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Best in 2024, Here’s a list of some of the best Open-World games in 2024 that you can try and explore the entire gaming world. 

Our selection of the top rated Open-World games for personal computers is for those individuals who, when they gaze at a forest, ponder about what is in the midst of the forest. In the interest of those gamers who are really interested in climbing that peak.

It is true that the scale of games in this day and age means that they all have an open world in some way, but with this article, we are going to focus on games that encourage you to go on adventures and where the focus is on discovering new things and discovering what you find.

It is clear that the developers of these games intended you to take a break and glance around every once in a while in order to discover new things. These are the games in which the trip itself is an integral component of the goal.

These cool Open-World games may not be suitable for everyone, but if you are the kind of person who enjoys getting lost in a game for an extended period of time, then you will find that these games will help you achieve that goal.

Top 7 Best Open-World Games

It is true that open-world games continue to be quite popular. If you do them properly, they have the potential to be really remarkable excursions into the most unforgettable places. On this list, you will discover links to all of the top open worlds, which will make it easier for you to follow the entries that are down below.

1. Red Dead Redemption 2

red dead redemption 2

Rockstar’s game will have you searching for dinosaur bones, attempting to solve a murder mystery, or even summoning the famed Red Dead Redemption 2 vampire. Each of the many regions is so breathtaking that it really causes your eyes to suffer a little bit as you try to take in every detail. What are you waiting for, partner?

Red Dead Redemption 2 is certainly one of the good Open-World games to play right now because of the sheer diversity of options available to you as well as the activities that you can easily participate in.

It makes no difference whether you want to go hunting. Red Dead Redemption 2 is simply crammed full of things to keep you occupied as soon as you set foot in its universe. It doesn’t matter whether you want to try to assist Dutch reach his elusive aims, and it surely doesn’t matter if you’d rather just attempt to buy the fanciest clothing in all of America; the game delivers on all fronts.

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2. GTA 5

gta 5

GTA 5 is a network of illegal exploits and mind-boggling possibilities, with every single inch of the environment loaded with non-player characters (NPCs) to influence, quests to chase down, or simply gigantic heights of antics to indulge in. Not only will it consume you completely, but it will also spit you out and leave you wanting more.

To tell you the truth, GTA 5 was always going to be one of the top three best Open-World video games. I am aware of that. I am aware of that. Because, for the love of God, it is the most successful product in the history of the world! While driving around the twisting streets and generating as much commotion as possible, I am wondering whether it is necessary for me to continue describing all of the things that you are capable of doing.

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3.

elden ring

Additionally, the open world layout has made From’s typical approach to game creation more approachable. It is not possible to state that it is more accessible since there are still bosses that are difficult to defeat and high-level locations that will return whatever is left of your ass to you in a matter of seconds. The flexibility to roam, on the other hand, eliminates the monotony that exists in games that are more linear, such as the Dark Souls series.

As an open environment, Elden Ring is characterized by an aura of mystery that surrounds practically everything in it. This is perhaps one of the player’s biggest advantages. All too frequently, recurring mechanisms like towers to climb and enemy bases to clear imply that you already know what’s going on. Good open world games live on their ability to make you wonder, “What’s over there?”

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4. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla

assassins creed valhalla

Here’s the next one of the best Open-World games for you. As a continuation of the advances achieved with the Assassin’s Creed series, Valhalla transports you to the Dark Ages and assigns you the role of Viking Eivor, who must trek throughout England in search of a new home for your clan. Find the hidden wealth and mysteries that are hiding in ancient England by constructing your colony, making new friends, forming new alliances, engaging in political maneuvering, and engaging in a great deal of exploration.

All of the most recent Assassin’s Creed games have been fantastic open-world games, but Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is definitely one that you should check out. This is especially true considering that it is already considered to be one of the finest games for the Series X and the top games for the PC and PlayStation 5 .

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5. Marvel’s Spider-Man

marvels spider man

In addition, it is important to mention that the more current Spider-Man: Miles Morales game takes place in the same open environment as the first game and also continues the tale. It is shorter and more condensed, but it is just as captivating, so it is also something that you should look into.

The video game Marvel’s Spider-Man was one of the few titles that successfully revitalized the genre of super hero games. Insomniac’s game, which came out first for the and subsequently received a patch for the PlayStation 5, takes us on a journey through a stunning reproduction of New York City. It is packed with huge side missions and other activities to provide a sense of balance to the game’s equally heartfelt narrative.

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6. Far Cry 6

far cry 6

The game offers political things and so much more. It is also a massive open world that offers a wide variety of activities for you to carry out. Yara is a place where there are a lot of things to do, like solving mysteries, completing races, finding partners, and assisting locals.

You are tasked with becoming a guerrilla fighter named Dani and overthrowing the dictatorship that is governed by the Castillo family, namely a man named Anton, who is portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito. Far Cry 6 takes place in the fictitious location of Yara, which is located somewhere in South America.

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7.

minecraft

However, the only thing that may completely restrict your creativity in Minecraft is your own imagination. Achievable, er…achievements provide a loose framework in the event that you desire a little more structure in your games. When you start to show signs of being tired with the mundane world, you may begin to explore the Nether and establish your next fortress there. On the other hand, technically speaking, you have access to two different open-world landscapes. Talk about getting your money’s worth!

Even though Minecraft is officially a sandbox game, it is nevertheless considered to be an open-world game. Okay, okay, okay. This very vast exploration extravaganza has a variety of activities, like punching trees, mining deep into the mountains, and attempting to escape falling into lava. People have built huge towns, functional computers, towering monuments, and a great deal more on Minecraft’s blocky environment.

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Summing Up: Top-Rated Open-World Games

So, that was all there is to know about the best Open-World games that are both fun to play and open to explore. If you want to choose which of the aforementioned games is best for you, you may go over all of their descriptions. If, on the other hand, you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions for us to enhance this post, you are more than welcome to leave a comment below. You may count on us to get in contact with you without any hesitation.

Downloading Sites

Here is the entire list of the best free PC games download sites in 2024 that you can rely on and download the latest and most beloved games on your wishlist without spending a penny. 

Gaming is one of the best ways to blow off some when you are tired from your office job, studies, or any other hectic activity. Additionally, for some top-notch gamers, games are also a source to generate some funds. Some gamers like to stream their gameplay either live or upload to different platforms after recording. While there are others who just like to explore new games and execute different levels just for the thrill of it.

For all of these gamers, one of the major problems that appear is that they can’t find a reliable and best website to download PC games. Although different games are available on platforms like Steam, Battle.net, Uplay, Origin (now EA app), etc., generally, gamers have to pay some money to get the games. However, all gamers may not be able to fork in a few bucks to enjoy any game.

For such gamers, we have brought together this list of the best sites to download PC games. All these websites are tried and tested by us before listing in the article. You can safely download any game you want from the website without having to fear broken links, hidden , trojans, malware, or any other threat. Additionally, these websites also offer you multiple options to download games at once, in parts, from multiple handles, etc. So, let’s have a look at the best website to download PC games for free list, right away.

So, let’s take the first step toward uninterrupted gaming by downloading your favorite games using the PC games download sites provided below. Try to find the games you want on the website and then download from any alternative as required.

1. Ocean Of Games

The first name on this list as the best site to download PC games for free is Ocean Of Games. This website has been in the run for years and offers all the popular PC games to you. You can surf the required games according to different categories like Action, RPG, Adventure, etc. or you can search for specific ones as required. The downloading and installation process of the games offered by the Ocean of Games is a little complicated but once you get a hang of it, you can download any game with ease. Hence, one of the best sites to download PC games.

