	7.87 x 17.71 x 10.6 (20cm x 45cm x 27cm)

Pros

• Powerful all-rounder

• Easily upgradeable

• PCIe Gen 5.0

Cons

• Not the smallest

• Expensive

Well-established custom PC builders Origin have updated their CHRONOS line to use parent company Corsair’s svelte 2000D case whose vertical design makes us think that it’s some supercharged Xbox Series X with its cuboid design.

At $2,806 it isn’t the cheapest, but Origin PC has been in the business a long time for good reason so you can be sure you will be getting a quality product that won’t be giving you any headaches.

With an AMD Ryzen 7 7800 X3D and Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti, you can be sure to be playing the latest AAA games for a while, especially with more games supporting DLSS 3 frame generation introduced with the RTX 4000 series.

Being owned by Corsair, you can quite often get good deals on peripherals if you need a new monitor, keyboard, mouse, and streaming goodies. Be sure to check out our best gaming headsets if you need a sonic solution for your ears.

It’s on the cusp of being a mini PC however as it is quite large still, but is certainly smaller than your average ATX case. You can go smaller with other options but given Origin’s credentials, customer service, and flexibility, we’ve included it as our best overall pick.

3. Intel NUC 12 Serpent Canyon

Best true mini PC with dedicated graphics.

Intel NUC 12 Serpent Canyon Specs:

.	.
Graphics	Intel Arc A770M 16GB
CPU	Intel i7-12700H
RAM	16GB DDR4 3200Mhz
Storage	1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Connectivity	HDMI 2.1 (4K60), DisplayPort 2.0 x 2, Thunderbolt/USB4 Type-C ports x 2, USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A ×6, 3.5mm Combo Jack ×1, 2.5Gb ethernet, Consumer infrared port, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Cooling	Two fans and heat pipes
Dimensions	9.06 x 7.09 x 2.36 inches (23 x 18 x 6 cm)
Weight	4.34 lbs (1.97 kg)

Pros

• Pint-sized gaming PC

• Slick console-like design

• Powerful dedicated graphics

Cons

• Intel Arc teething issues

• Expensive

Intel’s NUC (Next Unit of Computing) series has been around for a few years now but for the first time, they’ve updated their designs with their own Arc series of GPUs for a true-blue all-Intel system.

This is all packaged in an exceedingly handsome and small case that puts the PS5 and Xbox Series X to shame when it comes to a performance-to-size ratio as the NUC 12 Serpent Canyon is so small that we’re surprised there’s even a GPU in there. It has an air of “This is what the Xbox 720 will look like” about it which we’re quite fond of too.

The Serpent Canyon has an Intel Arc A770M with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM so you shouldn’t run into any limitations with the recent spate of resource-heavy AAA games. The Arc cards have excellent ray-tracing performance for their price point, eclipsing AMD in this regard.

Also included is a very capable i7-12700H so CPU workloads will be breezy and will keep up with the performant A770M.

Whilst the CPU and GPU aren’t upgradable, there are plenty of drive options with 2 M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots and an M.2 PCIe slot. The RAM is also user-replaceable.

Something to consider is how the Intel Arc cards have fared since release. They are leaps and bounds better than were with DX9, 10, and 11 performance seeing massive improvements but Nvidia and AMD have better legacy support for older titles. Intel’s upscaling technology XeSS isn’t as widely supported but it is being increasingly integrated by developers.

Recent AAA titles that have VRAM issues have influenced our decision to include the Serpent Canyon as the 16GB of VRAM and good DX12 performance see the NUC punching above its weight here. This is at a high cost, but we think it’s worth it given the unique design and improved performance.

4. Corsair ONE i400

The mini gaming PC with the best design.

Corsair ONE i400 Specs:

.	.
Graphics	Nvidia RTX 3080 10 GB
CPU	Intel i7-13700KF
RAM	32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-5600MHz
Storage	1TB NVMe SSD
PSU	750W SFX 80 PLUS Platinum
Connectivity	USB 3.1 Gen 1 x 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, Thunderbolt 4 x 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 1, 7.1 Audio, 2.5G Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Cooling	2 liquid AIO coolers
Dimensions	6.93 x 7.87 x 14.96 inches (17.6 x 20 x 38 cm)
Weight	9.6 lbs (4.35 kg)

Pros:

• Striking design

• Excellent performance

Cons:

• Expensive for RTX 3080 PC

• Difficult to upgrade

Look at that subtle RGB lighting. The tasteful thickness of it Oh my god, it even has water cooling. It’s the Corsair ONE i400 with Intel’s latest 13th gen i7-13700KF and clearly, they are still pretty proud of themselves as they have stuck with the tried and true Corsair One case, and really, who could blame them?

It’s become something of a PC design icon since the original Corsair One debuted back in 2017, and we’ve been fans of it ever since – its predecessor was in our best gaming PC list.

The ONE i400 also has faster DDR5 RAM to help raise those 1% lows whilst gaming and chewing through the embarrassing amount of tabs we have open. The RTX 3080 is still a formidable card and most of the time you should have a great experience playing games or using GPU-accelerated programs.

It is a bit disappointing to see only the RAM and CPU see a refresh. At the asking price of $2,499.99, we think an RTX 4070 Ti would be the obvious pairing as the extra VRAM would help ease any concerns about how memory-hungry new AAA games have been as of late. The Corsair ONE i400 is also a little more awkward to work in than even some smaller PCs due to its unique design, but we think the tradeoff here is worth it if you feel confident pulling it apart and back together again.

5. Beelink SER6 Gaming Mini PC

Best budget mini gaming PC.

Beelink SER6 Specs:

.	.
Graphics	AMD RDNA 2 660M
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 6600H 6 core 4.5Ghz
RAM	16GB DDR5 4800MHz dual channel
Storage	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Connectivity	USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 3, USB 2.0, HDMI x 2, 2.5Gb ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Cooling	Two fans
Dimensions	4.96 x 4.45 x 1.65 inches (12.6 x 11.3 x 4.2 cm)
Weight	1.13 lbs ( 0.51 kg)

Pros

• Steam Deck level of performance

• Upgradable RAM and storage

Cons

• Loud and high-pitched fan noise

• Only a little cheaper than 680M systems

AMD’s integrated graphics make another showing here with the Beelink SER6. The SER6 has an AMD 660M that is slightly less powerful than the iGPU of the Steam Deck, but the SER6 has two extra CPU cores and more power available to it so you can expect your games and general computing to feel a little snappier. To keep the Ryzen 5 6600U running sweet there is 16GB of DDR5 RAM and older and lighter titles such as Minecraft and League of Legends will hum along nicely.

You also have good options for expanding your storage and RAM with user two SODIMM slots and a PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot which are user-replaceable. Similarly to the Minisforum, there is space for a 2.5” drive at the bottom of the SER6 if you want to get silly with the storage and dump all your (legally owned) ROMs for a great little emulation machine. If the included 512GB isn’t enough, be sure to check out our best SSD for gaming roundup.

An unfortunate flaw here though is the dual fan design. Because the individual fans are smaller, they are much higher pitched than a larger singular fan would be so when things heat up, it can be a little loud. It’s also only a little cheaper at $429 (£539) than a 680 M-equipped mini PC so you may want to spend an extra bit of cash for the additional CPU and CU cores.

6. Blackview MP200

Best mini PC under $300/£300

Blackview MP200 specs:

.	.
Graphics	Intel Ultra-HD Graphics
CPU	Intel Core i5-11400H
RAM	16GB DDR4 3200MHz
Storage	512GB M.2
Connectivity	USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 4, HDMI 2, USB type C, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Wifi 6, 1000Mbs LAN
Dimensions	183.2 x 150 x 75.5mm
Weight	1.52lbs (690g)

Pros

• One of the cheapest mini PCs

• Good for daily tasks

Cons

• Noisy fans during medium loads

• No dedicated graphics card

The Blackview MP200 is the ideal mini PC for those who want to spend as little as possible. Its competitive pricing makes it our top cheap option, but that price does mean limitations with performance.

Inside the MP200, the Intel Ultra-HD Graphics hinder gameplay somewhat, to the extent that you’ll need to play most in the lowest settings. It’s not impossible to play the best PC games, but you may struggle with triple AAA releases.

There are enough ports to add three displays with USB 3.2 connectivity, and the storage and RAM can both be doubled if you want to add second modules and upgrade the machine further down the line. We’d recommend the Blackview MP200 if you want one of the cheapest Windows 11 PCs on the market, but if gaming is your priority then lack of graphics card and cooling will let you down.

7. Asus ROG Ally

Best portable mini gaming PC.

Asus ROG Ally specs:

.	.
Graphics	AMD 780M
CPU	AMD Z1 Extreme APU 8 core
RAM	16GB LPDDR5 6400Mhz Dual channel
Display	7 inch IPS 1080p 120Hz (VRR)
Storage	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, microSD
Connectivity	ROG XG Mobile Interface, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
Cooling	Dual fan design
Dimensions	11.02 x 4.37 x 0.83 ~ 1.28 inches (28.0 x 11.1 x 2.12 ~ 3.24 cm)
Weight	1.34 lbs (0.61 kg)

Pros

• Inexpensive

• Very powerful

• Highly portable

Cons

• Armory Crate software needs improving

• Windows 11 isn’t the best portable OS

The Asus ROG Ally may have a display and a built-in controller but it is by all accounts, a mini gaming PC that just so happens to be extremely portable. We were mightily impressed by the $699 (£699) Ally in our review.

It’s eeked out the Steam Deck for the best portable mini gaming PC because of its extra grunt in the GPU and CPU department which lets us play games on the go at 1080P.

When plugged in at home, you can opt for the maximum power envelope that would normally rinse your battery and have a very capable little computer that you can do pretty much anything on. With the XMG connector, you can plug in one of Asus’ external GPUs without losing any performance to the limitations of USB 4 as you have full access to the PCIe lanes.

You’ll need a good gaming keyboard and gaming mouse setup to make full use of the desktop environment though, editing the Excel spreadsheet might be a little difficult with the joysticks.

Any hiccups in performance will be smoothed out by the VRR screen too so unless you have some very heavy 1% and 0.1% lows, you shouldn’t notice any dips in frame rate allowing for a smooth and consistent experience.

Unfortunately, Asus’ Armory Crate overlay paired with Windows 11 doesn’t shine a candle to Valve’s SteamOS in terms of functionality, but this will no doubt improve with time and you have the added benefit of knowing that games such as Fortnite and Roblox will work out of the box.

Are mini PCs good for gaming?

A mini PC can be a good option for gaming, but it all depends on how much performance you need – and how much you’re willing to spend. The most expensive mini PCs like the Corsair i400 are equipped with high-end CPUs and dedicated GPUs, while there are some limitations to truly mini PCs.

With less space for cooling systems, this can lead to higher temperatures and loud fan noise during intensive gaming sessions – something we found to be true with the Blackview MP200. The compact form factor may also limit upgradability compared to larger desktop counterparts, as you might get fewer expansion slots. As mini PC technology has improved, high-performance mini gaming PCs can now mostly meet the demands of modern gamers.

Keep Reading

Featured

Best Strategy Games for PC in 2024

By admin January 15, 2024

Best Strategy Games for PC in 2024, Strategy games come in a few different shapes and sizes, but what makes the following special is their unrivaled base-building features.Strategy games often involve micromanagement of various things that the player must master, ranging from logistics planning to providing optimal resources, to building a strong base that can serve as a foundation of the player’s winning move in the game. Most strategy games, be they real-time, simulation, or turn-based, have the element of base-building in their core gameplay loop.

The base building aspect of the game will usually involve the player having to gather resources and construct buildings as a starting point. This base will evolve to adapt to the game’s situation, although it has a heavier resource usage. The evolution of the base can also unlock a new gameplay loop for the player, keeping the game consistently fresh.

Factorio

The Factory Must Expand

Factorio is one of the best examples of how a strategy game can be centered around base building, as it becomes necessary for the player to have a well-built and well-defended fortress in order to ‘win’ the game. The real-time strategy game is also focused on resource gathering, making it necessary for the player to micromanage their resources optimally while defending the base from hostile invasion from the planet’s fauna.

From the importance of the Alt key to the value of construction bots, here are some valuable pointers for players who are new to Factorio.

With the game’s blueprint system, the base-building aspect of the game becomes more intense as the player will be able to build numerous unique building structures and customize their base, making each playthrough unique.

Best Strategy Games for PC in 2024

Cult Of The Lamb

Build A Base For An Upstart Cult

Creating a cult has never been more intense than while playing Cult of the Lamb, as the player will be controlling the role of a lamb that owes its life to a demon, and as a payment, tasked with creating a cult in the demon’s name. As part of the cult creation, the player is also tasked with building a proper base for the cult to thrive, and also act as a place of worship for its followers.

Farm layout is important in Cult of the Lamb, and these tips can help players keep things running smoothly.

