It's Only A Crime If You Don't Go Back And Play Them.
With new releases coming out left and right, it's easy to let great games slip by the wayside. Read on and rediscover 10 great PC games you might have overlooked.
10. Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Rebellion's launch trailer. RTS spacified!
If you’re like me, the first thing you’ll do is admire the title. Say it with me; Sins of a Solar Empire.
How could a game with such a cool title let you down? Luckily for you, it won’t. Instead of being let down, you’ll be very much up…in space! There you will learn of three factions who are engaged in a feud spanning solar systems.
Titans are not to be trifled with.
Rebellion is a 4x space strategy that goes heavy on the lore. 4x, you ask? It stands for exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination.
Exploration is no gimmick; you’re free to venture to the furthest star systems in search of resources. Fleet expansion is a must if you plan to successfully engage other warring factions. Exploitation is realized when you dissolve alliances, by say, hiring pirates to carry out a backstabbing mission. Extermination speaks for itself; destroy until your enemy is nothing but ashes. Aside from all this 4x goodness, Rebellion is loaded with plenty of other features for you to enjoy.
One of the most noteworthy of these are the six titans that can be brought into battle. Each has their own devastating skillset that will paint a sinister smile on your face. Another cool feature is that you can zoom in on various battle perspectives. What this means is you’re able to catch a glimpse of the battle from a diplomat’s perspective and then beam onto the frontlines and witness the battle from the eyes of a commander.
Battles are so massive, sometimes you've got to change perspective.
Feature rich and story driven, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is imbued with that magical feeling that only polished RTS games emit. If RTS games are your thing, don’t hesitate to check this one out. If space interests you, even more reason to buy and install. And don’t do it alone; Ironclad Online makes it possible to team up with ten of your friends.
9. Hammerwatch
Watching hammers is fun!
Need more hack and slashing in your life? Hammerwatch thinks so and is willing to fill that void with plenty of content.
Hammerwatch is a simplistic yet addictive hack-and-slash dungeon crawler with all the personality you expect from the genre. Puzzles will see you stroking your chin inquisitively, traps will send your arms flailing, and the music will inspire you to take on more baddies than you can handle.
Let it go!
With six classes including your meat-shield and glass-cannon varieties, Hammerwatch gives you what you want. Play with your friends over a LAN or online; this is a party game at heart.
8. Castle Crashers
Quirky, no?
It’s always for the women, isn’t it? You run some errands. You buy some flowers. You pick up some groceries. If your woman is pleased at the end of the day this spells success. Things are no different in Castle Crashers; once again you’re out to make things right for the ladies. In this quirky side-scrolling hack-and-slash, your mission is to rescue three princesses who’ve been abducted by the evil man!
Quirky isn’t enough to describe this game, though. You’ll ride a deer propelled by a hot jet of its own poo. You’ll interrupt a tribe of baddies making some rad music. You’ll skirmish with paintings come to life. The list really could go on.
Boss getting crafty with the sock puppet.
You’ll find that controls are responsive as you navigate up and down on the screen. Yes, the game is 2D but has adopted the pseudo 3D maneuverability found in games such as Streets of Rage. Wielding a variety of weapons and magic is what makes this game enjoyable. And like any good hack-and-slash adventure, you can combo for days if your skills are sharp enough. And of course bosses; plenty of them await you in Castle Crashers.
2D with plenty of space to move around.
If you haven't experienced the weird fun this title offers, grab some friends and get on it!
7. Dungeon Defenders II
Looks like another quirky one.
In the land of Etheria, the Old Ones are back and thus an ancient threat is now on your doorstep. The choice is yours, either drive them back or succumb to their evil wishes.
Dungeon Defenders II is an action tower defense game that gives you access to an expansive toolkit to safeguard your keep. You’ll face waves of diverse enemies whose objective is to reach and destroy your core. Your mission is to deny them access by rigging traps, hurling magic, or by confronting them with steel. Classes include the Monk, Squire, Huntress and Apprentice; each bringing a unique flavor to the table (I'm not hungry or anything).
A Monk and Apprentice surveying routes.
This title recently went F2P and for an early access situation it's highly polished. Long story short is that if you’re craving a new tower defense game as much as I’m craving some BBQ chicken wings then you’ll want to check this out.
6. Pillars of Eternity
The developers at Obsidian struggled but finally delivered a masterpiece.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, you have become a Watcher. You see your soul’s past and you can read other souls as if they were open books. Sounds cool, right? The catch is that this ability is tied to a curse which you must cure before your mind consumes itself. Seeking answers, you discover that children of the land are being born without souls…
Are you craving a classic RPG experience reminiscent of Baldur’s Gate and other greats? If you're nodding yes then you're in the right place because Pillars of Eternity pays homage to these icons and even earns a seat at their lofty table.
