Best downloadable games on pc

Get it here: Frontier Steam. It warrants new words. Imagine someone using tracing paper to re-create a favorite painting, adding their own flourishes and revisions. Once again, you begin in a cave full of spiders, skeletons, bats, and golden idols that egg you on to set to set off their lethal traps. Except now, things are ever so different.

Yellow lizards roll across the room like that big ball chasing Indy, and agitated moles cut through the ground like the graboids in Tremors. Your muscle memory is weaponized against you —Chris Plante. Listen: When the original version of Fortnite launched, I hated it. There were zombies in it. You collected characters in the form of trading cards, and unlocked abilities from a skill tree. There was so much mindless clicking in the original version that my wrist would hurt after every each session.

That original mode, called Save the World, is still in the game. It even has a small, but devoted, ongoing fan base. Fortnite is arguably the biggest game in the world thanks to Battle Royale. Get it here: Epic Games Store. The original Half-Life tells the story of the MIT-educated theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman and a transdimensional rift that may someday kill us all.

As far as PC shooters go, Half-Life represents an inflection point for the entire genre, threading a nearly uninterrupted narrative through a seamless and carefully paced action spectacle. While the gameplay itself more than holds up, the look and feel of the original leaves something to be desired. Thankfully, the team at Crowbar Collective — themselves a bunch of modders — have created Black Mesa. Whether you want to play the classic version or the updated Black Mesa is up to you, but every PC enthusiast should at least try one or the other at least once.

Get Half-Life here: Steam. Get Black Mesa here: Steam. Half-Life: Alyx gave VR something it desperately needed: a brand-new entry into a huge series, long-awaited by fans, and designed specifically for VR. If you want to know what happens next in the story of Half-Life, you have to buy or borrow a VR headset and play through one of the most polished games ever released for virtual reality. Get Half-Life: Alyx here: Steam. Kentucky Route Zero is one of the most fascinating narrative experiments in all of video games.

The brainchild of the small team of artists at Cardboard Computer, it uses magical realism to tell a bizarre tale set in rural America. The game, which began as a Kickstarter campaign, has been released episodically over the past seven years. Cardboard Computer has also released a series of experiences it calls interludes , which are freely available online.

The game offers a less traditional leveling-up system, in which players need to use items to increase their affinity with a particular stat. If you want to increase your blocking stat, then you will have to block attacks, or even punches from friends, in order to increase the efficiency of your shield blocking.

Players can also increase their health and stamina stats using food items or potions. Many users appreciate the opportunity to enhance the gaming experience with these purchases. Others report spending hundreds of dollars on these in-game purchases, almost without realizing it.

These ratings are made to help people know if certain games have mature themes that may not be appropriate for children. Each game title should have an ESRB rating printed clearly on the box or the webpage where you order the game.

The ESRB rating system does not apply in other parts of the world. Are all of my favorite console games available for the PC too? Not necessarily. Others create versions that run anywhere. To run a particular game on your computer, it has to have a PC version. How can I capture game footage to share with my friends? From here, you can specify selections for a variety of gaming settings, including recording your gameplay.

What is the fastest and most efficient way to improve my gaming experience? An SSD delivers a faster means of storing and retrieving data than an HDD, which will improve your gaming performance quickly. What are some hardware add-ons I can use with my PC to have more fun with gaming?

You might want to invest in a keyboard and mouse that are made specifically for gaming. They also need excellent responsiveness.

Of course, learning the trick of being a good impostor can be challenging among a crew of players. Every now and again, there will be a meeting to determine who the culprit is. While players are using some of the best impostor tips to stay alive, crew members are also keeping their game alive as long as possible.

Need for Speed has been around for a very long time, dating back to Huste by day, risk it all by night is their motto.

You can also indulge in side missions that will aid you in gaining credits to supe up your ride. There are new performance parts for you to unlock, while you can also trick out and tweak your car to match your style. Compete in the Speedhunter Showdown where you can earn Bank to customize your car and feel the thrill to enter illicit street races in the night neon playground. With a larger map, more vehicles to steal and destroy, and a more extensive array of activities, the latest game in the series too the world by storm.

Instead of one protagonist, or antagonist if you will, there are three characters to cycle through. Michael, Franklin, and Trevor each have their own pasts and stories, which unite in this exciting action drama. Of course, Michael and Trevor have a score to settle, while Franklin is caught in the middle of it. The plot revolves around the group performing heists and building their bankroll towards the ultimate robbery of the century. You can also store any car, bike, or plane you acquire in a garage or hangar.