Followers can be tasked with gathering resources to build up the base, and a plethora of other activities, including getting sacrificed to appease the demon. The survival aspect of the game makes it necessary for the player to build a well-balanced base without sacrificing an aspect, as it can lead to an early game over.

Base Of Operation Is Necessary Against Alien Invasion

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Fighting against an alien invasion that is overwhelmingly more advanced technologically can be insurmountable, but also fun to challenge in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Aside from undertaking missions to repel alien invasions, the player is tasked with creating a proper base for the organization to build up their soldiers in many aspects, including technological advancement and logistics.

The base-building aspect of the game can become intense once the player is faced with the problem of facing multiple problems that require priority above the others. For example, having a country with a huge amount of funds pull out of the organization’s funding can negatively impact the base’s performance as upgrades become scarce.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Balance Resources To Achieve The Perfect Foundation For An Assault

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Although the game’s age is over two decades, the gameplay loop of both micromanagement and base building still holds fresh against most modern strategy games due to its simple design, but hard-to-master concept. At the start of every game, the player will be tasked to gather enough resources to build up a base that is capable of training units to assault the enemy’s base.

Moreover, these bases can also hold unique, powerful buildings that acts as a high-risk, high-reward structure that enables the player to unleash superweapons, such as a nuclear silo.

Evil Genius 2: World Domination

Build A Proper Staging Base To Dominate Earth

World domination is not an easy feat to do, and it usually requires a genius leader at the head of an evil organization that is willing to do anything, including building a super-secret base as the foundation of their evil plan. Players of the game will need to have a well-optimized base layout to have a chance of winning the game.

Evil Genius 2 can seem daunting for players new to the strategy genre. Here’s how to start the journey towards world domination.

Moreover, having the proper base layout is crucial, as the different rooms inside the base enable the player to take more missions to grow their organization. A less-optimized layout of the base will have repercussions, especially towards the later stages of the game, as the Forces of Justice’s interference grows more intense.

Age Of Empires 2

The Best Base Is A Foundation For Good Offense

The classic real-time-strategy game Age of Empires 2 is still widely played to this day due to its timeless gameplay loop, which includes intense micromanagement of units, resource management, and proper base-building to enable the smooth development of an army. The base-building phase of the game is crucial enough to have a set of patterns on which building to build first, and technologies to research first, to keep up with the enemy’s development.

Moreover, building a well-connected network of walls with gates is also important, as a well-defended base will mean the player has a chance to mount a comeback after a failed assault on the enemy’s base.

Starcraft

The Staple For Both Base Building And Micromanagement

Veterans of Starcraft will know how crucial it is to have the right sequence of buildings made in their base, as less optimal buildings will hinder their development and rapidly lower their chances of victory. Combined with three unique factions, each with its unique buildings, Starcraft can be categorized as one of the best games that have base building as one of the core gameplay loops.

The base-building aspect of the game ranges from creating an optimal supply chain to build an army, to identifying a satellite base that is dedicated to resource gathering.

Total War: Warhammer 3

Total War: Warhammer 3, the conclusion to Creative Assembly’s Warhammer trilogy, is also its strangest and most experimental, letting players leave the traditional Total War sandbox every 30 or so turns to journey through the Realm of Chaos, where the domains of the Chaos gods exist, culminating in huge survival battles that draw from tower defence games, with fortifications, in-battle recruitment and waves of enemies.

The campaign proved to be divisive, but for those more interested in a proper sandbox, there’s always Immortal Empires. Available as free DLC for anyone who owns all three games, this mega-campaign pits every faction and legendary lord in the entire trilogy against each other in a gargantuan map. So that’s 278 factions and 86 playable legendary lords. It’s incredible. Total War at its most, well, total war.

Crusader Kings 3

Crusader Kings 3, the best strategy game of 2020, has usurped its predecessor’s spot on the list, unsurprisingly. It’s a huge grand strategy RPG, more polished and cohesive than the venerable CK2, and quite a bit easier on the eyes, too. At first glance it might seem a bit too familiar, but an even greater focus on roleplaying and simulating the lifestyles of medieval nobles, along with a big bag of new and reconsidered features, makes it well worth jumping ship to the latest iteration.

CK3 is a ceaseless storyteller supported by countless complex systems that demand to be mucked around with and tweaked. Getting to grips with it is thankfully considerably easier this time around, thanks to a helpful nested tooltip system and plenty of guidance. And all this soapy dynastic drama just has a brilliant flow to it, carrying you along with it. You can meander through life without any great plan and still find yourself embroiled in countless intrigues, wars and trysts.

Total War: Three Kingdoms

Total War: Three Kingdoms, the latest historical entry in the series, takes a few nods from Warhammer, which you’ll find elsewhere in this list, giving us a sprawling Chinese civil war that’s fuelled by its distinct characters, both off and on the battlefield. Each is part of a complicated web of relationships that affects everything from diplomacy to performance in battle, and like their Warhammer counterparts they’re all superhuman warriors.

It feels like a leap for the series in the same way the first Rome did, bringing with it some fundemental changes to how diplomacy, trade and combat works. The fight over China also makes for a compelling campaign, blessed with a kind of dynamism that we’ve not seen in a Total War before. Since launch, it’s also benefited from some great DLC, including a new format that introduces historical bookmarks that expand on different events from the era.

Europa Universalis 4

Paradox’s long-running, flagship strategy romp is the ultimate grand strategy game, putting you in charge of a nation from the end of the Middle Ages all the way up to the 1800s. As head honcho, you determine its political strategy, meddle with its economy, command its armies and craft an empire.

Right from the get-go, Europa Universalis 4 lets you start changing history. Maybe England crushes France in the 100 Years War and builds a massive continental empire. Maybe the Iroquois defeat European colonists, build ships and invade the Old World. It’s huge, complex, and through years of expansions has just kept growing. The simulation can sometimes be tough to wrap one’s head around, but it’s worth diving in and just seeing where alt-history takes you.

4X Old World

Few 4X games try to challenge Civ, but Old World already had a leg up thanks designer Soren Johnson’s previous relationship with the series. He was the lead designer on Civ 4, and that legacy is very apparent. But Old World is more than another take on Civ. For one, it’s set exclusively in antiquity rather than charting the course of human history, but that change in scope also allows it to focus on people as well as empires.

Instead of playing an immortal ruler, you play one who really lives, getting married, having kids and eventually dying. Then you play their heir. You have courtiers, spouses, children and rivals to worry about, and with this exploration of the human side of empire-building also comes a bounty of events, plots and surprises. You might even find yourself assassinated by a family member. There’s more than a hint of Crusader Kings here.

Civilization 6

You can’t have a best strategy games list without a bit of Civ. Civilization 6 is our game of choice in the series right now, especially now that it’s seen a couple of expansions. The biggest change this time around is the district system, which unstacks cities in the way that its predecessor unstacked armies. Cities are now these sprawling things full of specialised areas that force you to really think about the future when you developing tiles.

The expansions added some more novel wrinkles that are very welcome but do stop short of revolutionising the venerable series. They introduce the concept of Golden Ages and Dark Ages, giving you bonuses and debuffs depending on your civilisation’s development across the years, as well as climate change and environmental disasters. It’s a forward-thinking, modern Civ.

Sins of a Solar Empire

Sins of a Solar Empire captures some of the scope of a 4X strategy game but makes it work within an RTS framework. This is a game about star-spanning empires that rise, stabilise and fall in the space of an afternoon: and, particularly, about the moment when the vast capital ships of those empires emerge from hyperspace above half-burning worlds. Diplomacy is an option too, of course, but also: giant spaceships. Play the Rebellion expansion to enlarge said spaceships to ridiculous proportions.

After years of waiting, a sequel is finally on the horizon, thankfully. Sins of a Solar Empire 2 can already be played in early access for those who preorder it.

Keep Reading

Games

The best football games on PC 2024

By admin January 15, 2024

The best football games on PC 2024, Lead your club, country, or brightest youth prospect to victory in the best football games on PC, from near-perfect simulations to soap opera stories. It can seem tough to scratch that footballing itch, especially when there are only a few mainstream games that usually spring to mind. Sure, Football Manager is the undisputed king of the football management genre, and if you’re interested in a more player-controlled affair, it’s hard to argue with FIFA’s excellent game-day presentation.

What are the best football games on PC in 2024? It can seem tough to scratch that footballing itch, especially when there are only a few mainstream games that usually spring to mind. Sure, Football Manager is the undisputed king of the football management genre, and if you’re interested in a more player-controlled affair, it’s hard to argue with FIFA’s excellent game-day presentation.

Whether it’s an under-the-radar studio, an indie title, or a mash-up of different sports, there’s a football game for every fan. To shine a light on these underappreciated classics, we’ve compiled the best PC games for football fans.

Football Drama

Football meets real-time strategy and deck-based card battle games gameplay in this delightfully humourous Demigiant title. As existentially-troubled manager Rocco Galliano, you’re tasked with turning around the fortunes of the ailing Calchester Assembled Football Club.

Doing so won’t be easy though. Like Telltale games of old, player choice is a big part of Football Drama. You’ll regularly be in conversation with journalists, the club’s owner, criminal organizations, and even your house cat, and the decisions you make during these chats have positive or negative impacts on all aspects of your management journey. Get into a spat with the man who hired you, and you could be sacked within days of taking over. Do a deal with the mafia to throw a game and find the story leaked to the press, and you could have a baying mob of angry supporters at your door.

Football Drama’s turn-based match mechanics, coupled with the use of “shout cards” you earn based on your interactions, can swing results in or out of your favor, and add an intriguing layer to its FM-inspired match engine. Your team’s stamina and card usage are pivotal to winning matches, so strategically applying them in unison will be the difference between victory and defeat.

Games and the commentary can feel a bit repetitive after a while, and there are only seven endings you can unlock despite Football Drama’s huge branching narrative. With its unique blend of gameplay, droll humor, and literary-inspired plot, however, Demigiant’s title is one you should check out.

The best football games on PC 2024

Rocket League

This isn’t your typical football game, but Rocket League is technically a soccer-based title thanks to its arcade-style football mixed with rocket-fuelled cars and vehicles.

There’s so much to like about Psyonix’s popular game. Its fluid, physics-driven mechanics are a joy and give rise to different, awesome, and sometimes hilariously bad goals and moments. Its 3-on-3 matches are always intense and results can swing one way or the other based on whether you’re having a good session or not, who you’re teamed up with, and often sheer luck about where the ball lands.

Its customization options allow you to build a vehicle that is distinctly you, and there are various game modes for you to try out until you find your perfect fit. Online casual and competitive matches, an offline Season Mode, basketball and hockey-esque extra modes, and Mutator options are just a few game types available to you, which helps if you want to mix things up and try something new.

Add all of that together with the Rocket League Season Pass – where you can earn rewards, climb up the world rankings, and get XP boosts – and this is a driving-based football title that could rival FM for your time. Check out our Rocket League review if you want to know more.

Kopanito All-Stars Soccer

Have you ever wanted to see a game with no referee and players imbued with superpowers? Kopanito All-Stars Soccer will be right up your street if so.

Merixgames’ football title has been out for a while, but its cartoonish charm and skill-based gameplay mean that there’s plenty here to keep your interest. Regional tournaments and leagues, multiplayer support for up to five players, and four difficulty levels give you your money’s worth, and there’s even the option to turn your slick or amazing goals and celebrations into animated GIFs to send to your mates if you’re in bragging mode.

It’s the game’s superpower abilities that really make it shine, though. You can teleport away from opponents, fire a super-shot goalwards that knocks all players out of the way – goalkeeper included – and even use a magnet that pulls the ball alongside you. It’s wacky but rewarding, particularly if you become a master at the game’s control system, and you’ll feel satisfied when you finally beat the game’s hardest difficulty setting after weeks of honing your craft.

Football, Tactics & Glory

On the surface, this looks like an FM22 knock-off, but there’s more to Football, Tactics & Glory than that. Combining XCOM’s chess-like strategy with RPG elements, Creoteam’s original spin on the management sim genre provides a fun yet realistic take on player improvement and tactical game plans.

Its fully customizable player faces let you give your stars some personality – in comparison to FM22’s plasticine-esque regen faces – while its mod support allows you to add in real-life leagues and tournaments to keep things fresh. Add in a helping of Twitch integration, whereby viewers can interact with streamers, and your fans can play as big a role in your management journey as you.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to FM22’s in-depth mechanics – or a realistic footballing alternative to Blood Bowl – Football, Tactics, & Glory is a solid PC football game.

Behold the Kickmen

Imagine a football game that was developed by someone who had no idea what football was about. If you thought of something along the lines of Behold the Kickmen, you’d be right.

A frenetic soccer sim, Behold the Kickmen reinvents football by, well, inventing something else entirely. With gameplay mechanics that include ‘more kicking’ and ‘doing goals’, this tongue-in-cheek affair takes an amusing swipe at football fanaticism.