Dragons? Of course.
Does a roll-to-hit combat dynamic excite you? Pillars of Eternity has that. Are you tired of great games ending too soon? Fear not, this gem has a main story arc that should consume 60 hours of your time. Notice I said main story arc; there is tons of side content if you’re brave enough to seek it.
What about classes, you ask? Pillars of Eternity offers all the standard classes you’re familiar with plus new classes native to the world of Eora.
5. Deponia
Experience the superb voice acting in Deponia.
Oh, Rufus. You can’t do anything right. You don’t care about anything except your own selfish goals. Well, that’s how things were. And then you met Goal.
Stranded on the trash planet of Deponia, Rufus has only one thing on his mind...escape. And do so by any means necessary. But what began as a selfish quest will land you neck-deep in a story much bigger than you ever wished to be caught up in.
Ride 'em, Rufus.
Gameplay is point and click, and interacting with objects in order to solve puzzles is what will keep you moving forward. If you’re familiar with the gameplay in Broken Age, you’ll be right at home in Deponia.
4. The Long Dark
What's worse than zombies? Mother nature.
Are you overdue for a peaceful exploration title? If your answer is yes this is not the title for you. The Long Dark is an early access, survival exploration sandbox that sticks you in a variety of environments and then gives you two choices. Will you survive or die?
Sounds easy on the surface, right? Well, when you factor in body heat, hydration and all the other threatening variables that come with the pure wilderness package you might be surprised how just quickly you’ll find yourself in a pinch.
Is that fire or the sunset?
Their website says there are no zombies, but the look and feel of the game point to a similar theme. You might think you’re surviving, but the reality is that you’re just seeing how long you can delay the inevitable.
3. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Looks like one of those best-friends-into-enemies games.
Ever wondered what your favorite video game characters would do when going head to head on a racetrack? Me either! But that’s not the point. Sonic & All-stars Racing Transformed gives you the opportunity to find out anyway.
This game is a triathlon except nobody’s running. The event depends on the terrain as your vehicle morphs to accommodate.
Shadow's battle-tank looks a little short.
First event is the car phase which as you might’ve guessed has you driving on the road. Second is the boat phase when your car magically transforms into a boat. And the third is the plane phase, when your boat busts out some wings and you take to the skies.
20 racers, 25 tracks, and multiple game modes will keep you happy for countless hours. Online events for you and up to 9 of your friends only adds to the replay value. If silly yet competitive racing gives you a rush, do yourself a favor and check this title out.
2. The Last Remnant
Fancy the thought of being supercharged by ancient artifacts and taking their powers into combat? That’s the idea behind remnants in The Last Remnant, a JRPG brought to you by the lovely team at Square Enix. Initially these remnants were used to fuel positive outcomes, but power tends to give way to corruption.
The Last Remnant doubles as an art gallery.
Combat is turn based but there’s more to it than that. You’re able to form unions which are team compositions that play out as a symphony of blade work and magical attacks. Spending quality time organizing your union prior to battle pays off as you unleash orchestrated attacks to decimate your foes.
A coordinated effort yields the best results.
A riveting narrative fuels emotionally charged voice acting which creates an unforgettable gaming experience. Many games make a chore out of pushing deeper into the content, The Last Remnant is none such game.
1. Assetto Corsa
Racing simulation at its finest.
If you’re seeking a new racing simulator to get you revved up, look no further than Assetto Corsa. The gameplay and features offered by this title had my jaw on the floor like the Genie’s when Jasmine feigned interest in Jafar.
Look at the curves on that track.
From supercars to classics, you’re free to design a unique driving experience. Customize your ride before taking it for a spin. Game modes range from career mode to free practice and even time trials if your goal is to lock down some curves. From a distance, Assetto Corsa might come across as just another surface level racing game, but that isn’t so.
I want. Must touch the shiny.
Real life tracks were laser scanned to ensure that their digital renditions were created accurately. Realism stays true throughout the rest of Assetto Corsa so drifters beware; your tires will develop flat spots. For those of you who still need convincing, the game boasts a physics engine crafted from scratch. More importantly, big names such as Abarth, Classic Team Lotus, KTM, and McLaren were there to ensure the game engine did justice to their brands.
Which one would be your pick?
If racing realism is your delight then you’d be hard pressed to find a reason not to check this one out.
Take that time! You might have the ability to keep us focused on the future but us gamers know that revisiting the past is a wise option. Now that these titles have been unearthed for you, proceed to enjoyment.