However, the brawler's menu-driven, tactical combo system and biting urban satire reveals a game that's radically different than what's come before it. Developed by Nuchallenger, Treachery in Beatdown City is a fun indie game that requires you to use your brain to battle the way through the gentrification elements that plagues a fictional city's streets, but its pace may prove too slow for traditional beat 'em up fans.

Tactics fans, on the other hand, may dig it. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, 's biggest surprise hit, is loads of chaotic, obstacle-course-navigating fun. The bright, cheery, game show-inspired title sees you bounce through candy-colored obstacle courses and take on other challenges, while competing against 59 online contestants.

Beware the Big Yeetus! With Far Cry Primal, developer Ubisoft abandons all political pretenses and focuses on what made Far Cry stand out from its peers when the series debuted: the open-world sandbox.

You play as a Stone Age hunter named Takkar, and your goal is to secure a safe haven for your people, the wandering Wenja tribe, in the prehistoric realm of Oros. Melee combat and beast companions set Primal apart from past Far Cry games and make exploration feel much more personal and engaging. Primal's story is simpler and more straightforward, so if you were hoping for eccentric villains and outlandish melodrama, you may be left a tad disappointed.

For Honor is a medieval-themed combat game has two faces. One is a splendid multiplayer blend of large- and small-scale battles. The other is a forgettable single-player campaign that unfortunately requires an online connection. However, For Honor's strategic combat—a resplendent combination of positioning, pacing, awareness, and timely opponent reads—gracefully lifts the entire package from the mediocre AAA bog that might otherwise have slid into.

When Techland's Dead Island trailer debuted, it featured one of the most moving video game sequences ever produced: a small child and her family being slaughtered by zombies against the backdrop of a soft, haunting Giles Lamb musical score. Dead Island's gameplay doesn't quite match the trailer's promise, but the open-world action-RPG offers a very solid zombie-slaying good time as you craft weapons and try to stay alive in an island paradise gone wrong.

Video games love cyberpunk. The medium excels at exploring the chaos of a society where corporations and technology run rampant. This first-person action game has a punishing difficulty level that may turn off many people, but hardcore gamers will eat up its fast, ninja-like action.

In , Sega gave us a look into the future of funk with Jet Set Radio, a cel-shaded action game that starred a cute band of rollerblading miscreants who tagged walls, battled rival delinquents, and avoided out-of-control cops. This updated PC version flexes high-definition graphics, developer interviews, and all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a Steam game.

Dripping in manga-influenced hip-hop flavor and boasting one of the greatest soundtracks ever crafted for a video game, the grind-happy Jet Set Radio is a title that belongs in the library of anyone who digs fast-paced action games, incredibly catchy tunes, and street culture. PlayStation 2 gamers likely remember how difficult it was to avoid the hype surrounding Katamari Damacy. Publisher Namco Bandai's action-puzzle game tasked you with rebuilding a destroyed cosmos, and went on to become a sequel-spawning hit, thanks to its addictive gameplay, charming graphics, and amazing score.

The delightful original game has now been given the remaster treatment with Katamari Damacy Reroll, a game featuring updated graphics and keyboard support. Katamari Damacy Reroll delivers the same whimsical enjoyment as the original did in , but with the addition of a new coat of paint that makes this PC game one you should not miss.

Goichi Suda aka Suda51 is the Robert Rodriguez of the video game industry. The Japanese developer crafts projects noted for their style, edginess, and violence, but once you peep beneath the cool veneer, the work is exposed as a somewhat empty, if fun, experience.

Such is Suda51's Killer Is Dead: Nightmare Edition, a Steam game that stars a cybernetically enhanced assassin named Mondo Zappa who slays vampires, mystics, and other monstrosities for a government agency. Killer Is Dead is dripping with Suda51's trademark humor, character swag, and fast-paced action, but it lacks the killer level design and supporting elements that would elevate the game to the top of its genre.

TT Games's Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham squeezes in a lot of DC Comics fan service and silliness, while maintaining a whimsical and simplistic approach to its action and story.

Whether it's the subtle Superman theme that plays when the caped do-gooder is flying, or Nightwing reminiscing about his sidekick days while compulsively spewing "holy" exclamations, Lego Batman 3 is so filled with Easter eggs that it feels like a love letter to all of DC Comics.