2. Steam

Steam is one of the most popular and widely opted gaming client platforms. You can also use Steam as one of download sites. Here, you will find a variety of games straight from the house of the developers. Additionally, the platform also allows any developer to upload their games for free. However, for some of the high-end games and editions, you may need to pay some bucks. You can download the game as required and play it right away using this one of the smartest and best free game downloading sites.

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3. ThePcGames.Net

Another reliable addition to this free PC game download sites list is ThePCGames.Net. Just like OceanOfGames, you can use the website to download as many games as you want for free. However, what’s the best part about the website is that it provides an option to download games in parts, unlike most other websites to download games for free. Gamers love to use the website but the only bad thing is that it contains a lot of ads and annoying pop-ups.

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4. OvaGames

The next entry in this list of the best PC games download sites is OvaGames. This is one of the best websites as OvaGames allows you to download any game you want, at once. Additionally, you can also look for and try different games according to categories. The search feature of the website is also very strong, accurate, and reliable. When you try to download any game, the website offers different options and platforms to you. One thing that may bother you is that this best site to download PC games for free contains a lot of ads.

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5. GameJolt

GameJolt is a reliable and trustworthy website that shines bright in this best PC games download sites list. Just like Steam, GameJolt is a standalone gaming client for all. You can first download the app for GameJolt and then download the required games to play using the platform. You should try this best site to download PC games for free if you are looking for games like OddVenture, House Party, and various others for free.

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9 for PC gaming 2024, It’s tough to find the right gaming CPU for your next PC. We’ve benchmarked dozens of processors to find the best CPU for gaming, and there’s a clear winner right now: ‘s Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Although the latest chip from Team Red claims the crown, there are still several other great options on the market.

Whatever your needs and budgets, though, we have options from AMD and Intel that will be great performers. We’re focused on gaming here, but if you want a processor that can game and get done, make sure to check out our list of the best processors.

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7 7800X3D

The best gaming CPU you can buy

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest gaming processor you can buy, by far.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want top-tier performance and don’t need productivity power.

Why we picked the :

AMD is back on top of the gaming charts, but it isn’t with the flagship . It’s with the midrange Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Through our testing, we found that the Ryzen 7 is sometimes even faster than AMD’s flagship and blows away the competition from Intel.

As we saw in the last generation, the reason why is 3D V-Cache. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D has the unique advantage of leveraging AMD’s cache tech with a single core complex (CCX), though. This, according to AMD, offers faster cache-to-cache transfers and speeds up gaming performance.

That’s what we saw in our testing. Overall, our testing revealed that it’s around 13% faster than Intel’s Core i9-13900K and a massive 20% faster than last-gen’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D. By a decent margin, it’s the fastest gaming CPU you can buy right now.

There are some trade-offs, though. Productivity performance, although solid, is still behind the flagship options from both AMD and Intel. In addition, single-core speed suffers due to the lower boost clock speed of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. For gamers, though, those issues are easy to look past.

best processors for PC gaming

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Intel Core i5-13600K

The best Intel processor for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s the best value on a gaming CPU available today.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want near-flagship gaming performance without paying the high price.

Why we picked the Intel Core i5-13600K:

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a processor for gaming, and Intel’s Core i5-13600K is proof of that. It’s the best Intel CPU you can buy right now, sporting 14 cores (6P + 8E) and 20 threads, with a boost clock that hits as high as 5.1GHz.

It’s not the fastest Intel CPU, or even quite the fastest for gaming. However, it’s so much more affordable than the 13700K and 13900K, and yet offers very comparable gaming performance — especially at resolutions above 1080p — that it delivers much more value for the money. It dominates the AMD competition, too. It is far faster for gaming than the Ryzen 5 7600X and goes toe-to-toe with the more-expensive 7700X — even exceeding it if you overclock it.

While you’ll get your best performance with the 13600K using DDR5 memory, you don’t have to. Running it on a more affordable motherboard with DDR4 memory can make upgrading to the 13600K much cheaper than the alternatives, leaving you plenty of room for upgrading your CPU and memory in the future. However, you won’t be able to move up to 14th-gen chips in the future, as Intel is moving to a new socket design with the next generation.

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The best last-gen AMD processor for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s competitive with some of the latest CPUs and it’s an easy upgrade.

Who’s it for: Anyone with an AM4 system who wants the best performance possible without a system overhaul.

Why we picked the Intel Ryzen 7 5800X3D:

AMD ended its Ryzen 5000 generation with a bang. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D was so good for gaming when it was released that it’s still competitive with the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, outclassing chips that cost twice as much in many cases. The fact that you can install it in motherboards that cost less than $100 with DDR4 memory makes the 5800X3D an amazing value and arguably the best bang-for-the-buck gaming CPU that AMD offers, even with its newer — and faster — Ryzen 7000 CPUs available.

It comes with the same eight Zen 3 cores as the Ryzen 7 5800X, but with an additional 64MB of L3 cache stacked on top of the chip. That extra cache is put to good use in games. Across a suite of seven titles, we found it was 6.4% faster than the 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X.

It doesn’t beat out the top 7900X and 7950X in gaming, and it loses out heavily in multithreaded workloads and productivity applications, but if you’re just looking for gaming, and especially if you already have a compatible AM4 system, the 5800X3D is the best AMD CPU for gaming.

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AMD Ryzen 5 7600

Best budget AMD processor for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s an affordable new-generation gaming CPU with heaps of upgrade potential.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want to have a clear upgrade path for the future.

Why we picked the Ryzen 5 7600:

AMD’s Ryzen 5 7600 is the baby of the new generation, lacking the high core counts of its bigger siblings and the clock speed of its X-counterparts, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great CPU. In fact, it punches well above its weight, offering comparable performance to the 7600X at its default settings – and it’s almost identical once you enable precision boost overdrive, despite running at a lower power draw.

AMD hasn’t done an affordable, overclockable CPU like this for a few generations, but it’s returned to its roots with a great option for anyone looking to build a new AM5 system without paying sky-high prices. Motherboards and DDR5 memory still aren’t cheap, but this platform will be supported for years to come, so you shouldn’t need to upgrade anything for several generations of processors.

There are more affordable options in the older Ryzen 5000 generation of processors, but they perform significantly worse than the latest AM4 designs, and you are locking yourself into a dead-end platform with no upgrade potential.

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Intel Core i9-13900K

The best high-end gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest gaming CPU money can buy.

Who’s it for: Gamers with deep pockets who want the absolute best gaming and productivity performance possible.

Why we picked the Intel Core i9-13900K:

You don’t need more than the Core i5-13600K for gaming, but the Core i9-13900K is a true enthusiast-class processor. It comes with 24 cores (8 performance and 16 efficient) and it can hit a staggering 5.8GHz. In a straight shootout with any other CPU, it’s the fastest, so if you need flagship performance, there isn’t any other chip worth considering. There are some caveats, however.

For starters, most other top CPUs are almost as good, especially in games where GPU power is more important. You also need a very powerful cooler, as even 360mm all-in-ones have proved unable to keep this chip cool enough to prevent thermal throttling. That’s because it uses a lot of power — over 300 watts in some cases. You’ll need to make sure your power supply is up to the task.

If you stream and game or want to edit your gaming footage, this is easily the best CPU for the job, as it is not only the fastest at gaming, but often beats even AMD’s best in -editing performance, too.

Wondering why we didn’t pick the 14900K? Because it’s basically the same CPU. The performance difference is almost non-existent, and it’s more expensive, making the 13900K by far the better choice.

