All of the big PC game releases for 2009 have hit the streets, so we've compiled a list of 12 games for this holiday season that almost every PC gamer no doubt mentioned in their letter(s) to Santa Claus.
Left 4 Dead 2
The original Left 4 Dead was a great game, but Left 4 Dead 2 completely re-invents, and re-invigorates the game to create a sequel that is superior to its predecessor on every level. You'll have to completely throw out your tried and trusted tactics from L4D to survive L4D2. Best of all, new DLC for L4D2 is already announced, and it will bring the Survivors from L4D -- along with some new maps, weapons, and infected into L4D2.
Dragon Age: Origins
Bioware once again proves why they are the king of detailed, story and character-driven RPGs. Dragon Age re-introduces deep, tactical (and often difficult) combat into one of the best RPGs of all time. And at more than a hundred hours of potential play time (not to mention DLC) you get a long of gaming for your buck with Dragon Age: Origins.
Borderlands.jpg)
Combine the fast-paced action of a first-person shooter with the addictive, randomized elements of action/RPG's like Torchlight and Diablo, and you get Borderlands. -- an addictive, open-world hybrid game that is the first game of its type -- and the birth of a new franchise. Borderlands 2 is all but guaranteed.
Champions Online
Aion may have gotten more press, but we'd take Champions On-line over that laborious Korean grindfest any day of the week. Champions Online turns the superhero MMORPG up to 11, featuring the most powerful, flexible character creator of any MORPG of any genre. It's also more action-oriented and has far less 'grinding' than your usual MMORPG.
Majesty 2
This surprising 'fantasy kingdom simulator' is reminiscent of the classic DungeonKeeper franchise. It's a little tricky and requires some patience while you learn the ropes, but strategy players should enjoy its quirky, engaging, and entertaining game play once you grasp its subtleties.
Elven Legacy
Elven Legacy is an enjoyable turn-based fantasy war game that is reminiscent of tabletop miniatures games. If you like turn-based strategy, Elven Legacy won't disappoint. There are also several inexpensive expansions -- Siege, Ranger, and Magic -- that promise plenty of value for your money.
Torchlight
Torchlight is the spiritual rebirth of Diablo II, and it does an excellent (not to mention addictive) job of re-invigorating the action/rpg genre with a colorful flare all its own. Not only is it some of the best gaming $20 can buy, but its highly 'mod friendly' design and free toolset should open up whole new adventures once the Torchlight community starts churning out custom content. Torchlight is available exclusively as a digital download.
League of Legends
League of Legends is based upon the popular Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients, and combines a robust metagame with deep, tactical options, but keeping the game tightly focused, action-oriented, and easy-to-play. Best of all, it's 100% free-to-play and supported by micro-transactions.
Tales of Monkey Island
Although we haven't quite polished off Chapter 5 of the Tales of Monkey Island yet, we've loved the triumphant return of Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate(TM) from the beginning. If you were ever a fan of adventure games and/or the classic Monkey Island series, you can get all five episodes of Tales of Monkey Island directly from Telltale games. You can also read our reviews of the first four chapters:
- Chapter 1: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal
- Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay
- Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan
- Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
Assassin's Creed 2 (Action)
We didn't get the chance to review this title directly, but virtually universal critical acclaim guarantees it's worth your money. Even if you didn't like the original game, AC2 reportedly fixes everything that players complained about in the first game.
Batman: Arkham Asylum.jpg)
Batman: Arkham Asylum's critical acclaim is proof that superhero games don't have to suck, although Batman is, arguably, the easiest superhero to convert to a game. Regardless, Arkham Asylum received unilaterally rave reviews as well as numerous award nominations.
Modern Warfare 2
Modern Warfare 2 has already attained record-breaking commercial success and generally solid critical success as well. Although the PC version's multiplayer has been criticized because it relies upon peer-to-peer networking, the single-player game has otherwise gotten good reviews. However, the console version delivers a better multiplayer experience -- although as of this writing they are still working some of the bugs out of that too.
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Comments
I would agree on all of these games except for Champions Online, that game was an extremely disappointing game. Some might find it semi fun for a few weeks, but it gets really boring really quick. Especially when creating alt characters where you have to do the same mission grind all over again.
Dragon Age is the best Singleplayer game on this list by far, with Borderlands being the best Multiplayer game.
I totally understand where you're coming from CCon99. I enjoy COL quite a bit, and I think as it matures into the MMORPG space it will only get better, much as COH does. (However, the PvP in COL still isn't its strongest point.)
Another note -- although I refrained from making 'awards' (I think all of these games are great in their own right), if I had to pick best multiplayer, I'd likely lean towards L4D2. (But Borderlands is still awesome.)
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