The gameplay doesn't deviate much from the familiar Lego formula, but the experience is solid, nonetheless. Lego Marvel Super Heroes is a near-perfect blend of three wonderful childhood staples: comic books, video games, and, well, Lego. Doom, and Magneto get their hands on them.

The open-world game features fun brick-bashing action and light puzzle challenges. Blizzard seems to be one of the few companies committed to sticking with old-school expansions for its games and not just DLC packs. The add-on contains a good chunk of content that, with some much-needed tweaks to the base Diablo III, make the whole game feel fresh and fun.

Besides featuring high-definition versions of the classic 8-bit games, the collection contains new trial challenges, leaderboards, video replays, and developer art. It's one of the best retro compilations around. If you're a Mega Man fan, consider this a must-have collection. Konami's Metal Gear Solid series is known for its stealth-based gameplay, but its spin-off, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, is a straight hack-and-slash action game starring stooge-turned-badass, Raiden.

Developer Platinum Games bundles the game with numerous goodies not associated with the original console version, including graphical enhancements and three DLC packages that were separate console purchases—all at a reasonable price. In short, if you liked the console version of Revengeance, you'll dig this one, too, despite the occasional rough camera angle and frame rate drop. Run-and-gun video games have a long history of thrilling fans with high-octane, shoot-everything-that-moves action, but few do it better than SNK's Metal Slug 3.

Originally released to the Neo Geo platform in , the acclaimed Metal Slug 3 has appeared on nearly every console and handheld since then—and now it's available for PCs.

In this title, you control adorable, armed-to-the teeth soldiers who defend Earth from an alien invasion using guns, rocket launchers, and the eponymous Metal Slug tanks. Metal Slug 3 is a genre masterpiece due to its charming and hyper-violent cartoony graphics, tough-as-nails challenges, creative weapons, and varied level design.

Nioh 2 is a fantastic sequel that takes challenging combat, stat-allocating RPG elements, and gear-based character builds, and frames it within a Sengoku-era story that marries real historical figures and Japanese mythology. The original game's thrilling, technical action returns, but adds four new weapon types, yokai abilities that let you summon supernatural attacks, and an incredibly useful counterattack mechanic.

If you like hardcore action and tweaking character builds, Nioh 2 is a RPG to pick up without hesitation. Wonder Labyrinth features excellent 2D visuals, tight controls, and clever element-swapping mechanics that expands the combat and exploration.

The action-RPG is a bit short due to its linear progression, but the PC game is a satisfying Castlevania homage that tweaks the gameplay enough to feel fresh. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a violent story about the death of the Old West. You take control of Arthur Morgan, a man who belongs to an outlaw group and is disillusioned by the criminal lifestyle. Still, Arthur can't see himself doing anything other than stealing and killing. This results in you undertaking many daring missions.

Its incredible story, beautiful graphics, multitude of optional quests, and ever-updated online mode may keep you hooked for years. Fresh and wide-eyed from her exploits in Japan, the young and ambitious explorer Lara Croft is pitted against a cult of fanatical zealots in pursuit of immortality. Rise of the Tomb Raider features more of the spectacular set pieces, powerful combat, and tricky puzzles that made the Tomb Raider reboot so well received by critics and fans alike.

Thankfully, From Software injects enough new freshness into its formula to create an entirely unique experience. The game introduces fantastic movement elements, clever stealth systems, and parry-heavy swordplay as the ninja protagonist, Sekiro, battles gods and monsters.

The controls can be a bit sticky at times, and there are a few obnoxious hitbox issues, but these are relatively minor complaints. The original Shadow Complex is a 2. The title has since received the remaster treatment, which gives the beloved game updated graphics, hard-hitting new contextual melee attacks, and Master Challenges. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a haunting, cinematic look at Lara Croft as she transverses the steppes and underworlds of the modern home of ancient Mesoamerican culture.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider wraps up Lara's early days in satisfying fashion, but narrative and performance issues prevent the action-adventure game from reaching the same heights as the previous installments in the series. Far Cry 4 is a fun sandbox of shooting with an interesting land to explore and tons of missions to find and collectibles to grab.