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Intel Core i3-12100F

The best $100 gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest CPU at around $100.

Who’s it for: Anyone building a gaming PC on a tight budget.

Why we picked the Intel Core i3-12100F:

The Core i3-12100F is an unassuming quad-core processor, but it’s hard to expect more for around $100. It’s not as powerful as the Ryzen 5 and Core i5 options, but it’s not far behind — especially considering how much less it costs.

Unlike Intel’s other 12th-generation offerings, it ditches the efficient cores for four performance cores. Overall, it’s about 10% slower than the Core i5-12600K, but it depends on the game. In some titles, it’s just as fast.

Many games don’t need more than four cores, especially when those cores can hit 4.3GHz. Because of that, many older games run great on the Core i3-12100F. Newer titles, like Horizon Zero Dawn and Red Dead Redemption 2, may not have as high of performance, however.

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AMD Ryzen 5 8600G

The best processor for gaming with integrated graphics

Why you should buy this: It has some of the most powerful onboard graphics of any CPU available.

Who’s it for: Anyone building a gaming PC now, but who plans to buy a GPU later.

Why we picked the Ryzen 5 8600G:

The Ryzen 5 8600G is for the gamer who doesn’t need one of the best graphics cards. It includes Radeon graphics on the chip itself, which is powerful enough for playing even AAA games at 1080p at lighter settings, or running esports games at high frame rates for competitive play.

It’s based on the Zen 4 CPU architecture, so it has six powerful cores and a high clock speed, while the onboard graphics are an enhanced version of the excellent RDNA 3 design found in AMD’s RX 7000 series of graphics cards. While the 8700G is more powerful, it’s not by a huge leap, and the price is almost 50% higher, making it harder to recommend.

What’s great about the Ryzen 5 8600G is that you can still use a discrete graphics card. Although we recommend one of the processors above if you already have a graphics card, the Ryzen 5 8600G is a great stopgap product that allows you to game while you save up. It also has a great upgrade path ahead of it, since you’ll be able to drop in a future AM5 CPU without the need to upgrade your motherboard too.

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Ryzen 9 7950X

The best CPU for gaming and streaming

Why you should buy this: It’s the processor with the most performance cores.

Who’s it for: Anyone who wants a high-powered machine for gaming and streaming.

Why we picked the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X:

AMD’s 7950X goes back and forth with Intel’s top CPUs when it comes to gaming performance, and there’s a tussle when it comes to streaming performance, but for gaming and streaming, we lean towards AMD’s flagship CPU. This 16-core, 32-thread processor has the most high-speed performance cores of any modern CPU, making scheduling far easier whether you’re on Windows 10 or Windows , and that means you get more consistent performance across a wider range of applications.

The 7950X is also a monstrously powerful CPU in its own right, whether you’re gaming or streaming — or both. It offers heaps of cache and a near-6GHz clock speed. It is pricey, and you’ll need to factor in the cost of a high-end motherboard and DDR5, but if you want a powerful machine for gaming and streaming, there’s nothing quite like AMD’s 7950X. Recent price cuts have made it far more attainable, too.

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Intel Core i5-13400

Best affordable gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It has 12600K-level gaming performance for a cheaper price.

Who’s it for: Anyone who wants impressive multithreaded and gaming performance at an affordable price.

Why we picked the Intel Core i5-13400

The Intel Core i5-13400 hasn’t received much fanfare, but it should. It has 10 cores for around $250, which is incredible considering just three generations ago, you had to buy the top Core i9 CPU to get such multi-threaded capabilities. It doesn’t hit the high clock speeds of the other 13th-gen CPUs, but it still manages 4.6GHz across multiple cores at once, making it at any resolution.

This CPU offers the kind of gaming performance you’d typically see on a Core i5-12600K, a CPU with higher clock speeds and much higher demands on power and cooling. The Core i5-13400 is relatively pedestrian with its 65-watt thermal design power (TDP) — a rarity in Intel’s latest processors.

If you’re building an affordable gaming PC, or you want good gaming performance in a compact, low-power system, the Core i5-13400 is a great choice.

Although you don’t need a top-shelf processor for gaming, your CPU still plays a significant role in how well your games run. Picking the right gaming CPU for you is an important choice to make.

Once you’ve decided on it and hit the buy button, check out our guide on how to install a CPU, so you’re prepared when it arrives.

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best graphics cards of 2024, If you want peak performance out of your PC, you need one of the best graphics cards. We’ve combed through all our reviews of GPUs from AMD, , and Intel that were released over the last several generations to bring you a definitive ranking of the best GPUs for gaming, all of which can deliver great gaming performance at different budgets.

The competitiveness between AMD and Nvidia is hotter than it has been in years, and we have several options from both brands. If you’re new to building PCs, make sure to read our answers to common GPU questions. We also have a full guide on  so you can upgrade your PC.

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Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super

The best graphics card for gaming

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The RTX 4070 was already a great graphics card, but Nvidia made it even better with a Super refresh. This new version is between 10% and 15% faster than the base model based on our testing, and it still comes with all of the features that made the original version so impressive.

Now, you’re getting frame rates at the target resolution that are consistently above 100 fps, and often much more. On top of that the RTX 4070 Super has enough power to press up to 4K, assuming you make a few compromises in the most demanding games. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of graphics cards, filling its duty as a gaming workhorse in just about any situation.

It comes with Nvidia’s excellent DLSS 3.5, as well. It’s a huge asset in games like  with path tracing turned on, and it can make demanding games more playable at 4K. Between DLSS 3, solid raw performance, and an attainable price, the RTX 4070 Super nails a sweet spot that most graphics cards miss.

10 best graphics cards of 2024

Read Also : The best processors in 2024 AMD and Intel CPUs

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Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super

The best graphics card for 4K gaming

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The original RTX 4080 was a bit of a disappointment due to its high price, but the RTX 4080 Super corrects that. Coming in at $200 less, it’s the premium 4K gaming graphics card that we’ve been begging for, and it delivers stable performance across a wide swath of games.

Although the RTX 4080 Super isn’t quite as powerful as the RTX 4090, features like DLSS 3 help fill in the gap. That makes ray tracing possible at 4K, even at high frame rates. DLSS isn’t new, but the addition of frame generation and ray reconstruction on the RTX 4080 Super can massively boost your frame rate in demanding titles.

The card is big and bulky, but unlike the RTX 4090, it doesn’t require a ton of power. It stays at the same wattage as the previous generation, and in real-world use, it actually consumes about 50W less.

For video editing, it’s tough to beat the RTX 4080. Although there are better value options for gaming, Nvidia still has a massive lead in video editing, and it accelerated tasks in apps like Adobe After Effects and DaVinci Resolve in a way that AMD graphics cards just can’t.

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AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX

The best AMD graphics card for 4K gaming

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The lineup of current-gen GPUs all have one thing in common: they’re expensive. That makes choosing the best GPU tough, but AMD has a compelling offer this time around. The RX 7900 XTX offers flagship performance at an excellent value amid the inflated landscape of GPU prices right now.

For raw performance, the RX 7900 XTX is capable of running the most demanding PC above 60 frames per second (fps), and in the case of titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn, it can even hit around 100 fps. It can go toe-to-toe with the RTX 4080 Super, though it has lost some rankings since Nvidia dropped the price of its 4K GPU.

