Black CaT Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 The PC gaming landscape has shifted in recent years, both in terms of technological advancements in graphics cards and gaming monitors and in the makeup of IGN's PC gaming staff and contributors. As a result, outside of some real stalwarts, our list of the best modern PC games is substantially different compared to years past To be clear, this list does not attempt to pick out the “best” or “most influential” PC games ever made. It’s also not a list of the most popular games out there, or a list that seeks to represent the top games of every genre. No, this is a list of 25 games that we, the IGN editors and contributors, collectively recommend the most, based on our tastes, and all from within the past 10 years. Microsoft Flight Simulator is the closest thing we've had to a near-perfect recreation of the real world in the virtual space, and new updates keep inching it even closer. Using real-time Bing data to allow you to fly to and from any place on the entire planet has raised the bar for simulations to heights never seen before. Accessible to anyone, or as realistic as you want, this is open-world at its most literal. Free-flying around the globe, participating in landing challenges at some of the world's most famously difficult airports, or just sightseeing, Microsoft Flight Simulator is an unparalleled achievement. Don't forget to grab one of the best PC joysticks to make this flight-sim experience that more immersive. Microsoft Flight Simulator players can now fly the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the newest addition to the Famous Flyers series. The add-on for the An-225 can be purchased from the in-game marketplace for $19.99, and proceeds will go towards the Antonov Corporation to support their efforts in rebuilding the real-life aircraft that was destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. You can’t go too far wrong with any of the main games from Sid Meier’s seminal Civilization series, but after updates and expansions, Civilization VI has taken a seat as one of the finest. Like all five iterations before it, Civ VI lets you pave your people’s way from nomadic tribes to sprawling near-future empire in competition or cooperation with neighbors, this time guided by narration from the undying Sean Bean himself. But here, a distinctive approach to city building in which major structures like specialized districts and Wonders are placed on their own tiles gives it a fresh flavor, and the climate change mechanics add new long-term environmental considerations throughout and hazards that manifest in the late game. It’s also come as close as any game in the series to giving its AI leaders definitive and interesting personalities (which is not to say they’re perfect!). Firaxis confirmed that Civilization 7 is in the works. This announcement comes after former head of studio Steve Martin and Marvel’s Midnight Suns and XCOM director Jake Solomon departed the studio, leaving former COO Heather Hazen to lead the company. Control, in many ways, feels like the culmination of Remedy’s design ideas from its past several games distilled down to their best versions and melded together for one trippy, enthralling adventure. Jesse Faden’s story of infiltrating the Federal Bureau of Control’s offices comes complete with a stellar set of abilities befitting any good telepath, a propulsive, strange story with a memorable cast and unexpected twists, and a fascinating location that feels rooted in a sense of history. Remedy has filled Control’s world with little details that make its stranger ideas really land, giving unexpected life to every corner of its office building veneer. Just like its main location, the Oldest House, much more lies beneath the surface of Control, and its mysteries are worth fully exploring. Also, the PC is currently the only place to play with ray tracing enabled, giving the world a more realistic and yet more otherworldly appearance. Maybe that’s why this fantastic single-player PC game won our 2019 Game of the Year award? Since Stardew Valley launched in 2016, it’s become a mainstay in PC gaming and is perhaps single handedly responsible for reinvigorating the farming sim genre altogether. In that time, no other game has successfully managed to replicate its masterful combination of RPG mechanics, a satisfying gameplay loop, beautifully mellow music, and an ever-growing list of things to do as you while away your time in pastoral paradise. The latest major update is the game’s biggest yet, adding a completely new area to explore, with new people to meet, tasks to do, and tons more content to experience. It’s basically a full-blown expansion, if not for being a free update to the game. Whether you’re a new player or returning to your 100+ hour farm, Stardew Valley remains one of the best games you can play on PC. https://www.ign.com/articles/best-pc-games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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