There’s a silly story mode to keep you engaged, while you can enable a mode in the options that turns the game into a dystopian bloodsport if things are getting a bit too serious for your liking. Its lack of multiplayer is a shame as it would be funny to batter your mates into oblivion, especially in bloodsport mode. For non-football fans who want to take the mickey by playing a soccer game, though, Behold the Kickmen, is a cheap, fun indie title.

Totoball

Table football, or Foosball as it’s commonly known, is fun, so if you like that then you’ll like this surprisingly effective PC port, Totoball.

Developed by Artur Rezende, Totoball is a carbon copy of the physical game we’ve all played and loved, whether that’s in common rooms and bars across the world. Like its real-life counterpart, Totoball’s mechanics are very simple – so much so that there are only two keys you need to use to play it.

Sure, you could venture out into the real world and play table football properly. For those days when you don’t feel like leaving the house, however, Totoball is an easy game to pass the time with.

Super Arcade Football

Remember when football games were top-down 2D affairs? Super Arcade Football replicates that aesthetic. Harking back to the days of Sensible Soccer and Italia ‘90, OutoftheBit’s retro-inspired title will have you wanting to dust off your old consoles to take a trip down memory lane.

It’s faster-paced than its predecessors and is graphically superior, but all the gameplay mechanic hallmarks are here. Different types of pitch – from dry to muddy to icy – are available to play on, simple controls such as pass, shoot, and move are all you need, and there is up to four-player support if you want a friend or three to join you.

Chuck in some funny match modifiers, including bigger goals and bouncy walls, and an online mode, and Super Arcade Football is a treat for those of you who grew up during the SNES and Mega Drive era.

Pixel Cup Soccer – Ultimate Edition

Pixel Cup is a love letter to isometric football games, like Sensible Soccer, with a little injection of modern technology. Local multiplayer is supported, and there are a variety of different competitions to dig into at your leisure. There’s even support for women’s football here, with the Women’s World Cup and Pixel Cup available to play – something that very few football games, FM included, have supported.

If Super Arcade Football doesn’t bring on the nostalgia rush you were hoping for, this might just push you over the edge. With a career mode, and even a playable Qatar World Cup, Pixel Cup Soccer may look simplistic, but it packs a lot under the hood.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2021

You can’t mention FIFA without talking about its fiercest rival, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer series. PES 2021 doesn’t feature any upgrades from the previous year, instead, the devs focused on building eFootball 2022. Unfortunately, eFootball 2022 wasn’t the game fans were expecting as it quickly became the worst-reviewed title on Steam, with the 2023 version not doing much better.

Don’t worry, the modding community has saved the day once again. Using PES 2021 as a base, players have stuck to last year’s game as fans add in custom kits and teams. For solo players, Master League is one of the best single-player modes in any football game. In the Master League mode, players control a football club throughout several seasons. Not only will you have to deal with transfers, but creating unique training programs for the development of your players is crucial, especially for clubs without a large budget.

Football Manager 2024

While you won’t directly be contributing to the ball going into the goal, the Football Manager series puts you in the suit of one of the most important parts of any football team. Our FM24 review sings the praises of the newest entry in the series, which boasts a reworked agent system, advanced positional control, and, most importantly, the ability to import old saves into the new game. Perfect if you’ve been on that League 2 run for a few years now.

If you’re after one of the hardest FM24 challenges, check out our most difficult FM24 challenge saves, and if you want thing to look as realistic as possible, check out our guide on how to import FM24 kits and logo packs, so your team looks how they’re supposed to.

If handball being bad confuses you, and you don’t know where to start with the offside rule, we have the best sports games here, and if you would rather be the puppet master than the puppet, we have the best management games right here.

Keep Reading

Computer

Best laptops for CAD and 3D modeling 2024

By admin January 14, 2024

Best laptops for CAD and 3D modeling 2024, Are you heading off to college? Starting a new semester soon? It’s probably about time you upgraded your laptop or computer. But glancing at some of the best laptop deals will show you there are many options out there. What should you be looking for if there’s something specific you want to do, like taking notes with a stylus, researching on the internet, or even a little gaming on the side?

What about streaming some movies or shows with friends in your dorm? Don’t worry. That’s precisely what we’re going to review in this guide. We’ll cover all of the best laptops for college for the 2024 school year.

Apple MacBook Air M1 (2020)

Best Apple MacBook

As far as Apple products go, it’s older, yes, but the 2020 Apple MacBook Air M1 is still incredibly capable. It’s also affordable, which makes it accessible to college students on a budget. It comes packed with some excellent features and hardware, too. Like the stunning 13.3-inch Retina display, 18 hours of battery life, and super easy-to-use Mac OS. In our Macbook Air M1 review, we praised it for its excellent keyboard and touchpad, phenomenal battery life, rock-solid build quality, and the M1 chip’s power and performance at the time compared to Intel’s. We still stand by those praises today.

Best laptops for CAD and 3D modeling 2024

Lenovo Yoga 6 13-inch AMD

Best 2-in-1 laptop

With the base model starting around $600, for great specs, including an AMD Ryzen 7000 Series mobile processor, the Lenovo Yoga 6 2-in-1 is perfect for students on the move. The thin and light frame adds to the portability, with the convertible and touchscreen-enabled display excellent for just about any configuration you can think up. You can use it like a notebook to take class notes, prop it up to watch media, use it as a traditional laptop, and more. Plus, the visuals are vibrant and appealing on the 13.3-inch WUXGA full-HD display, and the audio-optimized speakers are Dolby Atmos compatible.

HP Pavilion Aero 13

Best bang-for-your-buck

Unsurprisingly, our HP Pavilion Aero 13 review praised this little machine that could for its quality, performance, battery life, minimalist design, and lightweight build. It weighs just over 2 pounds and is no burden, even better when tossed into a backpack or handbag. And while it is classified as a budget laptop — excellent for students — it also packs a decent amount of power under the hood. The base model for about $550 includes an AMD Ryzen 5 Series processor with AMD Radeon graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive.

The 13.3-inch display is full HD, operating at a 1900 by 1200 resolution. There’s no touchscreen, and it’s a bummer to see no backlit keyboard in the base model, but you can certainly make do.

Dell XPS 13 (9315)

Best no-nonsense option

You’ll find that, like most laptops, the Dell XPS 13 can be customized so that you can choose your RAM, storage, and more, with varying price points. The base model starts at about $799 for 8GB of DDR5 RAM — the fastest on the market today — Intel Iris Xe graphics and a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 10-core processor. It is an excellent student option because the price is reasonable, the performance is acceptable, the battery life is terrific, and the machine is reliable overall. Plus, the 13.4-inch full HD display doesn’t hurt either.

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 (2022)

Best for gaming

You should know that the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is a powerful machine, but it’s also overkill if you only do schoolwork and everyday productivity tasks. However, if you want to do some gaming in your free time, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU pairs well with the Intel Core i5 processor and 16GB of DDR4 system RAM. Depending on the system requirements, you can play most newer games on medium to high settings, some even higher than that.

It doesn’t have the best battery life, so you’ll need to stay near an outlet, especially if you’re playing games, but that’s a solid tradeoff for more power. It’s also a bit pricy for students on a budget, but that’s a tradeoff for the extra power.

How we chose these laptops for college

As a college student, likely on a tight budget, the compromises you’re willing to make for a great PC will always be different from those of someone with money to burn who wants the best. That doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t want the best possible for your price range, but there are factors to consider that are more important than others.

Here’s what we prioritized when choosing laptops for college students:

Price

You have a budget, and you need to stick to it. We don’t blame you. That’s why we prioritized laptops from all affordable but capable brands, especially compared to more expensive counterparts. Aside from our gaming choice, which was selected for power above all, everything else on this list should be accessible.

Battery life

From studying in a library for long hours to hanging out in a friend’s dorm, you’ll probably opt for laptops with reliable battery life. Again, aside from our gaming pick, everything else on this list has excellent battery life to offer and should get you through most of your day, even without a quick charge.

Display

Even at a budget price, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a full HD resolution display in this day and age. Every laptop we selected has at least that or better.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.

The 5 best laptops for CAD and and 3D modeling in 2024

Whether it’s engineering or game design, 3d modeling and CAD work has become very big in the past few years, especially with a lot of folks starting to do it at home for things like 3D printer files. Of course, not every laptop you pick up can handle doing that sort of work, so if you plan to do either, then going for a laptop that is fit for the job is important. To that end, we’ve collected our five favorite laptops across various price ranges and needs so that you can pick the perfect laptop for you.

Legion Pro 5 Gen 8

Best overall for 3D modeling

While the Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is not necessarily the most powerful laptop on this list, it’s one of the best to balance specs with cost, so if you’re looking for a good mid-range option that ticks most of the boxes, then this is the one to go for. Under the hood, it runs an AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX Processor, which is a mid-to-high-end CPU that should handle most modeling tasks with ease. That’s especially true since it easily overshoots the recommended requirements for AutoCAD for a processor that can do more than 3GHz.

You also get plentiful RAM here with 32GBs of DDR 5 memory, which is also double the recommended 16GB for AutoCAD, although we’d actually say the ideal amount of RAM starts at 32GB, so you’re good. It’s also the newer and faster memory compared to DDR4, so it should perform better overall. As for graphical processing power, you get an RTX 4070, which is a solid mid-range gaming GPU that should handle most 3D modeling tasks relatively well and should be fine for most use cases.

In terms of screen size, we’re happy to say that it’s a very solid 16 inches, so there is lots of room to see details, and it even runs a 2560 x 1600 resolution, which is perfect without pushing the GPU too much. It can hit a peak brightness of 300nits, which isn’t that great if you’re in well-light areas, although the 165Hz refresh rate is certainly nice for a smoother experience. We should also mention that it’s a bit on the heavier side, so be sure to take that into account if you need to move around a lot.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16

Best powerful Laptop for 3D modeling

You might be thinking to yourself, “What is a gaming laptop doing on a list of 3D modeling laptops?” Well, it’s not a surprise that there is quite a big overlap when it comes to a good laptop for gaming and a good laptop for 3D modeling. For example, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has an Intel Core i9-13900H, one of the most powerful CPUs on the market, and just a grade below professional-grade CPUs like the Intel Xeon and the Ryzen Threadripper. As such, it’s more than happy to chug away at any 3D modeling tasks you send its way without too much hassle, assuming you aren’t doing anything crazy.

In a similar vein, the Zephyurs M16 runs an RTX 4090 under the hood, which is one of the best non-professional grade GPUs out there and, again, will easily handle most 3D modeling tasks you throw its way. That said, the inclusion of the RTX 4090 does mean that it drinks up electricity like it’s abundant, so the battery life is not that great, especially when you’re putting a lot of load on the GPU. It also means that it runs pretty hot, so these are two very important things to consider before buying in.

Luckily, the screen is excellent, with a 16-inch that runs a 2560 x 1440 resolution, which is always a nice addition to have. The same goes for the 240Hz max refresh rate, which you likely aren’t going to need for non-gaming needs, so setting it to 120Hz will give you a smooth experience while freeing up some processes for 3D modeling. We should also mention that you get a very impressive 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, which really puts this configuration of the Zephyrius M16 in a league of its own.

MacBook Pro 16

Best powerful MacBook Laptop for 3D modeling

If you’re in the Apple ecosystem or want a MacBook for 3D modeling, then you have to go for the absolute best that Apple has to offer, which is the M3 Max MacBook Pro 16, a bit of a mouthful but hard to beat in terms of specs. Actually, we would have probably picked the M3 Pro version to save a little, but sadly, the M3 Max version is the only one that has the 36GB of RAM that we consider to be ideal for 3D modeling. Even so, the M3 Max chip is the best that Apple has to offer, with a 14-core processor that will easily handle most tasks you throw at it.

Even better, the M3 Max also has a whopping 36 GPU cores, so it’s exceedingly well-suite for 3D modeling tasks, and some would argue that Apple has some of the best hardware for graphics rendering and work in general. That said, you should keep in mind that not all applications work on both Windows and MacOS, with MacOS sometimes missing out on a few, so be sure to check that your app is supported on MacOS before taking the plunge.

That said, if it does run on MacOS, then you’ll be happy to know that you get an SSD with 1TB of storage, so your apps will load fast, and you’ll have a lot of space for any files you need, which are likely a lot for this sort of work.

Finally, while not exceedingly important, the 16-inch screen of the MacBook Pro is just lovely, as it has a 3456 x 2234 resolution running on a Liquid Retina XDR display, the best one that Apple offers. Also, it’s a relatively portable laptop for its specs, so even though you’re paying a premium, it’s perfect for those who tend to move around a lot.

LG gram 17

Best thin and portable laptop for 3D modeling

Solid 3d modeling laptops don’t need to be big, bulky, and very expensive, and if you want something that’s very thin and portable, you can’t go wrong with the LG Gram 17. It sits at an incredibly 0.7 inches of thickness despite the fact that it runs an RTX 3050 under the hood. Now, granted, the RTX 3050 is a very entry-level GPU, but the fact that it has a GPU at all is impressive, and every little bit counts when it comes to 3D modeling. It also only weighs 3.2 pounds, which is equally impressive.