In addition, it’s smaller, and it calls for standard 8-pin power rather than the 12-pin connector on Nvidia’s most recent GPUs. That doesn’t mean the RX 7900 XTX is without faults. It gets loud and it runs hot and compared to Nvidia, it lacks prowess in ray tracing games.

Even with those caveats, the RX 7900 XTX is an excellent graphics card that can power high-end gaming in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077.

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AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE

The best AMD graphics card

The AMD RX 7900 GRE seems like a mistake. The card was originally released in China several months ago, and it never seemed like it would come to the U.S. Now, it’s finally here, and with a bargain bin price of $550.

It’s a direct response to Nvidia’s competition at around this price, delivering slightly better performance than the RTX 4070 Super overall for a lower price. In our review, we call it the best AMD GPU we’ve seen this generation. It manages to match the RTX 4070 Super at a lower price, while outclassing the RTX 4070 by around 15% at the same price.

For frame chasers, the RX 7900 GRE is the best GPU at this price. The main reason the RX 7900 GRE loses out from a top slot is the RTX 4070 Super – for a slight premium, you have access to better ray tracing performance and DLSS.

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AMD Radeon RX 7600

The best graphics card under $300

The RX 7600 isn’t a showstopper graphics card, but it’s the closest we’ve seen to a true budget offering this generation. Arriving art $270, the GPU offers above 60 fps in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p.

That’s what you want out of a graphics card under $300. The RX 7600 manages to meet, and often exceed, the 60 fps mark for demanding titles at 1080p. It also supports AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), so it can scale up to higher frame rates in titles like Starfield and Alan Wake 2.

The card only really loses out when it comes to ray tracing. AMD cards aren’t great when it comes to ray tracing, and this budget-focused offering doesn’t change that story. It can handle some lighter ray tracing in games like Resident Evil 4, but you’ll need to turn off the feature in anything more demanding.

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Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090

The best graphics card for video editing

The RTX 4090 is a nonsense graphics card, and we mean that in the best way possible. It’s $1,600, which is hard to justify spending on any graphics card. But if you want the best of the best, the RTX 4090 is it, and by a significant margin.

The previous GPU champion, the RTX 3090 Ti, looks puny by comparison. Based on our testing, the RTX 4090 is nearly 70% faster than the RTX 3090 Ti, and almost 90% faster than the RTX 3090. It’s a 4K graphics card that enables features like ray tracing in the most demanding games available today.

It’s overkill for most people, and it comes with some high demands. You’ll need a power supply with a lot of wattage, and you’ll need a case to accommodate the card’s massive size. It’s a reasonable trade-off for high-end enthusiasts, though, especially with features like DLSS 3 on offer.

RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT on a pink background.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT

The AMD RX 7900 XT isn’t the best graphics card on the market, but it’s the best choice for VR. The main reason why is support for DisplayPort 2.1. High-end VR headsets require a ton of bandwidth, and DisplayPort 2.1 is the only connection standard that can deliver.

Although the RX 7900 XT doesn’t pose a great value, it’s no slouch of a GPU. Even at the high resolutions demanded by VR, it can deliver solid frame rates. It’s even faster than Nvidia’s RTX 4070 Ti, all while costing around the same price.

Even better, you can find it readily available at online retailers. Popular graphics cards still sell out immediately, but the RX 7900 XT is available at list price basically everywhere. It’s great for VR, but you can also leverage it for 4K gaming on a typical monitor.

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Intel Arc A750

The best graphics card for the money

Intel’s Arc A750 has gotten much better since launch, now sporting solid DirectX 9 support and much faster drivers. It has always been competitive with Nvidia’s RTX 3060 while costing around $100 less, but it looks even more enticing now that Intel has slashed the A750’s price to $250.

AMD usually is the budget alternative to Nvidia, and although that’s still true, Nvidia has been the way to go if you want to turn on ray tracing. The Arc A750 has competitive ray tracing, unlike its AMD counterparts, meaning it can truly go toe-to-toe with the RTX 3060.

On top of that, the card also supports Intel’s XeSS upscaling feature, which uses to upscale your games and improve performance. It’s not available in a ton of games, but Intel should add support in more titles over the coming months.

A Razer Blade 14 gaming laptop on a coffee table.

The best graphics card for laptops

If you want the ultimate mobile gaming experience, it’s hard to beat the RTX 4070 mobile. It’s not the fastest laptop graphics card Nvidia currently offers, but it’s by far the best. It’s available in a massive number of laptops, including the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Razer Blade 14, and all of them offer great performance at a 1440p resolution.

What’s most impressive about the RTX 4070 mobile, however, is that it’s scalable. You can pump it with power in a large, 16-inch laptop for a small performance boost, but the efficiency of the GPU means it has a home in thinner machines like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

It also has access to DLSS 3.5, making things like ray tracing possible on a laptop. You won’t find the RTX 4070 available in more budget-focused machines, but if you have the cash to spare, it definitely strikes the perfect balance of efficiency and power for a laptop.

nvidia rtx 4070 ti super review 8

The RTX 4070 Ti wasn’t a perfect graphics card. The RTX 4070 Ti Super corrects some of the mistakes of the base model, however. It comes in at the same $800 price, but with a solid 10% boost in performance over the base model. Still, what really stands out for this GPU is DLSS 3.

DLSS 3 adds DLSS Frame Generation, allowing you to massively improve your frame rate in games like Atomic HeartCyberpunk 2077, and, Warhammer 40:000: Darktide. It’s exclusive to Nvidia’s most recent generation, and although DLSS 3 isn’t available in every game, it’s a selling point in the few demanding titles that feature the tech.

In standard performance, the RTX 4070 Ti Super delivers 4K gaming performance on the level of last-gen flagships, narrowly beating out cards like the RTX 3090. It’s still a very powerful GPU, even if it’s a bit expensive for the current generation. The good news is that this Super refresh has pushed prices down to the $800 list price.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much should you spend on a graphics card?

As a rule of thumb, you should dedicate about 30% of your budget to a graphics card for a gaming PC. For 1080p, you should spend around $300 to $400; for 1440p, around $400 to $500; and for 4K, $600 or above. The Radeon RX 6600 XT targets 1080p at $379, the GeForce RTX 3070 is great for 1440p at $500, and the GeForce RTX 3080 is the perfect video card for 4K at $700.

Graphics cards are vastly overpriced in 2022, though. As it stands now, you can expect to pay double what you should for each resolution. Hopefully, that will change in the coming months.

How can you find the right power supply for a graphics card?

Nvidia and AMD recommend power supply wattage for their most recent graphics card. The Radeon RX 6800 XT, for example, draws 300W of power and AMD recommends a 750W PSU at least. Similarly, the GeForce RTX 3080 video card draws 320W and Nvidia recommends a 750W PSU. These recommendations aren’t always perfect, though, so we recommend using a PSU calculator.

How do you know which graphics card will best suit your needs?

Finding the graphics card that will best suit your needs comes down to the resolution of your display and the kinds of games you play. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 is great for 4K, for example, but it’s overkill for 1080p where the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT shines. The lower your display’s resolution, the less you need to spend on a graphics card.

Beyond that, consider the games you want to play and at what frame rates. You can use the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super for everything from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to Borderlands 3, but you might need to step up to the GeForce RTX 3070 to play games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

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2023, The PC gaming ecosystem is easily the largest in the industry, with tens of thousands of games available to play and no real generational divide. Rather than a comprehensive list of the best PC games of all time, we placed our focus on the best PC games to play right now.

Some of these, like and Baldur’s Gate 3, are recently released gems, while others are multiplayer or live service games that have stood the test of time, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Minecraft. Our list of the best PC games spans across a wide variety of genres, so we imagine at least a few of these games will pique your interest.