It slavishly follows Far Cry 3's structure, but when the action is this entertaining, hard to complain. Far Cry 4 doesn't do much new, but it's an enjoyable and good-looking excuse to spend some hours stomping through jungles and sniping people from towers. If you have the "I want to squash all threats to the republic" itch that's risen in recent days, do yourself a favor and play SNK's Shock Troopers.

This run-and-gun action game tasks you with saving a biotech genius from The Bloody Scorpion terrorist organization by going into battle using a single soldier Lonely Wolf mode or a three-person squad Team Battle mode. Cool weapons, fun vehicle-based levels, branching pathways, and co-op play make for a very entertaining, G. Joe -like experience. Retro "8-bit" side-scrolling indie platformers have flooded the video game market, and it's easy to discount the entire genre as an easy-to-develop cash-in on nostalgia.

You play as a shovel-toting knight who must rescue his partner, Shield Knight, from dastardly foes. It's an incredibly satisfying and expertly crafted platformer that recalls games like DuckTales and Mega Man, but also has some of the most authentic NES-style graphics to appear in the HD era.

Sonic Mania is, for all intents and purposes, the true Sonic the Hedgehog 4, discounting the intensely mediocre, polygonal game that appeared last console generation. Sonic Mania adheres to the classic Sonic gameplay of running really fast through loops and straightaways as you collect life-preserving gold rings, dispatch enemies, and free captured fuzzballs from hulking enemy machinery. On that level, Sonic Mania is very much like the sprite-based Sonic titles that came before it.

That said, DRM issues and poorly designed bonus stages steal a bit of its shine. Tembo the Badass Elephant's story takes place in Shell City, a populous city that's plunged into a state of emergency by an evil force known as The Phantom.

The National Army is unable to contain The Phantom's destruction, so it enlists the aid of an old war buddy, the Rambo-like elephant known as Tembo, to push back the enemy troops. The game's frequently compared to the bit Sonic the Hedgehog games, as it's published by Sega and features a relentlessly speedy main character who obliterates foes. However, developer Game Freak of Pokemon fame also implemented elements from classic franchises such as Super Mario Bros. Warframe is an addictive online game that combines melee action, snappy shooting, and outstanding character mobility with mission-based progression, exciting multiplayer battles, and excellent sci-fi visuals.

The game isn't new; Warframe has been around for years. As a result, newcomers will find Warframe a content-rich experience, despite its grind-heavy, free-to-play nature. If there's a major Warframe gripe, it's the late-game content that incorporates MMO-style activities like fishing, animal trapping, and mining—a complete departure from the game's action-focused core.

Still, Warframe is packed with thrilling moments. Like the two installments before it, Watch Dogs: Legion focuses on hackers attempting to take down ctOS, a security system that invades people's lives. This design choice prevents you from bonding with the protagonist, but it serves the greater narrative of people uniting to stop an oppressive power. Unfortunately, the PC game suffers inconsistent frame rates.

The Battlestar Galactica property has enamored two generations of sci-fi enthusiasts, with both the original series and the reboot achieving cult classic status. Deadlock sets itself on ground left relatively untouched by either series, taking players into the throes of the first Cylon war.

The turn-based strategy game puts you in command of the entire colonial fleet and the disposition of its forces. Though some tactical elements occasionally feel unbalanced, Deadlock does justice to the franchise by delivering incredible space battles and intriguing lore. Bugsnax is an adventure game with a premise simple enough to fit inside its catchy theme song.

The titular creatures are kind of bugs, kind of snacks, and you find and catch them in your trap. Bugsnax are Snaktooth Island's native lifeforms. Think Jurassic Park or Kong: Skull Island , only the monsters are made out of fruits, burritos, and rotisserie chicken. Living desserts are extremely my jam.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is a sci-fi real-time strategy game in which you build structures and gather resources to build an army and defeat your opponent through cunning tactics and sheer firepower.

Nothing could quite live up to the hype surrounding the real-time strategy game's release, but, even so, this is a wonderful title. The story is well-paced, and the strategy and resource-management missions will lock you into finishing the game. For nearly three decades, atmospheric puzzle game Myst has stood as one of the best, most successful, and most influential PC games of all time. This latest update for Cyan's masterpiece enhances the beautiful visuals, adds virtual reality support, and randomizes puzzles to make each playthrough unique.