In terms of processing power, it has an Intel Core i7 Evo, so it’s more than capable of handling 3D modeling and clears the recommended specs of most apps by a good margin. That said, the RAM only meets the recommended specs with 16GB of DDR5 memory, and while we would have liked to see double that, it’s not going to grind any 3D modeling to a complete halt. As for storage, you get a 1TB SSD, so lots of space and quick loading of apps and data.

Finally, it’s worth touching on the fact that the display is very good, a 17-inch display that runs WQXGA and gives you a relatively large amount of space to do your work, and we hope you can appreciate that. Even so, one disadvantage of the larger screen is that, combined with how thin it is, it can feel a bit flimsy, which isn’t ideal for something this pricey. So, if you do end up buying this one, don’t treat it like a rugged laptop, but be sure to be somewhat gentle with it.

IdeaPad Gaming 3

Best budget laptop for 3D modeling

While budget options aren’t ideal for heavy-duty 3D modeling, they’re a good option if you’re just starting out and don’t want to spend a ton of money. Funnily enough, this is the second gaming laptop on this list, but we can’t deny that the IdeaPad Gaming 3 is also great as a budget 3D modeling laptop. For example, it has the same RTX 4050 as the LG Gram 17 but costs only half the price, so it’s excellent value if you don’t care as much about having a thin and light laptop.

Another thing that’s more value-oriented is the 15.6-inch screen, which only has a 1920 x 1080 resolution and only hits 45% NTSC, which isn’t that impressive. Also, it can only hit 250nits of brightness, which is equally unimpressive and means that it won’t deal with bright direct lighting or even bright indirect lighting. On the other hand, it can run at a 120Hz refresh rate, so it’s still going to give you a smooth overall experience when viewing it, as will the 16GB of DDR5 RAM. Again, it is not the ideal of what we’d like to see, but it is more than enough to cover the recommended specs of most apps.

As for processing power, you get the mid-to-high-end AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, which should handle most 3D modeling tasks without issue; plus, it’s generally a bit more power efficient and an excellent CPU for productivity. When it comes to battery life, you should expect around seven to ten hours, depending on what you’re using it for, with more general activity like watching a video taking up less battery.

How We Chose These Laptops for 3D modeling

Processing power

It’s probably not shocking to know that having a powerful CPU under the hood of any 3D modeling laptop is important since it’s one of the main number-crunchers of the CPU and goes a long way. That means that you should ideally aim for something like the Intel i7 or the Ryzen R7 as sort of the starting point, which is why most of our picks above are based around those processors.

In a similar vein, GPUs are also very important for 3D modeling, but this one is a bit more complicated due to the fact that there are consumer-grade GPUs and professional-grade GPUs. While professional-grade GPUs, like the Quadro family of cards, is excellent for 3D modeling, they are prohibitively expensive for most people, especially since high-end consumer GPUs have comparable specs. As such, we avoided any Quadro or professional-grade GPUs and instead focused on consumer GPUs that are cheaper and easier to find. Going with consumer GPUs also means that you have a lot more leeway in configurations and choices for laptops.

RAM

Memory is another important thing you’ll need to keep in mind, especially since a lot of more budget-friendly laptops tend to only go for 8GB. Unfortunately, the recommended specs for most CAD and 3D modeling software tend to sit at 16Gb, and even that is something we consider too low. Preferablly, we like to see something around 32GB or up, although anything above 32GB does tend to be quite expensive and will start giving you diminishing returns. So, if you’d like to go for a higher amount, just be sure that you actually are going to need it.

Screen

Ironically, the screen is the thing that will likely have the least impact on 3D modeling, mostly because it’s just a visual output more than anything else. So, while it would definitely nice to have a large 18-inch screen running 4K resolutions, 1080p is perfectly fine, as is a smaller screen. Also, smaller screens mean smaller laptops, so if you value portability, going with a smaller screen isn’t all that bad.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.

Keep Reading

Guide

How to Fix high CPU usage 2024

By admin January 14, 2024

How to Fix high CPU usage 2024, PC freezing, going slow, or running into hitches where it shouldn’t? Even if you have one of the best processors, high CPU usage could be to blame. Unfortunately, if you aren’t too computer savvy, what this means, what part of your computer causes the issue, and CPU failure symptoms are all sort of a mystery.

So, what is CPU usage? Here, we’ll investigate high CPU usage, the factors that affect CPU utilization, and more.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

What is CPU usage?

The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU) is arguably the most important component inside any computer. Whether you’ve got one of the best processors on the market or you’re running an entry-level machine, your processor always serves as the brain of the operation. It sends instructions to all the other pieces of hardware in your device and is responsible for executing each and every task. If you’d like to read a more in-depth explanation about the CPU itself, check out our guide to what is a CPU.

Every processor has a limited capacity at which it can execute commands and run various programs. The better the CPU, the more tasks you can simultaneously perform without a hitch. However, no matter how powerful the CPU is, every chip will eventually hit its maximum capacity and begin slowing down. This will depend on your current CPU usage: In other words, the number of things your processor is being made to do at the same time.

When you’re not running many applications, your CPU usage should be low, and in an ideal scenario, everything should run smoothly. However, if you open a CPU-intensive program (such as certain games or video editing software,) you may notice that the response times increase as your CPU usage goes up.

Fluctuations in CPU usage are normal and nothing to worry about — as long as your PC continues running smoothly. If you’re unsatisfied with the performance of your PC, the first step is to check its CPU usage.

How to Fix high CPU usage 2024

How to check CPU usage

Checking CPU usage on Windows comes down to simply opening the Task Manager. If you already know how to do that, you can skip ahead to our next steps.

The three easiest and quickest ways to run Task Manager are:

• Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+Escape to bring up the Task Manager directly.

• Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+Delete to bring up the lock screen and select Task Manager from there.

• Right-click on the taskbar or the Windows icon at the bottom-left side of your screen. Pick Task Manager from the list.

With Task Manager open, navigate to the Performance tab and select CPU from the left-hand side menu. This will produce a curve diagram that displays real-time updates about the performance of your CPU. You can also check the Open Resource Monitor option at the bottom to see more detailed information about your processor.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

What is a normal CPU usage?

Before you jump right in and start trying to fix the problem, it’s important to learn whether the CPU usage you’re currently experiencing is abnormal in the first place.

Remember that depending on your processor, it could be that your computer is just utilizing the resources available to it in an efficient manner under heavy workloads. High-end CPUs are able to handle all manner of multitasking, but budget processors may not be able to run multiple resource-heavy programs at once.

If you are currently not running any additional programs, your CPU usage should be anywhere between 1% and 10% just through Windows processes alone. Anything higher than that on an idle PC means that something might be wrong. However, if you’re playing a game or even have multiple browser windows open, the CPU usage will climb accordingly.

If you’re unsure whether your CPU usage is too high, here are a few indicators to look out for:

• High idle CPU usage: You’re not running any programs and your CPU usage is still above 20%.

• Higher than usual CPU usage: You’re not using any new programs, and yet your CPU usage is higher than it used to be.

• High CPU usage during tasks that aren’t resource-heavy, like word processing, or browsing social media in just a couple of tabs.

• High CPU usage combined with freezes, crashes, and slow performance.

There are some programs that commonly consume a lot of processing power. Check out our suggestions below if you’re not sure whether your software is one of them.

How to fix high CPU usage

It’s important to monitor CPU usage and act if something seems amiss. If the amount of software you’re running doesn’t warrant slower loading times or high CPU usage, check out our quick steps below to resolve this problem.

Restart your computer

Sometimes all your PC may need is just a quick restart. This will clear out temporary files, shut down any programs you didn’t know were running, and give your computer more of a fresh slate.

If a while has passed since you last restarted your computer, save all your work and reboot. After the restart, launch the programs you’ve previously had open and check if your CPU usage is now back to normal.

Check open processes

If the problem comes back after re-launching previous software, it’s time to check which program is the culprit.

Launch Task Manager (if you’re not sure how to do that, click here,) and click the Processes tab at the top. You will be presented with a list of processes that are currently running on your computer. This is a long list, and it’s important that you don’t close any programs without knowing what they do. To make the list easier to navigate, click on Name to sort by software type.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Programs found under Apps are usually safe to close if needed. Check their CPU usage. If it’s a program that typically consumes a lot of CPU power, it might be that your high CPU usage is not abnormal. In any case, you can close the program to make sure your PC is running smoothly without it. Save all your work before you proceed.

Pick the program with the highest CPU usage and click End Task in the bottom right corner. Start it back up and check whether your CPU usage has improved. Try to close all the programs you don’t currently need — if the program or background process that consumes the most CPU power is unknown to you, write down its name and give it a quick Google search. It could be a virus that you need to get rid of.

Be mindful of the following:

• Apps with a very high CPU usage that shouldn’t require too many resources

• Background processes with a high CPU usage

• Windows processes with a high CPU usage

If any of the processes on your computer are CPU-heavy and you’re not sure what they are, write down their names and make sure they’re safe.

Scan your computer for viruses and malware

Unfortunately, malware and viruses are often the culprits behind high CPU usage. You may sometimes notice them by browsing through the Task Manager, but oftentimes they will be concealed and won’t be that easy to spot.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Getting rid of malware and viruses can be tricky and highly situational, but there are a few steps you should take that can resolve your problem.

• Download one of the best antivirus programs available and scan your computer.

• In addition to an antivirus program, you can download malware and spyware-specific programs such as Malwarebytes and SpyBot S&D. Scan your PC with these programs after the antivirus scan is over.

If the software finds any harmful programs on your computer, it will likely help you get rid of them. This may lower your CPU usage.

Update your drivers

Your CPU can take quite a beating if you’re using old drivers or unoptimized software. Sometimes, fixing high CPU usage may be as easy as simply updating your drivers.

In this step, try to update all of your drivers. This includes motherboard drivers, GPU drivers, audio drivers, and more. Check out our dedicated guides on updating all of your drivers and updating your graphics card drivers if you’d like a step-by-step tutorial on how to do this.

A word of warning: Do not use third-party software for updating drivers. A lot of the commonly advertised software on the internet may be dangerous to your computer. Whether it’s out-right malware or it simply downloads all the wrong things, you don’t want to deal with that. It’s best to learn how to update your drivers yourself and rely on secure methods of doing so.

Update your software

The software you’re using may simply be an older version of an already updated program. In such cases, the CPU usage may be abnormally high and it may have been fixed in a patch that you haven’t downloaded yet.

Following the Task Manager, update your most CPU-heavy software to the latest version and see whether that will do the trick.

Update your BIOS

This is more of an advanced option, but in some cases, updating your BIOS may help fix the issue with high CPU usage. Updating your BIOS will require knowing the exact model of your motherboard.

If you’re not sure which motherboard you’re using, we’ve got you covered. Check our guide to find out all of the specifications of your PC, including the motherboard. Once you know the model of your motherboard, simply search for it in Google and add “BIOS.” Download the latest BIOS directly from the manufacturer’s website — do not trust other sources. Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer in order to update your BIOS.

Check your power settings

Certain power settings in Windows may affect your CPU performance. This applies to both laptops and desktops. You may currently be using a low power setting without even knowing it, so changing it might help.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Follow the steps below to change your power plan in Windows.

• Click on the Windows logo in the bottom left-hand corner and type in: “Power Settings.”

• On the right-hand side of the Power & Sleep section, navigate to Additional Power Settings.

• Click on Show Additional Plans and then select the High Performance plan. Alternatively, if you’re already running the High Performance plan and you’re experiencing CPU problems, try out the Balanced plan instead.

Clean your PC

Keeping your PC clean is important, not just on the software side, but on the dust-free side. That’s right — our computers gather a lot of dust every single day. The more dust your PC or laptop has accumulated, the worse it will run, and that’s all thanks to the rising temperatures within the chassis.

Don’t let us catch you letting it get this bad … Wikimedia

If you haven’t given your PC a good clean for a while, it might be the time to do so. This process will usually require the use of compressed air. You can pick up a can of compressed air on Amazon and from many other stores.

Remember that before you ever attempt to clean your computer’s vents, you need to fully turn it off and unplug it. If you want to learn how to clean your PC, as well as a few more handy tips to make it run faster, check out our in-depth guide on the topic.

Run System Restore

If your high CPU usage is a recent development and everything was running smoothly just a few days ago, fixing the problem may be as easy as running System Restore on Windows. Windows 10 users can refer to our separate guide on reinstalling and restoring Windows here.

For Windows 11 users, accessing System Restore can be done in a few quick steps:

• Click the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen and type in Control Panel.

• Once in the Control Panel, type in Recovery in the search box.

• Pick Recovery and then Open System Restore.