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PC gaming is quite different from consoles, as your mileage with each game on this list will vary based on your rig. That said, many of the games on this list don’t require the latest and greatest graphic cards–they merely help these great games look even better. And if you happen to have a Steam Deck, a lot of these games are playable on Valve’s impressive handheld PC.

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We’ve linked to Steam listings where possible for these games, but it’s worth noting that you can often find better deals on storefronts such as Fanatical and GOG. We’ve included links to those stores, too. Also, some of our picks are available on PC Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your PC or starting a new build to play some of these games at higher settings, make sure to check out our step-by-step guide for building a gaming PC. We also have a dedicated list focused on the best Steam Deck games to play right now. If you’re looking for accessories for your rig, check out our roundups of the best gaming keyboards, gaming mice, and PC gaming headsets.

 

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Alan Wake 2

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Another chapter in the mind-bending Remedy universe, Alan Wake 2 picks up right where the cult classic left off more than a decade ago. Alan is trapped in the Dark Place and his only way out is to write his own story. His campaign takes place alongside a concurrent one with FBI agent Saga Anderson, and the two complimentary campaigns can be played together in any order. The lightly spooky elements of the first game turn much darker here, for a horror experience full of unforgettable moments.

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Apex Legends

The Best PC Games 2023

Read More : The best Android apps in 2023

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Apex Legends

We’ve called Apex Legends the champion of battle royales in the past, and two years into its lifespan, that’s something we stand by. Respawn Entertainment took its strong FPS foundation (namely Titanfall) and created a competitive shooter that refines all the core tenets necessary for a good battle royale. Its roster of characters adds a strategic layer and diversity of playstyle, gunplay is sharp and engaging, and quality-of-life features like the ping system and inventory management keep you focused on executing in combat.

Over the many seasons of content for Apex Legends, we’ve had multiple maps and game modes cycle into the experience. It has surprisingly deep lore that gets you invested in the world of Apex Legends, too. And because it’s free-to-play, you have nothing to lose by giving it a shot.

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Baldur's Gate 3

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Baldur’s Gate 3

The triumphant return of a legacy CRPG series is also one of the best games of 2023. While Baldur’s Gate 3 is also available to play on PS5, the PC version is the clear leader thanks to its intuitive keyboard-and-mouse controls–and it’s a welcome return to form for longtime Baldur’s Gate fans. This fantasy tale is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, but the most incredible part is how it approximates actually playing a game of D&D, with all the freedom that entails. You can tackle problems and navigate the world with an almost overwhelming amount of choice and agency, making it easy to get lost for hours and then start all over again with a new character.

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Before Your Eyes

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Before Your Eyes

One of the most original games of recent memory, Before Your Eyes has a simple premise that hinges on your ocular organs controlling the entire experience through a webcam. It’s a short jaunt of a game that chronicles the life of a recently deceased person that you play as, but the catch here is that every time you blink, time moves forward. It’s a terrific idea, incredibly well-implemented, and ties in perfectly with themes of memories, life, and storing those precious moments within ourselves. Unusual but packing a heavyweight emotional punch, you won’t want to take your eyes off of this game for a single instant.

See on Steam

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The Case of the Golden Idol

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The Case of the Golden Idol

The Case of the Golden Idol is a throwback to classic point-and-click adventure games and an exacting puzzle game. You investigate scenes and then piece together what happened in a linear story narrative by placing names and verbs in their proper places. And if the original release whets your appetite for more, developer Color Gray games has spun off additional “Golden Idol Mysteries” DLC–new stories and mysteries with the same narrative-building mechanic.

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Civilization VI

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Civilization VI

First released in the ’90s, Sid Meier’s Civilization series is still going strong in 2021, thanks to continued support for its most recent release, Civilization VI. As in previous games, Civilization VI casts you in the role of a historical leader, such as Egypt’s Cleopatra or India’s Gandhi, and tasks you with building your civilization from the ground up, including growing your military, developing new research facilities, and engaging in diplomacy with other world leaders.

Of course, Civilization VI expanded and improved on previous games in the series, with additions such as the inclusion of districts that let cities expand across multiple tiles, but it’s also continued to receive new content in the form of two major expansions: Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm, both of which added new leaders, civilizations, and features to the game. Civilization VI earned a 9/ from GameSpot when it initially released back in 2016, and nearly five years later, it’s still one of the best strategy games to pick up and start playing on PC.

See on Steam

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Cocoon

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Cocoon

A tiny bug in a big world surrounded by puzzles. In this game from a new studio founded by key Limbo developers, you’re a small cicada-like creature exploring the wilderness with limited movement and only specially powered orbs to help. But nested inside the noodle-tickling puzzle mechanics is an artful, subtle message about self-improvement and how one forms their identity, making it a can’t-miss.

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Control Ultimate Edition

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Control

Control‘s blend of action, mystique, and the surreal is one that should not be missed, and while it’s available on PS5 and Series X, you’ll find no version better than that of the PC. The pairing of DLSS and ray-tracing makes Control a visual powerhouse, reflecting its impressive effects on the surface of the Oldest House’s pristine waxed floors and shrouding its mysterious hallways in the uncertainty of shadow.

And that’s all accented by supernatural fights that can pop off at a moment’s notice in any one of these enigmatic rooms as the world shifts and morphs around you. What makes Control truly special is exploring the unknown and uncovering secrets the world isn’t supposed to know. The Ultimate Edition gets you both pieces of DLC, AWE and The Foundation.

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Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

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Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The iconic competitive FPS is still going strong today with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Though CSGO has undergone significant changes over its lifespan, it’s still very much the core Counter-Strike experience that revolutionized the multiplayer FPS genre in the 2000s. The standard mode of play is a five-on-five demolition-style match on carefully crafted maps that emphasize specific positioning, sightlines, and team strategies. But beyond that, there’s a hostage rescue mode, gungame free-for-all, and tons of custom content from years of work by its player base.

One of the most exciting things about CSGO is the high-intensity competitive matches where the slightest mistakes could spell doom for your team, or clutch plays could drastically shift the momentum of a match. Counter-Strike has historically been played with a level of precision in both the FPS combat and in its tactics, which makes a bit of a steep learning curve for newcomers. However, this classic game can be wildly rewarding, which you can see from its massive competitive scene. Recently, Valorant has adopted the Counter-Strike formula to great effect, but the high-stakes tactical combat of CSGO is still in a league of its own.

See on Steam

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Cyberpunk 2077

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Cyberpunk 2077 had a divisive launch that by all accounts failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed on it. But CD Projekt Red didn’t abandon the game, instead issuing a steady stream of updates culminating in September 2023’s massive 2.0 update that overhauls many major systems, while also integrating the new Phantom Liberty DLC. The Cyberpunk of today is a sharper, more focused action-RPG

with a greater variety of skills that let you navigate Night City your own way. The Phantom Liberty expansion received a 10/10 in our review, adding new systems and a compelling new story featuring Idris Elba. Best of all, it’s still a gorgeous showpiece for your PC rig, so there’s never been a better time to dive in.

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Deathloop

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Deathloop

Arkane Studios became the name to beat when it came to first-person shooter games that married well-crafted action with rich narratives, but Deathloop has raised the bar for those games to a glorious new level. Game of the year material at its best, Deathloop’s homicidal Groundhog Day appeal is amplified by its terrific cast, layered levels of gameplay, hidden secrets, and so much more.