Get lost on the island all over again. Call of Duty: Warzone has entered the competitive battle royale fray, with a few tricks up its sleeve to shake up the formula. Based on Modern Warfare's reboot , Warzone introduces unique battle royale elements, such as loadout kits and respawn matches, that separate it from the competition and greatly impact how the game plays.

These additions are hit-or-miss, but the overall package is highly polished and has enough meat to attract traditional FPS fans. Like many other games in the open-world survival or first-person shooter genres, the primary goal of PUBG is to be the last player alive.

However, PUBG doesn't adhere to the genre norms. It takes some of the best aspects of open world games, combines it with the mechanics of a good first-person shooter, and accommodates a player base typical of MMOs. There's also a good balance of gameplay elements. For example, you get to choose where to parachute down on the map, everyone starts without a weapon, and there's a deadly and giant shimmering blue dome that reduces the playable area every so often.

It's tense and fun, but bugs dull the experience a bit. The free-to-play Spellbreak isn't your typical battle royale game, and many of its standout features are due to its fantasy setting. In Spellbreak, you play as a Battlemage wizard who totes elemental gauntlets instead of big guns.

As a result, your customizable character shoots powerful fireballs, long-range ice missiles, or waves of toxic goo to take out the competition. The game doesn't rely on pinpoint shooting accuracy, so it's accessible, too. Though the genre has transitioned nicely to 3D action with games like Devil May Cry and Yakuza, old-school brawlers carry an inimitable, timeless charm that isn't often seen in contemporary gaming.

Way back in , Scott Pilgrim vs. For reasons that are still unclear, Ubisoft pulled the game from the PlayStation and Xbox digital storefronts in Seven years later, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game returns from its digital graveyard none the worse for wear. Is it the same title we played in ? Playing Streets of Rage 4 is like returning to the old 'hood and discovering that your childhood home still stands.

Rarely does a media property receive a well-crafted follow up years after its initial success, but this beat 'em up by developers LizardCube, Guard Crush Games, and Dotemu is Streets of Rage through and through.

Featuring a diverse cast of new and returning martial artists looking to clean up a fictional city's mean streets from a criminal syndicate, Streets of Rage 4 offers the hard-hitting combat, dreary urban environments, and sheer fun that's defined the series since Yakuza 6: The Song of Life serves as a delightful, action-packed conclusion to Kazuma Kiryu's gangster-filled story. The beat-'em-up game features streamlined controls, fun boss bottles, and the oddball happenings you'd expect to find in the ridiculous, fictional Tokyo district of Kamurocho.

It's a bit on the easy side, though. Some may find it dismissive to label Brawlhalla as Super Smash Bros. Brawlhalla, a free-to play game that features a mix of original and licensed characters Hellboy, Lara Croft , lets you duke it out using fists, feet, and weapons.

Even better, crossplay between PC, consoles, and mobile devices means a match is always at hand. Iron Galaxy Studios' Divekick is the most hipster game ever created. It's the product of the indie scene, and it mercilessly parodies fighting games and their diehard community, yet demands that you be part of the underground circle to fully get all of the references and in-jokes. It's also a lot of fun if you open your mind to the insane concept of a one-on-one fighter based almost entirely on the idea of jumping and kicking.

Beside Fist of the Northstar and Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure , there are few anime properties that are as intrinsically suited to the fighting-game treatment as the Dragon Ball series.

Spanning multiple series, movies, and generations of characters, Akira Toriyama's manga-turned-anime-turned-game series is all about buff monkey men, humans, aliens, and androids trading blows in actual earth-shattering battles. Dragon Ball FighterZ ditches the Xenoverse games' arena-brawling model in favor of 3 vs.

The gameplay shift is just one of the many reasons Dragon Ball FighterZ is being held aloft as one of 's notable titles. Rather than being a standard circle that closes in on players, random sections of the city will start to glitch and remove off the map, forcing you to leave. Gameplay is very fast with players having to quickly move around the map, take out opponents, use a range of different abilities such as crafting up a large wall barrier, and of course aiding your teammates.

Similar to other games, if a teammate happens to lose its life, they will be able to maneuver around the map to respawn points for another living player to revive them. Another interesting aspect is that this game is focused around streaming where viewers can vote on different in-game events such as low gravity or offering infinite ammo for a duration of time.

Valorant is a new game as it just came out in for the PC platform. Overall, the game focuses on team objectives and fast-paced along with high-precision gunplay much to the likes of CSGO.