• In the Restore System Files and Settings section, click Next.

You will then be prompted to select a restore point that you want to go back to. Choose one from before these issues started and follow the instructions provided by Windows. Keep in mind that you may lose any new files and programs you’ve installed since the restore point.

Unfortunately, many users cannot utilize System Restore. This is because Windows doesn’t automatically create restore points, which is why your list may be empty. If that’s the case, you may need to take more drastic measures.

Reinstall Windows

This option should be treated as a last resort. If all the other steps failed and you still cannot pinpoint the reason why your CPU usage is so high, giving your Windows a clean install may be the solution to your problems.

Before you pull the trigger, keep in mind that reinstalling Windows will delete all of your installed programs. You are allowed to keep your files, but you may also opt to do a completely clean install and let Windows delete all of them. Whether you choose to keep your files or not, it’s good to back up your data before you begin.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Reinstalling Windows 10

If you’re not sure how to reinstall Windows 10, check out our guide that will lead you through the steps required to do so.

Reinstalling Windows 11

In order to reinstall Windows 11, click on the Windows logo at the bottom-left side of the screen and type in: “Reset this PC.”

Once you’re in the correct section, select Reset PC. Windows will then prompt you to choose from several reinstall options. You can choose whether to keep your personal files, keep any changes you’ve made to Windows settings, and keep pre-installed apps that came with your Windows 11 PC.

Pick the option that suits you best and allow Windows to reinstall itself. When the reinstallation is complete, you will have to install all your drivers and trustworthy programs again. Once your system is back up and running, check your CPU usage again — you should be able to see a marked improvement.

Further troubleshooting

If you have tried every one of our recommended steps and found no improvement, the issue may be more complex than can be covered in any given guide. Fortunately, all you need is an internet connection in order to troubleshoot your computer.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are two main things to search for in times of abnormal CPU usage:

• Your exact model of CPU + “high CPU usage.” Check our guide to learn which processor you have.

• The process or program that hogs the most CPU usage in Task Manager + “high CPU usage.”

Searching for these terms will give you more specific advice from users who have gone through the same kinds of issues. Read the advice carefully and follow it as best as you can. However, never download any third-party programs: You may put your PC at much greater risk instead of fixing it.

CPU usage FAQ

Which programs cause high CPU usage?

Many kinds of programs can cause high CPU usage. If you’re running one of them, your computer may slow down. In such cases, make sure you close all other programs to give your processor the breathing space it needs in order to run these resource-heavy tasks.

Some of the most notorious CPU-heavy programs include:

• Video and photo editing software

• Encoding and decoding software

• CPU-heavy games, such as PUBG

• Browsers with many tabs open, many plug-ins, websites with a lot of videos and photos, etc.

• DVD burning programs

• Video or photo converters

• 3D modeling software

• Benchmarking programs

Is high CPU usage bad?

Every PC will go through cycles of high CPU usage — there is nothing wrong with that. However, If your CPU usage is constantly high or even at 100%, there is definitely a reason for concern.

Your CPU heats up when under heavy loads. This may cause your computer to overheat, but even in the best-case scenario, it contributes to wear and tear. Your PC may freeze when running at 100% CPU usage as soon as you add an extra application into the mix. Freezes and crashes are common, and each one may cause another problem to pop up.

In short: Yes, it’s bad, although as long as you’re expecting your CPU usage to be high, it’s fine and fully expected to happen at times.

Keep Reading

Featured

10 best psychological thriller movies ever

By admin January 14, 2024

10 best psychological thriller movies ever, Psychological thrillers have long been a favorite among viewers who enjoy intense explorations of the human psyche. The genre is chock-full of gripping stories that combine character studies with nail-biting suspense, alongside mind-bending twists and a deliciously dark atmosphere.

The greatest psychological thrillers ever made range from the genre-defining classic Rear Window to the modern masterpiece Get Out to the incomparable and iconic The Silence of the Lambs. These essential entries in the genre showcase the directors, writers, and actors’ mastery of their distinct chilling journeys, with their impact, innovation, and lasting influence on the world of cinema cementing them as the best of the best.

10. Black Swan (2010)

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, a riveting movie that portrays the intense and competitive world of professional ballet. Nina has worked hard for years and is vying for the lead role in a New York City production of Swan Lake. It’s just within her reach, but newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) suddenly threatens her position and sparks a rivalry that causes Nina to experience a descent into madness.

Black Swan captures the pressures of perfectionism in ballet, with the disturbing depiction of Nina’s psychological unraveling illustrating what obsession can do to an artist. Aronofsky brilliantly uses mirrors, doubles, and surreal imagery to create a disorienting and nightmarish visceral experience for Nina, and by extension, the audience. Of course, Portman’s award-winning performance is what elevates the entire film, as she plays the talented, yet fragile ballerina flawlessly.

10 best psychological thriller movies ever

9. Perfect Blue (1997)

Rex Entertainment

Director Satoshi Kon is known for works that blur the line between fantasy and reality, and Perfect Blue is certainly the most iconic example of this. The animated movie tells the story of Mima Kirigoe (Junko Iwao), a pop idol who decides to quit her popular group to pursue a career in acting. She doesn’t expect how intense her fans’ reactions would be, nor the elusive stalker and bizarre website that begins to haunt her every waking moment.

One of the best anime movies to come out of the ’90s, Perfect Blue was a trailblazer that would help make the widespread popularity of anime films in the West possible. It’s also remembered as a remarkably powerful and disturbing portrait of fame and obsession, with some of its shockingly violent moments underscoring how terrifyingly effective animated films can be.

8. Rear Window (1954)

Paramount Pictures

Rear Window is often cited among Alfred Hitchcock‘s greatest works. The 1954 film is centered on the voyeuristic L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (James Stewart), who spends his time watching his neighbors across the courtyard while he’s confined in his apartment due to a broken leg. One day, his telephoto lens and binoculars capture something peculiar enough that it might be murder.

Hitchcock’s groundbreaking movie puts the audience in the dark, as Jeff’s perspective becomes the viewer’s as well. As the protagonist tries to piece together the clues, suspense and curiosity build to enthralling levels, with the latter ironically serving as a criticism of Jeff and the audiences glued to the screen. Rear Window examines not just the human tendency to look, but to wish that something terrible would happen while looking.

7. Get Out (2017)

Universal Pictures

Actor, comedian, and now director Jordan Peele wowed everyone with his widely acclaimed feature film debut Get Out. The psychological horror movie follows Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), a Black man who meets the family of his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage, (Allison Williams) for the first time. Their awkward interactions at the family estate initially seem to stem from uncertainty around the interracial relationship, but it soon turns into something much more sinister.

Now counted among the best social horror and thriller movies, Get Out combines clever commentary and satire to emphasize the insidious nature of racism. Its unsettling atmosphere perfectly complements seemingly small tensions that devolve into full-blown horrific truths about Rose’s family. While most audiences likely already know about its legendary twist, it’s still worth discovering the film for the first time today.

6. Oldboy (2003)

Show East

Oldboy is a classic of modern South Korean cinema by director Park Chan-wook. A psychological thriller and violent action film, it shows the experiences of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a man kidnapped and then imprisoned without any explanation for 15 years. After he’s released out of the blue, he begins a quest for revenge to find the ones responsible for his suffering, only to walk into a major conspiracy. He also meets the charming sushi chef, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), along the way.

A tragic character, Oh Dae-su follows a haunting arc, with its beginning marked by desperation and rage, and its end marked by utter defeat. The movie may be remembered for flawlessly choreographed action sequences like the legendary hallway scene, but it’s the twisty psychological drama that will end up staying with viewers who stick around for its deeply disturbing ending.

5. Taxi Driver (1976)

Columbia Pictures

Robert De Niro disappeared into one of his most renowned roles as Travis Bickle, a disturbed Vietnam War veteran who becomes a cabbie in 1976’s Taxi Driver. Set in a gritty and dreamlike version of New York City in the 1970s, the film follows Travis as he spends sleepless nights becoming obsessed with the moral decay around him. He soon plots to kill a presidential candidate as the first step in his grand plan to save the world.

Alienated from the rest of society due to his traumatic past, Travis’ actions in the movie feel both avoidable and totally inevitable. Audiences have an unreliable perspective as the protagonist’s increasing detachment from reality paints an unclear picture of what’s really going on. Taxi Driver is often hailed as one of director Martin Scorsese‘s best movies, as it captures the social anxieties of its time and continues to have a lasting impact on filmmaking as a whole.

4. Memento (2000)

Summit Entertainment

In director Christopher Nolan‘s Memento, a man living with anterograde amnesia struggles to track down the man responsible for the rape and murder of his wife. Unable to form new memories, Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) devises a system where he uses images, notes, and even tattoos to identify and exact revenge on the perpetrator.

Anyone who has heard of Memento will likely know that its narrative structure is extraordinary, as one part of its story unfolds in reverse order, while the other happens chronologically, mirroring Leonard’s disjointed perception of time. Leonard’s grueling task to hold on to the transient fragments in any way possible invites audiences to do the same, with the entire film turning into a kind of intriguing puzzle. It’s a complicated and engrossing way to dive into Leonard’s psyche, which hides some terrible secrets.

3. American Psycho (2000)

Lions Gate Films

Based on what was once considered an unadaptable 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho is a massively popular film that needs no introduction. Directed by Mary Harron, the movie takes place in the late 1980s in New York City, where Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is living his best life as a wealthy and successful investment banker. What his colleagues don’t know is that he leads a sinister double life as a serial killer, or does he?

A smart exploration of the greed of Wall Street and a biting satire of toxic masculinity, American Psycho pointedly criticizes society’s obsession with materialism. Although it was specifically about the excesses of the yuppie culture, renewed interest in the film today highlights how relevant it still is. Christian Bale’s tour de force performance as the chilling Bateman alone makes the movie worth revisiting.

2. Mulholland Drive (2001)

Universal Pictures

From the master of the surreal, director David Lynch, Mulholland Drive unfolds like a cryptic puzzle in a dreamy version of Los Angeles. There, a woman with amnesia from a car accident (played by Laura Elena Harring) meets an aspiring actress named Betty Elms (Naomi Watts), who helps her figure out what happened. This deceptively simple premise fades into the background as Mulholland Drive turns into a strange nonlinear journey through Hollywood.

Challenging conventional storytelling through its distinct structure and unsettling atmosphere, Lynch’s masterpiece sees the characters’ identities transform from two women trying to find the truth to something else entirely. For anyone who has never seen the surrealist neo-noir, Mulholland Drive is one worth turning off the lights for and focusing on a cinematic masterpiece that’s still debated and studied today.

1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Orion Pictures

The Silence of the Lambs is not just the best psychological thriller of all time, but one of the greatest movies ever, having long ago established its place as an influential classic. Directed by Jonathan Demme and based on Thomas Harris’ eponymous 1988 novel, the film revolves around the unusual relationship between a young FBI agent and a cannibalistic serial killer. The young agent, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), is struggling to find any clues about an ongoing case, which leads to her interviews with Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), who was once a well-known psychiatrist before he was revealed to be a violent killer.

Featuring stellar performances from Foster and Hopkins, the film sets up the psychological game they engage in, which soon turns into an unnerving exploration of each other’s minds. The tense atmosphere builds to alarming levels as Clarice gets closer to catching her killer, while Dr. Lecter seems to be hiding a goal of his own.

The Silence of the Lambs is notable for being one of the few movies to win the “Big Five” Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Its impact on pop culture endures and cannot be understated, as Hannibal Lecter has become an iconic figure in cinema and is known as one of the greatest villains to ever grace the big screen.

Keep Reading

Featured

The best anime on Netflix 2024

By admin January 14, 2024

The best anime on Netflix 2024, Even though it’s known for its big-budget originals like Stranger Things, Netflix also has a wide variety of anime titles for you to choose from. With a healthy mix of original productions and established favorites, Netflix has plenty of excellent anime to watch across movies and TV, as well as covering every genre longtime fans and uninitiated viewers alike could want.

Given Netflix’s copious offerings, knowing how and where to get started with the genre can be overwhelming. Thankfully, we have curated a guide that parses through some of the best the streamer has to offer. This Netflix guide is updated every month and is sure to contain something to pique newcomers’ interest.

If you want more options, check out our other guides to the best anime on Hulu and the best anime available on Amazon Prime Video.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)

One of the more recent Netflix-original anime series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an exciting take on this charming franchise. Animated by Science Saru and developed by Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski, this limited series takes the series in a bold new narrative direction. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off sees the titular character go missing, compelling his love interest Ramona Flowers to investigate his sudden disappearance, all while the supporting cast works on creating a fictionalized story about Scott’s life.

The series features the principal cast from the live-action movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World returning to reprise their roles, including Michael Cera as the titular character, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona, Chris Evans as Lucas Lee, and Brie Larson as Natalie Adams. From its charming character designs, storytelling, and animation work, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was acclaimed as a celebration of the franchise with an inventive new story.