See on Steam

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Destiny 2

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Destiny 2

Despite releasing more than nearly five years ago, Destiny 2 remains one of the most popular live service multiplayer games around. While the sequel started off on a strong note, it has only gotten better thanks to consistent updates and expansions that delivered a steady stream of enthralling first-person shooter content. And it’s not even close to being too late to jump into Destiny 2, as more content is coming through 2023. Destiny 2’s plethora of content would be nothing without strong mechanics and overarching systems that keep you grinding away for new gear.

Bungie crafted one of the best-feeling first-person shooters we’ve played in recent years, so it offers a constant source of fun regardless of whether you’re making your way through story missions, going on challenging raids with friends, or battling in the Crucible. It’s a wonderful game that digs its teeth into you the more you play, and it’s easily one of the best cooperative PC games available today.

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Disco Elysium

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Disco Elysium

When it comes to writing, Disco Elysium is perhaps unrivaled. Developed and published by ZA/UM in 2019, Disco Elysium places you in the role of a detective suffering from amnesia and a serious bout of alcoholism. His quest to unravel a baffling murder and the details of his life that he’s forgotten takes you on an absolutely stunning adventure that thrives on its choice-based gameplay and exquisite dialogue.

Disco Elysium balances humor and serious life dilemmas with astounding grace, and the freedom it gives you to shape the narrative and your interactions with its many colorful characters you meet allows you to make this detective story your own. Its gorgeous world is teeming with life, and viewing it from the eyes of a nameless cop with memory issues makes it all the more immersive. It earned a rare 10/10 from GameSpot, and we can safely say there’s nothing else exactly like it in modern PC gaming.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition

Building on the already-brilliant formula of its predecessor, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is an all-time great RPG, giving you a huge range of freedom in how to build your party, deal with a combat scenario, and approach a given situation. It’s a game best played on PC, thanks to its crisper visuals, the precision of using a mouse, and faster loading times,

which encourage you to experiment with its wide range of possibilities. While truly a great game overall, much of the fun in Divinity stems from seeing what you can get away with, be it stealing items or avoiding a lengthy combat encounter by setting up an elaborate trap. Experience with earlier entries in the series aren’t required to enjoy Original Sin 2, and as the best entry to date, this is an ideal place to start–just be prepared to lose dozens of hours to it.

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Dota 2

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Dota 2

Dota 2 is not only one of the more daunting PC games to learn and master, but it’s also one of the most rewarding and satisfying to play once you know what you’re doing. Two teams of five assault each other as they try to destroy the opposing team’s Ancient. It sounds simple, but the strategic depth is vast, and there’s a lot to learn if you want to keep up.

, It requires learning the map, getting familiar with the vast array of characters, and mastering their mechanics to be successful. Of course, if this wasn’t an exciting process, it wouldn’t be as popular as it is–and if you haven’t seen a match play out at The International, then you’re missing out.

See on Steam

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Elden Ring

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Elden Ring

A strong contender for the best game of 2022, From Software’s latest dip into dark fantasy and brutal combat is the studio at its very best. The Lands Between are a massive sandbox in which to explore as a newly-risen Tarnished warrior, and every corner of this world hides a secret that’ll take you down a path of danger in exchange for fascinating lore and powerful rewards. While Elden Ring doesn’t stray too far from the usual From Software formula, it does polish the elegant gameplay and signature style of that studio to a mirror finish that’s beautiful to behold and loaded with dozens of hours of content to dive into.

See on Steam

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

It’s true that since its release in 2012, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been ported to just about every platform that can play games, including Amazon Alexa speakers and smart refrigerators. But the king of all Skyrim versions is the one on PC, and it’s not even close. That’s because the PC version gives you access to years of mods created by the Skyrim community. From adding serious RPG story content to providing ridiculous possibilities like replacing all dragons with Thomas the Tank Engine,

the PC version of Skyrim adds nearly endless options to an already expansive, enormous game. You absolutely should play Skyrim on PC if you haven’t, and you absolutely should mod it to see how the game has become so much more than it was when it was released. Skyrim is also available with Xbox Game Pass for PC.

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Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters

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Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters

The pre-PlayStation era of Final Fantasy won’t be vanishing anytime soon, as Square Enix has managed to restore those classic games for new and future generations of fans who want to experience the origins of that best-selling franchise. From the first game to its very 16-bit best, these remasters aim to keep the restoration as pure as possible while sharpening up the titles with additional content found in previous ports across other consoles across the years. Outside of owning an NES or SNES console, the Pixel Remasters are simply the finest and most vibrant ways to play classic Final Fantasy in the modern age of gaming.

See on Steam

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Final Fantasy VII Remake

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Final Fantasy VII Remake

The first chapter in a mammoth project, Final Fantasy VII Remake blends new and old ideas to create a uniquely nostalgic and fresh to what is considered by many to be the greatest video game of all time. Jaw-droppingly gorgeous to look at, the return of Cloud Strife and pals to the world of Midgar is a cinematic masterpiece that combines explosive blockbuster moments with fun action-RPG elements. While some story beats have stayed the same, Final Fantasy VII Remake also takes time to make some crucial changes to the plot, setting this project up to deliver some massive surprises down the road when the Avalanche crew embarks on a road trip that’ll decide the fate of the world.

See on Epic Games Store

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Final Fantasy 14 Online

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Final Fantasy 14 Online

The Final Fantasy series is known for having a strong focus on storytelling with colorful characters who get into over-the-top battles, and the MMO Final Fantasy XIV manages to stay true to what the series is all about. Though you might assume the familiar Final Fantasy tenets of storytelling and strong character moments would be absent in an online game, FFXIV is one of the more story-driven MMOs out today. Final Fantasy XIV is the franchise’s second crack at an MMO, and it features a sprawling story about rebellion, equality, and friendship that manages to hit the same highs of the franchise’s best single-player games.

Though MMOs have a reputation for being inaccessible and time-consuming, Final Fantasy XIV offers an excellent gateway for lapsed and new MMO players to jump into–and it’s also a fantastic Final Fantasy game in its own right.

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Forza Horizon 5

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Forza Horizon 5

Few games get the absolute thrill of driving a ridiculously fast car the way that the Forza Horizon series does, and its latest chapter is another example of pure petrolhead bliss. Shifting to the warm climate of Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 sticks to its template and hits top gear right from the start with its selection of vehicles, activities, and a constant sense of reward for being a speed demon. Beyond its superb gameplay, Forza Horizon 5 also takes time to emphasize a personal connection between man and machine, as it balances epic showcase events with personal moments of reflection and car culture.

See our Forza Horizon 5 review.

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God of War

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God of War

Even if it took a few years, the wait for one of the best PlayStation games on the market to hit PC was well worth it. While previous God of War games emphasized gratuitous violence and a character with the personality of a very angry cardboard box, Sony’s reinvention of Kratos helped create a more nuanced and layered hero. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t a satisfying amount of carnage to engage in, though, as developer Sony Santa Monica expanded on Kratos’ brutal abilities in methodical ways and gave him plenty of new tools to play with in a Nordic sandbox.

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Grand Theft Auto 5

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Grand Theft Auto 5

It may be surprising that a game from 2013 is still so pervasive nine years later, but when that game is Grand Theft Auto 5, it makes a lot more sense. A story of deceit and betrayal, GTA 5 follows the exploits of three men as they make their way through the criminal world of Los Santos and join together for heists that rival those in the Michael Mann classic Heat.