The best anime on Netflix 2024

Vampire in the Garden (2022)

Former Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga animation studio Wit Studio teamed up with Netflix for the anime-original story Vampire in the Garden. This series is set in a dystopic world where the remnants of humanity cling to their last safe-haven city after vampires overthrow them as the world’s apex species. In the middle of a battle, a human soldier named Momo encounters a vampire queen named Fine, who connects with her over their shared desire to escape from the war-torn land.

Both characters then set off on a quest to find a rumored ecosystem where both humans and vampires can coexist peacefully. Wit Studio has long since made a name for itself thanks to its slick art direction and animation work, delivering some satisfying action sequences. Likewise, the military dystopia and dark fantasy elements offer a refreshing change of pace from the vampire theme’s conventional gothic aesthetic.

Yasuke (2021)

Both a Netflix original and an anime-original story, Yasuke takes a dark fantasy spin on a piece of 16th century Japanese history. Animated by MAPPA and created by LeSean Thomas, the series follows the titular African warrior who served as a samurai and retainer for the daimyo Oda Nobunaga.

Set in a dark alternate reality that combines elements of magic and advanced technology, Yasuke tries to put his military past behind him after the Nobunaga’s forces are defeated by the demon warlord Yami no Daimyo. That is until he’s tasked with escorting a sick young girl with magical powers to a special doctor. Yasuke is a creative spin on real-world history and features a great voice performance by Lakeith Stanfield in the anime’s English dub.

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: Reawakened (2019)

A Netflix-distributed sequel and adaptation of the ending of Shuichi Aso’s manga, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: Reawakened concludes the comically chaotic high school exploits of its titular lead. Saiki continues to try to keep a low profile with his psychic abilities to avoid any attention and inconveniences.

However, between helping cover for his dad’s mishaps at work and the hijinks he gets roped into with his group of friends, Saiki might discover how these gifts could be used for good. Much like the original anime adaptation, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: Reawakened builds on the light-hearted humor that makes it such an endearing watch. Studios J.C.Staff and Egg Firm did well to stick to the script to give the anime adaptations a satisfying close and retain the fun spirit of Aso’s supernatural comedy.

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers (2023)

One of the more recent Netflix-original anime, Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is an engaging samurai period piece. Based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Fumi Yoshinaga, the animation team at Studio Deen adapts an alternate history where the male population is nearly decimated during Edo-period Japan, and eligible men serve as concubines for the female Shogun within Ōoku.

It’s an interesting spin on the alternate-history approach, telling a unique story rooted in drama and romance. Ōoku: The Inner Chambers examines its story through the lens of women dominating in authority in a power structure built by a patriarchal society before them.

Ajin (2016)

Ajin: Demi-Human is an entertaining supernatural-thriller with a well-executed art direction. Animation studio Polygon Pictures adapts Gamon Sakurai’s manga of the same name, set in a world where mysterious and immortal human beings dubbed “Ajin” were discovered in Africa 17 years prior and have since been deemed threats to humanity.

High-schooler Kei Nagai discovers he’s an Ajin and must flee the authorities before they can conduct disturbing experiments on him, forced to pick a side in a fight he never expected to be a part of. In an environment where CG animation is still growing, but promising, Ajin: Demi-Human is a solid endeavor. The animation art style, animation, action, and worldbuilding make for a concise watch.

Mononoke (2007)

Mononoke is an excellent horror-esque mystery thriller. A production by Toei Animation, this series is also an anime-original story and is set in a feudal Japanese world where a Medicine Seller is an occult master who travels the countryside exorcising evil spirits.

Things take a darker and more intense turn when the Medicine Seller’s travels take him to an inn plagued by these spirits and a string of mysterious murders. Mononoke is an exciting and creative folkloric fantasy with horror tones, with an intense mystery at its core. Likewise, the series is bolstered by a striking and picturesque art style.

Den-noh Coil (2007)

Anime fans looking to delve into original stories would do well to give Den-noh Coil a chance. An original anime produced by experienced studio Madhouse, Den-noh Coil is set in an alternate near-future where augmented-reality glasses are a norm for everyday life.

It follows the story of a kind-hearted middle schooler named Yasako Okonogi and her family who move into Daikoku City despite rumblings of people mysteriously disappearing. Den-noh Coil is an inventive mix of coming-of-age and a technological mystery-thriller, making for a unique anime experience.

PLUTO (2023)

Naoki Urasawa is credited with writing and illustrating some of greatest seinen manga in the industry, and Netflix obtained the license for the adaptation of Pluto. Set in the same continuity as Osamu Tezuka’s landmark Astro Boy series, Pluto tells a mystery involving the murder of the heroic robot Montblanc, who fought in the 39th Asian War.

Things become far bleaker when war veteran and Europol detective Gesicht investigates the grisly killing of the war hero, as the plot unravels a deep-rooted conspiracy against the robots who took part in the war. Though inherently less grounded as a premise compared to the revered Monster, Pluto is a gripping blend of the crime drama and science fiction genres. Urasawa is known for his cerebral stories, and the animation team at Studio M2 brilliantly conveys that in their anime adaptation.

Onimusha (2023)

In addition to anime and animation in general, Netflix is continuing its relationship with video game publishers to adapt their properties. Capcom’s Onimusha is the latest in these endeavors, with animation studio Sublimation taking a 3D CGI approach to this world.

Netflix’s Onimusha takes the legendary ronin Miyamoto Musashi, wielding the Oni Gauntlet, and is sent on an undercover mission to thwart a looming demonic threat. It’s an engaging and vibrant spin on Edo-period Japan in fantasy, and while its plot is fairly straightforward, Onimusha does enough to deliver an action-packed story. Likewise, the anime is an impressive showcase of how far CG animation has come.

Resident Evil: Death Island (2023)

Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise is the face of the survival-horror genre in gaming, and it’s no stranger to anime adaptations. The latest entry to the anime side of the property is Resident Evil: Death Island, animated by studio TMS Entertainment. This anime movie brings together some of the video games’ most iconic characters — Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Claire Redfield — on a rescue mission to Alcatraz Island.

The operation leads to dealing with a new strain of the T-Virus and a shadowy threat. Resident Evil: Death Island doesn’t break new ground for the franchise’s anime adaptations, but it’s an unapologetically fun, gory, and bombastic action-horror movie. Its use of CG animation and grotesque creature designs are also well done and keep the spirit of the games.

GOOD NIGHT WORLD (2023)

Another Netflix original anime, studio NAZ’s Good Night World is an adaptation of Uru Okabe’s web manga of the same name. The story revolves around the members of a broken, emotionally dysfunctional family who all find a semblance of fulfillment within a virtual reality video game called Planet.

However, what these characters don’t realize is that they’ve managed to form a functional family unit with each other. An interesting premise, Good Night World does well to gradually piece together the more secretive aspects of these characters’ backstories, with the plot taking dramatic turns as it incorporates elements of their real lives and their video game personas.

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix (2023)

Another one of Netflix’s “Western-style anime” originals, Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix delves into video game publisher Ubisoft’s backlog. Loosely inspired by the Far Cry 3 spin-off game Blood Dragon, but vibrant sci-fi adventure sees the fugitive and branded enemy of the state Dolph Laserhawk lead a team of rebels in a dystopian technocracy.

Animated by French studio Bobby Pills, Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is a high-octane and colorful celebration of some of publisher Ubisoft’s most memorable games. The series does well to balance over-the-top action with a sincere, heartfelt plot at its core.

Castlevania: Nocturne (2023)

Though it leans more into anime-inspired TV rather than the conventional definition of the genre, Netflix and Powerhouse Animation Studios’ Castlevania: Nocturne is nonetheless a highlight of the streamer’s animated catalog. This sequel series takes place 300 years after the events of the original series, as Richter Belmont comes into his own alongside his surrogate family of Maria Renard and Tera.

Nocturne is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, where the vampiric aristocracy is working to usher in a fabled vampire messiah to plunge the world into an eternal night. Art direction and animation continue to be strong points in this TV side of the video game franchise. The series also lays an exciting groundwork for what’s to come.

Kengan Ashura (2019)

One of the most bombastically entertaining martial arts anime shows on Netflix, Kengan Ashura returns for a second season. The story continues the titular protagonist’s rise in the underground combat rings of the corporate Japanese world, as wealthy businessmen hire some of the most elite fighters to settle disputes in brutal fights.

Tokita Ouma is eager for the sporting element of it all, and he’s determined to make a name for himself by taking on the strongest figures in this grueling world. Larx Entertainment’s adaptation of Yabako Sandrovich and Daromeon’s manga has been well-received for its straightforward, yet effective story and over-the-top action sequences.

GAMERA -Rebirth- (2023)

Godzilla may be the face of the kaiju subgenre, but Gamera has developed a respectable cult-classic reverence in this space. Animated by studio Engi, the Netflix-original series Gamera Rebirth also functions as a reboot of the franchise following the 2006 live-action movie Gamera the Brave.

Set in Tokyo during the summer of 1989, it follows four children who witness the rise of the titular turtle monster as he defends humanity against a string of hostile monsters. Gamera Rebirth focuses the action on the monster battling against five distinct monsters across its six-episode season. For fans of the genre, this series should be an engaging action-heavy romp.

Keep Reading

Featured

The best Mac apps for 2024

By admin January 12, 2024

The best Mac apps for 2024, One of the best parts about owning an Apple computer is the massive ecosystem of superb Mac apps it gives you access to. There are apps available to Mac users no matter what you are looking for, whether that’s productivity, photo and video editors, security suites, and more. You can get them from Apple’s own App Store or from third-party developer websites, and many of the best Mac apps are even free.

Whether you just bought your first Mac or you’re a longtime Apple customer, here’s a look at some of the best Mac apps you can get.

Alfred

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Think of Alfred as Spotlight with a dash of Siri. It’s an application launcher, but it can do a lot more than just that. With Alfred, you can quickly perform calculations, execute web searches, and find word definitions, among many other functions.

It’s a Mac app that fills the gap between Siri and your Spotlight search by allowing you to automate tasks and perform advanced functions that, frankly, Siri should be able to handle on its own. Version 4 improves the workflow creator, introduces rich text snippets, and more.

Get Alfred

The best Mac apps for 2024

The best old games PC 2024

By admin January 12, 2024

The best old games PC 2024, Classic games are the rare ones that stand the test of time, so we’ve rounded up the very best old games that are still worth playing on PC today. Looking for the best old PC games? There are many perks to being a PC gamer, but we will save extolling them all for a day when we are feeling particularly inflammatory. For now, we will focus on just one: the best old games remain forever playable. Sometimes it takes a little more work, but it’s a lot easier than digging through your parent’s attic for an ancient console you think they still have.

Yes, even on the highest-end multi-cored rigs with the latest X-Titan Turbo Hydra Fulcrum Mk.III GPU, you can still boot up veteran strategy games, majestic ancient RPG games, trusty ol’ point-and-clicks, and other legendary games of yore. Below you will find a testament to those PC stalwarts like Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition that prove the best old games are truly timeless and deserve space on your SSD even to this day.

X-COM: UFO Defense

Strategy gaming meets turn-based tactics. The first X-COM game is still one of the best strategy games ever released on PC. This excellent old PC game inspired the team that went on to make Fallout, birthed several spin-offs and sequels, and was officially remade in 2012 as XCOM: Enemy Unknown – which is itself a classic. That’s some legacy.

In X-COM: UFO Defense, much like the remake, players must defend Earth from an alien invasion. In doing so, players must manage the clandestine X-COM group, choosing where to position bases and what technologies to research in order to effectively combat the extraterrestrial threat. Players must also win battles on the ground using a squad of X-COM soldiers in turn-based tactical combat.

The game itself has aged brilliantly where gameplay is concerned, though it is nowhere near as pretty as its modern-day remake. Assuming total control of mankind’s final barrier against the alien menace is still a joy: progressing through the research tree, turning your operatives into psionic super-soldiers, and then deploying them in the field to kick xeno-butt never gets old. Fancy some modern XCOM instead? Check out our XCOM: Chimera Squad review.

The best old games PC 2024

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee

A 2D platformer where absolutely everything can kill you in an instant: long falls, any enemy attack, grazing past an obstacle, overcooking a grenade… the list goes on. Its puzzles are complex, its gaps between saves overly long, and its enemies nearly impossible to avoid. Frustrating? Rewarding is the word you are looking for. Probably.

At the center of all this struggle is the titular Abe, an enslaved Mudokon who discovers the meat processing factory where he works is soon to be the slaughterhouse of his entire race. Abe breaks free and begins a quest for emancipation that the player can either go along with (making their journey much more difficult) or ignore. Choosing to steer a group of your own people into a volley of gunfire as a means of distracting an enemy is never an easy decision to make.

If you are not keen on jumping too far back in time in order to play this, one of the best old games available, check out the official HD remaster with the hilarious Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty.

Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri

Like any Civ game, Alpha Centauri is all about colonizing a world, growing an empire, and competing and cooperating as you see fit with other factions vying for power. The twist? Set on a distant planet in the future, this old PC game is far more story-driven, forcing you to interact with mysterious alien lifeforms and races that previously inhabited the planet.

Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri fits the 4X games formula of empire-building, research, war, and diplomacy with an excellent story. Featuring fascinating factions and complex leaders, Alpha Centauri offers a more focused experience than the ‘blank canvas’ of the main series. The smaller scope of the game emphasizes everything that is great about this old game’s narrative, helping Alpha Centauri remain as memorable as always.

Baldur’s Gate II

There is something about that beautiful, seemingly hand-drawn aesthetic of the Infinity Engine that is completely timeless, and Baldur’s Gate II uses that to deliver one of the best role-playing games of all time. Sure, you might still be working through Baldur’s Gate 3 right now, but it’s never a bad time to go back to the next best game in the series.

Gamers brought up on modern role-players may have trouble adapting to the tactical Dungeons & Dragons combat and plethora of dialogue, but it is precisely these traits that make Baldur’s Gate II endure as one of the best old PC games. The dark fantasy setting of Amn is a joy to explore with your party of companions, who are unforgettable for their excellent writing and catchy soundbites (“Go for the eyes, Boo!”). From its pretty pre-rendered backgrounds to its rich, mysterious world brimming with character, Baldur’s Gate II is truly ageless.

Planescape: Torment

This list will not turn into an ode to the great CRPGs of the ‘90s, we promise, but… just… one… more…

In contrast to Baldur’s Gate II’s classic, companion heroics, Planescape: Torment is a lonely, personal journey to uncover the lost memories of a person who has lived and died untold lives with no recollection of them. Set in a surreal otherworld of multiple planes and bizarre creatures that defy conventional fantasy tropes, Torment is one of the oddest and greatest videogame stories ever told. Focused more on dialogue and choices than combat, Torment encourages you to uncover its world through exploration, conversations, and clever, choice-filled questing.

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

When we first assembled this list Morrowind was still relatively young, but now it’s nearly old enough to buy itself a beer we think it’s finally earned ‘classic PC game’ status. No doubt this will upset the PC gaming elders, who are probably lost in some procedurally generated Daggerfall township.

Morrowind doesn’t just represent the Elder Scrolls series’ arrival on the 3D scene, it’s also the game that cemented the layout for Oblivion and Skyrim, two of the most popular videogames of all time. There are dozens of all-timer questlines and the foundations of Skyrim’s character builds, and it’s all wrapped up in what’s probably the most interesting and immersive open-world games to date.

Half-Life

Back in 1998, Half-Life’s storytelling and the conviction of its fictional world were far beyond anything else in the genre. Indeed, they were beyond anything else in gaming.

The opening in which you fly through the Black Mesa Research Facility is magnificent. Radioactive waste passes by, witty comments sound out from speakers overhead, and doors open and close all around. Valve crafted a world full of minutiae and intricacies that you could pore over in between all the alien fighting and physics-based puzzling. Seamless level transitions and a narrative that never broke away from the first-person perspective make this game not only one of the best old games but one of the finest games ever made.

We’ve spent years waiting for the mythical Half-Life 3, but with the release of Half-Life: Alyx, our hunger for new Half-Life has only gotten more ravenous. Sounds like the perfect excuse to revisit – or begin – the series. If aging visuals really aren’t for you then the fan-made Black Mesa remake is officially out and receiving just as positive reviews as the original.

Deus Ex

Visually, Deus Ex has not aged as gracefully as some of the pixel-era games on this list, but its deep RPG systems, dense hub worlds, and intriguing conspiracy crackpot plot make it proper ‘PC games bucket list’ fodder.

The number of ways in which you can tackle the game’s missions still holds up today: You have countless means of molding JC Denton to your play style. Your choices about how you interact with the world all feel significant and, as a result, Deus Ex continues to be the gold standard that immersive sims, stealth games, and RPGs strive for, and remains one of the best old games on PC. If you want to see how the Deus Ex series has modernized over the years, check out our Deus Ex Mankind Divided review.

Outlaws

The lack of tribute to this gunslinging wild-western shooter is no less criminal than the exploits of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Outlaws was among the PC’s best first-person shooters, sprite-based or not.

Several gameplay innovations helped Outlaws stand out, including a manual reload system, and the first-ever sniper scope used in a shooter. The orchestrated Sergio Leone-inspired soundtrack is spine-tingling, and the animated cutscenes have that lovely LucasArts touch that provides context to the tough, rootin’ tootin’ gunfights taking place across trains, frontier towns, and other environs of the Old West. Outlaws is a goldmine of excellent stylistic and gameplay features in a classic FPS package and an exceptional old PC game at that.

The Longest Journey

Coming in the twilight years of point-and-click adventure games, The Longest Journey is a poignant swansong for the genre. You are April, an 18-year-old student who shifts between two contrasting realms to restore the mysterious force that allows them to exist harmoniously.

The contrasting realms of the magical Arcadia and gritty urban Stark realm are evocatively presented, and in both, you will meet characters as strange and well-rounded as your strong, troubled protagonist. Yes, it suffers from the point-and-click pitfall of absurdly cryptic puzzles, but they are worth toughing through to experience this beautiful interdimensional adventure. The Longest Journey’s sequel Dreamfall is also worth playing, though it is not quite on par with Funcom’s original.

Diablo II

The continuation of online support and the fact that Blizzard released patches for Diablo II up to the release of the official remake attest to the game’s enduring appeal as one of the finest old PC games.

The high-intensity action RPG mechanics, which have been emulated but rarely topped by other games over the years, and its grungy, well-animated pixel art set Diablo II apart. Its loot-‘em-up gameplay is so appealing that it does not need to move with the times. Blizzard’s perfection of this formula has allowed Diablo II to completely defy the typical videogame life cycle. You don’t have to track down an old copy of this either as Blizzard released a solid remaster in the form of Diablo 2: Resurrected. Check out our Diablo 2: Resurrected review for our complete verdict.

Fallout 2

Looking at the image above, it is easy to say that Fallout has come a long way since the isometric days. But that would ignore the tremendous narrative and mechanical depth hiding amidst those pixels and pre-rendered backdrops. Fallout 2 is on Steam and, in high-res and with cloud saves, this fantastic old game is all the more appealing to revisit.

Fallout 2 is not forgiving, and bad decisions or character development can essentially ruin your experience. But ride the wave of its deep systems and you have one of the greatest RPGs of all time. The range of factions, side-quests, and characters paint a rich picture of a post-apocalyptic world that is a grim joy to explore. It is harsh, bleak, and kind of ugly, but Fallout 2’s wild wasteland came to define the series. Take a look at our Fallout 4 review to find out what the series has transformed into.

Theme Hospital

Still one of the funniest and most whimsical building sims on PC, Theme Hospital is a unique gem that no developer has even dared try to emulate. Its sense of humour ranges from excellent soundbites of the receptionists urging patients not to die in the corridors, to the emergent chaos of a mass vomit breakout in the waiting areas. AI prodigy Demis Hassabis was even involved in the project as a young boy, making this literally the work of a genius.

The cutesy visual style, so great at conveying fictitious illnesses like Bloaty Head and Hairyitis, conceals a relentless and challenging sim. Up there with the best old PC games, Theme Hospital stands in a league of its own… unless you count spiritual successor Two Point Hospital.

System Shock 2

You never forget the confused fear you feel when a mutant is apologizing to you while battering your head in with a wrench. It is harrowing, deeply unsettling, and captures the dark spirit of this lonesome story in which you are hounded by a murderous AI aboard a spaceship.

Yes, System Shock 2 was sort of succeeded by BioShock, but it is a tonally different beast – a psychological horror that drips with a cold, claustrophobic atmosphere. Grab one of the mods that updates the graphics and lighting to revive that intense technophobia you felt all those years ago.

Quake

It is hard to imagine anything dislodging Doom‘s place in the pantheon of PC gaming greats (don’t worry, it’s listed here). However, it is Quake that sees id’s vision of demonic corridor-shooting executed most successfully. Of the two forefathers of those great franchises, Quake proves most affecting to revisit today. Doom’s cacodemons and hell knight sprites look kitsch now, but Quake’s roster of far less recognizable abominations – all lipless mouths and faceless horrors – still manages to unsettle. They are helped along by flawless sound design created in collaboration with Trent Reznor, and a medieval occult aesthetic that falls somewhere between Doom and Hexen.

The culmination of those elements – not forgetting its excellent arsenal of high-impact, heavy weapons – feels like id’s best attempt to pull together the elements they experimented with throughout the ’90s. Quake and its many sequels are all available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, and we’ve found that they run superbly on modern PC setups – no frustrating compatibility modes are needed here.

Doom

Sure, we’ve already got Quake on this list, but where would modern PC gaming be without its sci-fi horror-based FPS sibling, Doom? Every boomer shooter fan has their preference between the two, so in the interest of pleasing everyone, we’ve included both.

Doom’s certainly the more colorful of the two and so is generally a lot easier to navigate, and you can also move a lot faster and more freely thanks to its slightly more open levels. Monsters take a bit less effort to kill and the levels are much less stingy when it comes to handing out ammo – it’s the better pick for cheap, run-and-gun thrills, while Quake offers a little more mastery and pure horror. This is also handily available via an Xbox Game Pass subscription and runs well on modern systems.

Starcraft

Starcraft may have been somewhat left behind by its shinier sequel, but even those not looking for a competitive experience could do a lot worse than revisiting one of the finest narrative RTS campaigns ever. Along with Warcraft 3, the original Starcraft represents pre-Activision Blizzard at its creative pinnacle.

Okay, so, in the same way that Warcraft owes a lot to Tolkien, this story of space marines, space bugs, and ethereal elder beings may owe a lot to Warhammer 40k, Aliens, and Starship Troopers. Everything owes a lot to Aliens, though, and that doesn’t stop this genre classic from holding up today. Come for the pitch-perfect execution of archetypal RTS games scaffolding, and stay for the character-focused sci-fi epic stuffed with juicy plot reveals.

The Curse of Monkey Island

While the first two Monkey Island titles are genre-defining adventure games, produced at the peak of LucasArt’s heyday, that doesn’t stop them from being a daunting proposition for modern gamers curious to see what all the fuss was about. Monkey Island 3: The Curse of Monkey Island may not have the best puzzles, the best story, or the best jokes, but it is the easiest to slip into for new players, and it’s still an excellent adventure game in its own right.

Featuring singing pirate barbers, a lactose-intolerant volcano god, and a giant chicken demon among its less ridiculous elements, The Curse of Monkey Island continues the adventures of Guybrush Threepwood, the world’s most useless pirate. A colorful cartoon aesthetic and a jaunty, moreish soundtrack top off this hearty mug of adventure game grog.

Now that you’ve taken a historical tour of our most cherished classic videogame memories, you know what to do: turn those old games, into ‘sold’ games. Okay, we’ll stick to writing, writing more list features, that is. And, if you want the cream of the crop both new and old, here are the best PC games of all time, or if you don’t want to splash the cash, here are all the best free PC games. For now, though, we’ll be going back to embracing the sweet, sweet nostalgia of our misspent youth.

Keep Reading

Featured

Best new PC games 2024

By admin January 12, 2024

What are the best new PC games in 2024? Perhaps you’ve just been paid, your bank account is filled with virtual dosh, or you simply want to get caught up with the latest PC games because they’re, well, new and shiny.Stay up to date with the best new PC games around this year so you don’t miss out on the freshest experiences on which to spend your hard earned cash.

What are the best new PC games in 2024?

Perhaps you’ve just been paid, your bank account is filled with virtual dosh, or you simply want to get caught up with the latest PC games because they’re, well, new and shiny.

It’s all well and good starting another daring round of multiplayer game PUBG, taking on a new 100-hour Football Manager save, or embarking on yet another The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim adventure but, as much as we love setting mammoths ablaze, there are plenty of new PC games that will more than supply your gaming fix. You don’t want to be the person who isn’t ‘in the know’ now, do you? Whatever you’re into, this list includes the best PC games from the last few months, including RPG games, that space game, and more.

The best new PC games in 2024 are:

Against the Storm

Against the Storm isn’t the first game to mix roguelike and strategy game mechanics, but its time in early access has enabled Eremite Games to craft something special. In this dark fantasy woodland setting, you are the Queen’s Viceroy as you build the city. Your decisions affect the fate of the humans and other critters that inhabit your town, leading them to prosperity or damnation.

It certainly impresses, as our Against the Storm review mentions that it’s “both simple enough on the surface to draw you in and complex enough to keep you enthralled in its gratifying risk/reward gameplay loop.”