It’s bolstered by an immensely popular multiplayer mode, GTA Online, where you can band up with friends and orchestrate your own rise through the criminal ranks. The PC version has a slew of settings that let you tweak the finest details, and GTA 5’s incredible modding community has concocted creations that absolutely can’t be missed.

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Hades

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Hades

As far as roguelikes go, Hades is among the best. It nails the loop of jumping into the underworld and fighting your way out of Hell, providing players with an arsenal of unique weaponry and powers fit for a god (and borrowed from many of the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus). However, it’s the slower moments in which you visit the friends and family of protagonist Zagreus between runs that grab hold and keep you fighting for the truth. In most roguelikes, you care solely about making it further than your last run, but Hades does more: It blends action and story, striking a delicate balance of clawing your way toward the overworld and growing your relationships.

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Halo Infinite

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Years in the making, the return of Master Chief saw the legendary hero hit the ground running with a new and epic adventure. Even after a lengthy amount of hibernation, Master Chief’s newest odyssey shows no signs of ring rust and is augmented by a few new tricks up his Mjolnir-armored sleeve. While the main single-player campaign is a treat that’s packed with massive setpieces and satisfying action, the multiplayer side is no slouch other and offers a ton of modes to try out. If you’re feeling competitive or nostalgic, Halo Infinite hits a sweet spot for fans looking to revisit a franchise that has matured with them over the years.

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Hitman 3

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Hitman 3

IO Interactive’s grand World of Assassination trilogy reached its final chapter in 2021, as Hitman 3 built on the efforts made by its predecessors to create a perfectly executed experience. Bigger, bolder, and more cunning than ever, Agent 47’s journey around the world saw him explore an opulent Dubai skyscraper, solve a murder mystery in an ancient British mansion, and turn a train into a slaughterhouse as he worked his way through each cabin. Each destination offers not only some devilishly delicious ways to eliminate targets, but also plenty of room for experimentation that leads to hilarious and grim demises for anyone who gets in your way.

See on Steam

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Inscryption

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Inscryption

At first glance, Inscryption looks like a mixture of tabletop card games with a healthy dose of deckbuilding thrown in for good measure as you risk your very life in a high-stakes game of survival. Throw in some roguelite progression, mystery, and a creepy art direction, and you’ve got the perfect mix for a game that hides more mesmerizing content beneath its surface. Absolutely strange while it deals out its ideas, that weirdness makes Inscryption the type of game that’ll live rent-free in your head long after you’ve played your last card.

See on Steam

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League of Legends

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League of Legends

League of Legends is one of the most popular competitive games for a reason. From its strategic combat and mechanical depth to its colorful characters, it’s hard not to get sucked into game after game of this MOBA. While there’s a lot to learn, it’s not as mechanically dense or difficult to master as Dota 2, providing a more welcoming experience to those wanting to get into the MOBA world.

See on Riot Games

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Loop Hero

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Loop Hero

One of the most original indie games of the year, Loop Hero can’t be defined by any single genre. A creatively clever mix of RPG staples, deck-building charm, and brutal strategy, Loop Hero merges all of these elements together to create a bold and fresh adventure that’ll keep you occupied for hours on end.

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Microsoft Flight Simulator

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Microsoft Flight Simulator

If soaring through the air and flying around the world is a dream of yours, there’s no better game than Microsoft Flight Simulator. You can fly out of almost any airport in the world, including smaller airports in quieter towns, and go literally anywhere on Earth–though landing may be difficult in places like the Grand Canyon and Mount Everest. Microsoft used satellite imagery to recreate the world in-game, and it’s improving both the game and map all the time. If there was ever a reason to invest in a flight stick or yoke system, it’s Microsoft Flight Simulator. The game is available via Xbox Game Pass for PC.

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Minecraft

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Minecraft

Minecraft is a global phenomenon for a reason. Its crafting, base building, and survival-lite mechanics are unmatched, providing both an engaging and accessible experience to people of all ages and walks of life. Crafting huge castles, cozy homes, or monuments to your favorite video game character is a joyful time, while venturing toward the Nether is a tense experience that you’re not sure you’ll return from. Whether you’re building up a huge tower or exploring the depths of the perilous mines, Minecraft remains an exciting time that can be enjoyed with friends or by yourself. Just make those Creepers don’t get too close to your house.

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Monster Hunter Rise

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Monster Hunter Rise

After Monster Hunter World set a new benchmark for what the Capcom series was capable of, Monster Hunter: Rise had some big dragon leather boots to fill. Monster Hunter Rise is a showcase of what happens when you take the lessons learned from something new and apply it to an older example of Monster Hunter greatness, as the newest game in the series expertly shifted back to all-out action. Originally designed for the Nintendo Switch, Rise’s port to PC came with a ton of free post-launch content, graphical upgrades, and performance enhancements that make this version the definitive edition of an already fantastic game.

See on Steam

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Pizza Tower

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Pizza Tower

A gonzo take on Wario Land platformers, Pizza Tower was a success that gathered fans through its early access period and then exploded once it was released in full. Peppino Spaghetti has a similar move set to Wario, but this take gives him a boost of speed and agility that makes Pizza Tower center around lightning reflexes and speedy runs through the stages. The art style looks straight out of a 1990s Nickelodeon cartoon, with a soundtrack to match.

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Portal 2

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Portal 2

Portal 2 remains one of the funniest and most inventive puzzlers in games. It successfully built on the mind-bending multidimensional ideas of the first game and somehow elevated its storytelling and characterization to become incredibly fun and memorable.

Those things alone would make Portal 2 worthy of your attention, but there’s additional content that comes with playing the game on PC. Not only is there online and local co-op that extend the game beyond its single-player offering, but there’s a huge amount of user-created content that includes whole story campaigns. Portal 2 is great fun no matter where you play it, but with modding and puzzles built by other players, you get a superior experience on PC–and a ton more Portal to .

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Project Zomboid

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Project Zomboid

For the ultimate experience in zombie apocalypse realism, nothing competes with Project Zomboid. The isometric survival game is perhaps most like DayZ, but is somehow even more hardcore, with things like hunger, wounds, and fatigue being deadlier than similar systems in other games, and the purest depiction of how, in real life, even just a single zombie would likely spell your doom. It’s a PC exclusive, so it’s sorta great on PC by default, but given the sheer number of mechanics involved here, a mouse and keyboard setup feels right at home, though the game is fully playable on controller and even Steam Deck too.

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Rainbow Six Siege

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Rainbow Six Siege is an adept mix of first-person shooting, strategic planning, and tactical teamwork. Two teams of five vie for control of a building, where the goal is to capture an objective, defuse a bomb, or secure a hostage. The brilliance of Siege comes in learning these buildings in and out and knowing how to work with your teammates to get in and out most effectively. Map knowledge can trump twitch shooting in the most dire of situations, rewarding its players for smart thinking and careful play. Siege is available on consoles, but the definitive way to play it is on PC with a keyboard and mouse.

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Red Dead Redemption 2

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Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a phenomenal and engrossing video game that is easily one of Rockstar’s finest releases to date. A prequel to the original game, the story delivers some eye-opening revelations about the wider Red Dead universe. The gameplay and world-building are incredible, with lots of freedom available for players to do whatever they want as they set out onto the frontier as Arthur Morgan. The game is also gorgeous, especially on PC for those with a capable enough rig. The sweeping mountain visits and bubbling rivers shine on PC, making Red Dead Redemption 2 one of the best games we can recommend on PC.