Assassin’s Creed: Nexus

As we express in our Assassin’s Creed Nexus review, this jump to VR for such a massive series was a worrying one, but our fears were allayed as soon as we donned our headset and stepped back into the lives of Ezio, Kassandra, and Connor in three separate story arcs. If you’re a big AC fan, you may want to know if Assassin’s Creed Nexus is canon to the main story.

The campaign takes us through new adventures of these three characters, and some new ones, and provides hours upon hours of engaging gameplay. Check out our how long is Assassin’s Creed Nexus article to find out exactly how long this journey should take you. That said, we didn’t ever feel the need to rush through and we didn’t want it to end, which is handy when you’re playing in VR.

Football Manager 2024

A game about you (the manager) molding a team of players into the best darn sports (football) team the world has ever seen. Perhaps one for football purists only, the Football Manager series has hit new heights this year, with an under-the-radar set of changes and the new ability to continue that old Rotherham save that’s been going for 30 seasons.

Our Football Manager 2024 review goes into the overhauls in detail but with agent improvements, as well as the much-needed increase to positional control. We’ve got some handy guides to help you on your journey, including a list of the best free agents, the best tactics and formations, and where to find the best bargains. If you’ve ever wanted to dip your toe into the world of football management, or if this is your 10th year in the job, it looks like FM24 is the place to be.

Alan Wake 2

Over a decade later, Alan Wake is finally back. Where’s he been all this time? Unfortunately for him, stuck in the Dark Place where we left him. Literally all this time, as Alan Wake 2 kicks off in the present day. The horror novelist is still trying to work out how to get out, but otherwise, nothing much has happened since we last saw him.

As we explain in our glowing Alan Wake 2 review, you start in the role of a new Alan Wake protagonist, an FBI agent exploring a series of murders. We’ll leave you to discover how Saga Anderson’s story fits in with Wake’s as he tries to escape the Dark Place, but you will switch between the two characters during your adventure. If you can’t wait to play Alan Wake 2 but aren’t sure whether you should play Alan Wake first, we’ve got you covered with a Remedy recap.

Ghostrunner 2

If you’re looking for a parkour game to rival Mirror’s Edge, consider it found. Ghostrunner 2 boasts a slick parkour system that allows you to harness breakneck speed and agility without even breaking a sweat. It also seamlessly drops you back into the action whenever you stumble, and includes abilities like bullet time, invincibility, and even lasers to outfox even the toughest of bosses.

As our Ghostrunner 2 review certainly attests, it’s a worthy sequel, declaring it a “surprise GOTY contender” that’s “so much more” than its predecessor – including an all-new hub area and a rogue Ghostrunner faction intent on bending the citizens of Dharma to their will. On that note, Ghostrunner 2’s traversal and combat mechanics are folded into a cyberpunk world dripping in rain, neon, and pure style. Whether it’s parkour, puzzles, or pure aesthetics you’re after, Ghostrunner 2 has all of the above in spades.

Total War: Pharaoh

A war set against the backdrop of the Nile Delta, Total War: Pharaoh sees men attempt to achieve victory over enemy TW Pharaoh leaders, environmental disaster, and the constant threat of outsiders. Our Total War Pharaoh review goes into depth about this compelling strategy game, but if you ever wanted to visit 12th-century Egypt and battle over every grain of sand, you won’t do any better than this.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Our Assassin’s Creed Mirage review highlights the apparent “renewed focus that trims the fat from its predecessors to commemorate the very best bits of the series.” By going back to basics, Mirage’s missions don’t outstay their welcome, and the investigation-based campaign allows you to take your time following leads. Combat eschews the excessive RPG elements of earlier entries, instead opting for a simpler and ironically more engaging block and counter strategies. While there are plenty of collectibles, such as AC Mirage outfits and AC Mirage Lost Books hidden in Baghdad, they aren’t anywhere near as horrendous to try and find – well, except for the AC Mirage Enigmas that is.

Payday 3

In our Payday 3 review, we celebrate the improvements to Payday 3 weapons and other, more refined mechanics in comparison to the previous two games. Payday 3 truly makes you feel like an expert thief, whether you’re new to the series or a returning veteran. With eight Payday 3 heists available at launch and four difficulties to try for each, there’s plenty to keep you busy as you strive to get away with the most cash you can. The biggest downside to the stealth game, meanwhile, is the Payday 3 server issues, thanks to its overwhelming popularity.

Mortal Kombat 1

Our Mortal Kombat 1 review praises the new fighting mechanics, with the refreshing addition of MK1 Kameo characters making for a fast-paced experience that isn’t too complex. With comically gruesome Mortal Kombat 1 Fatalities, the returning Mortal Kombat 1 Brutalities, and a story that’s utterly bonkers from start to finish, fans of the NetherRealm Studios fighting game series will likely have a grand time. Time will tell when it comes to how the MK1 Invasions Mode will keep an active player base during its six-week seasonal offerings, but at least it’s something a bit different from the norm.

Starfield

If you’ve ever dreamed of taking to the stars in your own spaceship, exploring planets, mining resources, and… eating sandwiches, then it doesn’t get much better than Starfield. Our Starfield review talks about the game’s lofty goals – giving you the freedom to do as you please while you slowly orbit a rather intriguing story, the space game takes what Bethesda Game Studios does best and blasts it off into the big black.

If you’ve just started your adventure, we have a Starfield walkthrough here to aid you on your travels and a bunch of the best Starfield builds so you can take on whatever the universe throws at you.

Sea of Stars

If you want to experience a classic JRPG without having to put up with dated mechanics, Sabotage Studios’ Sea of Stars has been inspired by some of the genre’s best, like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG, to relive that era. Our 9/10 Sea of Stars review points out that many developers have tried their hand at recreating the nostalgia those Super NES games elicit, but few have managed to do so convincingly.

Sabotage Studios’ wonderful pixel art assets, combined with the tracks from Chrono Trigger’s primary composer, Yasunori Mitsuda, blend together to create a brilliant turn-based RPG. You can even collect Sea of Stars relics to alter how you play the game, allowing you to customize the experience to your liking. We also have a list of Sea of Stars Rainbow Conch locations if you’re struggling to find all 60 of them on your own.

Armored Core 6

Before the legendary Japanese developer became known for their Souls games, their claim to fame stemmed from the long-running Armored Core series. First released back in 1997, Armored Core lets players live out their mech dreams as they build a giant robot to lay waste to their evil robotic counterparts. After 11 years since the last mainline game, From Software has a brand new audience of fans to pull from. As our 8/10 Armored Core 6 review points out, AC6 isn’t trying to be a Souls game; it’s unequivocally an Armored Core game in every sense of the word.

Armored Core 6’s length should take most players just under 20 hours to complete, but the game has been designed for multiple playthroughs as there are different missions, endings, and mech parts to unlock. Speaking of Armored Core 6 parts, the robot game gives you plenty of options to build radically different mechs. From AC6 weapons like missile launchers and shotguns to Armored Core 6 OS Upgrades that drastically enhance your mech’s abilities, your subsequent playthroughs can be completely different just by picking new parts.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

We don’t often get a new asymmetrical multiplayer that we want to shout about, but The Texas Chain Saw Massacre comes from the horror experts behind the sadly defunct and very missed Friday 13th The Game so you know it’s good. Whether it’s a contender to dethrone DBD as the king of asymmetry remains to be seen due to its single-IP limitations, but, as Gun told us in an exclusive interview, “Having the game set a few months before the original 1974 film allows us to create new characters without being bound too tightly by the entire franchise.

” We think there’s room for both service games to coexist, though. As we explore in our The Texas Chain Saw Massacre review, the unique 4v3 team setup makes for an entirely new and more challenging experience.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has already found its footing in the genre, with a hugely positive reception as soon as the game was released. New characters are already on their way, as well as new maps, so there’s still plenty of reason to get involved now if you missed out on this terrifying multiplayer game.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Our Baldur’s Gate 3 review backs this as one of the best PC games of the year, thanks to its varied outcomes, interesting (and sometimes annoying) Baldur’s Gate 3 companions, and the fact that you can craft your BG3 experience as you see fit.

Based on Dungeons and Dragons 5e, Baldur’s Gate 3 is accessible for both DnD veterans and novices, and you don’t need to have played a Larian Studios game before this one either – thanks to its immersive RPG experience, making it one of the best RPGs around, you’ll learn everything you need as you go.

The Expanse

If you want a space game with great dialogue, an epic story, and severe consequences, then look no further than The Expanse. As we explore in our The Expanse review, even when you think you’re doing the right thing, it could turn out to be the wrong thing, so no consequence is predictable.

This varied game combines several genres in one, such as puzzling, stealth, and shooting, which perfectly complements the deep and emotional story to give you hours of engrossing gameplay.

Remnant 2

Gunfire Games returns with a follow-up to cult hit Remnant: From the Ashes to bring everything its predecessor did, but better – just check our Remnant 2 review if you don’t believe us. Remnant 2 is a multiversal adventure like no other, blending the RNG of roguelike games with the no-holds-barred punishment of Soulslikes in a third-person shooter.

Weapons scavenged from a variety of distinct worlds are imbued with mods and function as the basis of Remnant 2’s build customization, allowing you to cultivate your firepower until you can take down the toughest and meanest bosses in the multiverse. You can even bring a friend along with you for the ride and uncover the secrets that lie beyond Ward 13’s World Stone. If you’re looking for a co-op experience full of surprises, look no further than Remnant 2.

Oxenfree 2

The world of indie sleeper Oxenfree is expanded in its sequel, as Night School Studio seeks to close the book on the mysteries of the fictional Ellis Island and the lost souls that lie beyond its shores. Like its predecessor, Oxenfree 2 has a few light puzzles and plenty of exploration to scratch that classic adventure game itch, but its main draw is its organic conversation system.

Level-headed hiker Riley is thrown into cahoots with local weirdo Jacob. Instead of reconciling the trials and tribulations of a teenage friend group, Riley and Jacob struggle to reconcile regrets spanning familial relationships and careers against the background of Oxenfree’s ‘80s movie aesthetic. As per our Oxenfree 2 review: “Closing rifts between realities is hard; closing rifts between people is harder.”

Diablo 4

Diablo 4 is the first 10/10 to grace the site in a long while, but in our Diablo 4 review, not much stands in the way of making this pitch-perfect as news editor Lauren says, “Diablo 4 embodies the essence of what makes Diablo so great, taking the best elements of its predecessors and sewing them together to create an ever-changing, ever-evolving chimera that we can’t wait to play for years to come.”

If you don’t need any more convincing, then here are our Diablo 4 tips to get started, including which Diablo 4 class to pick and whether Diablo 4 is coming to Game Pass.

Street Fighter 6

Now, this is a game that welcomes newcomers, if you aren’t familiar with this fighting game, now’s the time to punch in. Our Street Fighter 6 review highlights just how much the game has learned from previous installments and creates an in-depth campaign with a control system that appeals to newbies but challenges fighting game veterans. If you’re thinking of giving it a whirl, here’s our Street Fighter 6 tier list and Street Fighter 6 roster.

System Shock remake

Though not much separates this from the original, the System Shock remake does bring forward the graphics and playability of the game, giving it a slight edge and making it a thoroughly enjoyable FPS game. Though our System Shock remake review touches on the outdated mechanics the remake carries forward, there’s still a lot to love for newcomers to one of the best PC games of all time as you battle cyborgs in a frantic race to stop the destruction of Earth.

The Outlast Trials

If you’re looking for a horror game to play among friends, The Outlast Trials is the perfect co-op experience for a terrifying and disturbing look at the events before the original Outlast games. As you head to a secretive facility with the promise of a brighter future, that quickly fades as you’re forced into mind control experiments and brainwashing.

To flee the facility and return to society, you and up to four friends must compete in a series of trials and challenges involving evading creepy monsters and making morally compromising decisions – all in the name of science.

Age of Wonders 4

If you’re after a strategy game, the new fantasy game Age of Wonders has earned rave reviews, especially our Age of Wonders 4 review: “This is undoubtedly the best 4X game I’ve played in years, delivering top-notch exploration, combat, and diplomacy alongside a rewarding and dynamic customization system.” With improved customization and faction mechanics and compelling exploration, combat, and diplomacy systems, it’s no wonder Age of Wonders 4 has stormed the Steam charts.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Though the Star Wars game got off to a bit of a rocky start, we found a lot to love in our Star Wars Jedi: Survivor review, deepening the Jedi power fantasy and expanding on the world. There are plenty more hours to sink into Survivor than its predecessor due to open-world areas and all-new Jedi Survivor bosses. Get started with our Star Wars Jedi Survivor tips and tricks, all Jedi Survivor lightsaber colors available, and all Cal Kestis cosmetics and outfits.

There you have it, the new PC games you should be playing right now. Now, we’ll admit we were being a little facetious earlier: new PC games aren’t necessarily the cream of the personal computer crop. For that, you should swing by our list of the best old games for the classics, perhaps our favorite free PC games so you can try them without consequence, or even check out our collection of free online games, no download required.

Keep Reading