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Resident Evil 4

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Resident Evil 4

Capcom’s venerable Resident Evil series has been progressively producing remakes of its classic library, but none of them held the expectations and weight of Resident Evil 4. It’s long been regarded as one of the best survival-horror games of all time, and a trendsetter for the action-focused style of the genre. Capcom approached this remake especially cautiously, giving it a light touch of upgrades that make the whole experience feel modern without losing its soul. It’s also never looked more beautiful, so you can see the horrific monstrosities of Las Plagas with newfound fidelity.

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Return of the Obra Dinn

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Return of the Obra Dinn

Return of the Obra Dinn is a meticulous puzzle box revolving around a grisly scene. When a missing ship mysteriously reappears with all of its passengers and crew dead, you’re dispatched as an insurance adjuster tasked with uncovering the causes of death for each one aboard. What follows is a massively connected logic puzzle as you uncover scenes of life aboard the ship alongside clues as to each of their identities and fatalities. This is all delivered in a stark lo-fi black-and-white presentation that remains perfectly readable in motion.

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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

A departure–though not a complete departure–from its previous games, From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice takes the simple act of blocking an attack and turns it into a thrilling gameplay mechanic. Battles against bosses are not simply marathons to whittle down their health, but an exercise in perfection as you time your own attacks, parry your enemy’s, and then deliver a final killing blow. On PC, you can mod the game to speed up the pace or play as goofy characters who definitely don’t belong in its somber, violent universe. Without a dedicated easy mode in the settings, which is itself a subject of debate, the PC version’s modding potential also lets you lower the difficulty.

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Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

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Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

The unfortunate swan song for the tactics genre experts at developer Mimimi, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew let the studio leave on a high note. Starring a cast of cursed pirates aboard a living ghost ship, you’ll have to use stealth and your wits to take down legions of Inquisition troops. Each of the crew has their own otherworldly powers and specializations, making it engaging to experiment with different combinations of abilities to take down the enemy without being seen. Shadow Gambit also learns from its predecessors by implementing save scumming into the story, making it that much more satisfying to pull off a perfect plan–and less punishing when you make a mistake.

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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

Only The Stanley Parable, a nearly unexplainable game where things get regularly weird and meta, could get away with hiding what amounts to a sequel within the frame of an expanded re-release of the original game. Like the original title, the strange and hilariously distracted nature of The Stanley Parable is something that you have to experience for yourself, as words simply do not do it justice. With the Ultra Deluxe edition, you’re getting an experience that feels like a game within a game, adding the illusion of freedom and other surprises along the way. It’s nothing short of a clever and thought-provoking examination of video games and the relationship that we have with them.

See on Steam

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Stardew Valley

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Stardew Valley

It starts with an old broken-down farm and a handful of seeds. You clear out the weeds and rocks until you get tired, and then you do it again. You get into the rhythm of daily life–visiting friends, watering crops, occasional light spelunking. Before you know it, it’s been 75 hours and you’re mostly managing your complex irrigation system and planning for next season’s harvest. Stardew Valley is a friendly, relaxing experience that also somehow manages to be endlessly addicting. Fans know the feeling of assuring themselves they’ll play just one more day before bed.

And while it’s appeared on just about every platform, PC often gets the first chance to test all of the little quality-of-life tweaks and new features that come with patches–most recently the massive 1.5 update appeared on PC almost two months before consoles. Plus, there’s a huge library of mods that let you tweak various gameplay elements, give the game a new aesthetic, and even add extensive new content and characters (see: Stardew Valley Expanded). Keeping up with Stardew Valley on PC is the best way to make sure your farming life never gets stale.

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Starfield

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Starfield

Starfield has been one of the most anticipated RPGs from Bethesda, the studio behind Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. This game will seem very familiar to those who’ve played these types of games, but the new spacefaring setting introduces a variety of biomes and enemies, space combat, and refined gunplay with boost packs for extra mobility. While it’s available on Xbox as well, only the PC version supports console commands and mods to customize the experience to your liking.

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The Talos Principle 2

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The Talos Principle 2

The follow-up to the philosophical first-person puzzle game is once again a contemplative experience that raises big questions even as you stay occupied with a series of clever puzzles. The philosophical underpinnings create a sense of expansive mystery as you explore deep existential questions and unravel the nature of the world. The first game was an unexpected treat but The Talos Principle 2 shows that developer Croteam can still create a delightful puzzle box even when we think we know what to expect.

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Tunic

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Tunic

If Death’s Door didn’t satiate your hunger for a Zelda-like adventure, then Tunic is well-equipped to fill you up with some nostalgic and cathartic gameplay. Not just an homage to Zelda games of the NES and SNES eras, Tunic’s familiar green clothing and swordplay in a vibrant and colorful world is balanced by a collection of amazing puzzles and challenges that require quick reflexes and superb wits. Evocative of a bygone time and somehow still feeling like a completely fresh take on the subject matter, this love letter to the past was years in the making and more than delivers on its elevator pitch of exploration and wonder.

See on Steam

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Valorant

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Valorant

The initial response to Valorant was that it’s basically a mashup where Overwatch meets Counter-Strike–and yeah, that’s pretty accurate. That’s also a good thing, because Valorant draws on many of the strengths of those games to make something unique. It focuses on the round-based demolition-style game mode with two teams of five (attackers and defenders) on balanced maps with specific lanes and sightlines and an extremely fast time-to-kill. However, each agent (or character) has their own unique abilities that add another strategic layer to combat. Team composition plays a major role, and each agent affects what the team is capable of in each high-stakes situation. It’s intense and demanding, but so rewarding.

Valorant is still early in its lifespan. But we’ve seen content updates and changes in its first year and it’s been quite successful, so you can expect the game to get more support moving forward. If a competitive FPS with layered tactics, precise gunplay, and intense moments is your thing, Valorant is worth a try.

See on Riot Games

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Viewfinder

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Viewfinder

A puzzle game built around a mechanic that feels like magic, Viewfinder has a remarkable wow-factor that alone puts it on this list. The concept is simple enough: You take a photo and when you place a picture against the environment, you can walk into it. That allows you to create a bridge where there was none before, or walk into a completely different art style than the rest of the environment. When the game gives you your own camera, and starts introducing different ways to apply its simple rule set, the mindbending puzzles grow more complex.

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

One of the best RPGs of all time, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt brings the incredible story of Geralt of Rivia to a close. The Witcher 3 puts Geralt on a quest to find Ciri, a witcher in training who’s like a daughter to him. He reconnects with old flames, friends, and adversaries as he searches far and wide for her.

Of course, there’s an abundance of side quests and characters to meet along the way, which will undoubtedly keep you busy for hours. Many of these quests require you to slay monsters, a witcher’s main trade, and you’ll have to prepare accordingly to defeat them by sword, witcher magic, and potions. All this–and we didn’t even get into the two excellent expansions–makes The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt an essential PC game.

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XCOM 2

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XCOM 2

Finding the right balance in a strategy game is extremely difficult, as the best ones are challenging enough to necessitate smart play without being too punishing. XCOM 2 very nearly falls into the “too punishing” camp, but its mix of turn-based tactics combat and overarching management gameplay rarely feel unfair. Set after the first game, when aliens have nearly completely conquered Earth, XCOM 2 certainly casts you as an underdog, but it gives you the tools you need to take the fight to the invaders with careful planning.

Ambushing a squad and delivering a mix of long-range sniping shots and explosive damage is immensely satisfying, and even more so if you’ve struggled on the same map for an hour or more. The game is certainly playable on consoles, but it’s at home on PC, as are developer Firaxis’ other games. Moving your units around and getting a view of the whole battlefield is perfect with a keyboard and mouse.

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