Here’s a little list to help you pick up a number of great games for your PC this holiday season.
The PC platform has historically always been home to some of the best action games you can play today. Given the incredible number of games available to players today through affordable platforms such as Steam and Xbox Game Pass, PC offers great value for gamers.
From gripping narratives to outlandish, fast-paced combat, the platform is home to some truly groundbreaking innovations in the industry. With PlayStation now porting some of their biggest titles to PC, right now is a pretty sweet time to own a powerful gaming PC. Here is a list of 10 of the best action games you can pick up today for your gaming rig.
Also Read: Top 10 Games of 2022: Horizon Forbidden West, Sifu, Stray, and More
FromSoftware’s tried-and-tested soulslike formula gets taken to a rather adventurous spin as Sekiro takes players on a journey in the Samurai era. The soulslike formula is still in place but only with a much tighter and faster combat system that demands exceptional skill, timing, and reflexes from the player.
The game is massively challenging and brutal, but always gives players enough wiggle room to test and experiment with different tactics. Sekiro allows players to thin out areas by using stealth and picking off enemies from a distance. Tools such as the grapple hook add a layer of verticality and pace that was rarely seen before in a FromSoftware game.
Hack n’ Slash/Narrative
90
Steam
There is not a lot that can be said about God of War that hasn’t already been said. There is a lot of case of hyperbole when it comes to games but all of them stand justified when speaking of Santa Monica Studio’s 2018 modern classic. The game redefines how audiences have viewed Kratos thus far and add layers to a once-one-note character.
To top it all off, the game plays exceptionally well. The combat and minute-to-minute gameplay perfectly complement the pacing and provides a seamless experience rarely seen in AAA games. God of War is a fantastic blend of large-scale ideas presented in the most intimate and visceral form.
Hack n’ Slash/Melee
94
Steam, Epic Games Store
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is quite possibly the best Star Wars game under the EA banner and that is saying something. Respawn Entertainment’s take on the Star Wars universe is thoroughly riveting as they combine elements from games like Dark Souls and Uncharted to create a powerful, narrative experience on the back of solid gameplay and difficulty.
The game puts players in the shoes of a young Jedi on the run, Cal Kestis, right after Order 66. As someone who hasn’t been a Jedi for a while, you must learn to become one with the force again and find a way to survive the onslaught of the
Melee/Adventure
87
Steam, Epic Games Store
Insomniac Games had a massive challenge cut out for them as they took on the Spider-Man IP. The immense challenge of replicating the kinetic pace and freedom of the swinging was something the studio did not take lightly. Fans were extremely happy to report that the swinging mechanic was perhaps the best as it has been since the days of Spider-Man 2: The Game as Insomniac delivers possibly the best Spider-Man game in existence.
From the combat to the story, every inch of Marvel’s Spider-Man bleeds polish. The game, despite its scale and scope, manages to feel extremely intimate and streamlined. There is a lot of web-slinging action to be found here, along with tear-jerking drama.
Open-World/Adventure
87
Steam, Epic Games Store
Remedy Entertainment’s return to the big stage was always going to be a massive affair, but perhaps no one could have predicted the masterpiece Control turned out to be. The game is a mind-bending physics-based shooter that truly bears all the hallmarks of a great Remedy game – mysterious, frantic, and wall-to-wall craziness.
Control is a beautifully obtuse game that does extremely little hand-holding and simply lets the player figure things out for themselves by flinging stuff around and shooting things in the head. The game is massively challenging, but that is just part of the fun. The game is a true masterpiece and should be played by fans of action games all over.
Shooter-Adventure
82
Steam, Epic Games Store
Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection brings 2 excellent Naughty Dog games to PC – A Thief’s End and Lost Legacy. The former book-ends the adventures of Nathan Drake in a spectacular, action-packed conclusion rife with mystery, adventure, and lots of tears. The latter is a delightfully chaotic spin-off that follows Uncharted alumni Chloe Frazier and newcomer Nadine Ross.
Both games are exceptional technical powerhouses that truly solidify the medium of games as a powerful vehicle for storytelling. Packed to the brim with mind-blowing set pieces and shootouts, Uncharted: The Legacy of Thieves Collection is possibly one of the best packages currently available in gaming.
Narrative/3rd-Person Shooter
87
Steam, Epic Games Store
Imagine the most brutal, fast-paced shooter set to the most badass metal music, now multiply that intensity times 10 and you have Doom Eternal. id Software’s magnum opus is everything we enjoy about first-person shooters ramped up to a thousand along with levels of polish that will leave you breathless.
Challenging, engaging, and deeply satisfying in the best of ways, Doom Eternal is a must-have for fans of first-person shooters. Composer Mick Gordon brings out the big guns in the sequel and delivers a sonic experience that is still unparalleled. Doom Eternal might just be the best first-person shooter in existence and it will extremely hard to buck it off its throne.
First-Person Shooter
88
Steam
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest offering from Eidos Montreal and this time they prove exactly why they are one of the best AAA studios currently in the business. The game accomplishes an extremely rare feat as it combines both comedy and action to deliver an experience that is extremely rare in the AAA space.
The comedy, although very center stage, rarely takes away from the game’s core dramatic heart, which is what makes the game all the more effective. GOTG is a blast to play from start to end and rarely ever takes its foot off the pedal. If it’s a solid action, narrative experience you’re looking for, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy should be right on top of your wishlists.
3rd Person Shooter/Comedy
80
Steam, Epic Games Store
Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 is probably one of the greatest stories ever told in gaming and its a truly a game all gamers must play through at least once. The game starts off fairly methodically and eases the player into the gigantic open-world Rockstar has painstakingly crafted. Once you’re in it, though, it will be extremely hard to escape.
Red Dead Redemption 2 quite possibly has the most well-rounded, well-written, compelling cast of characters in any game. The game tells the story of a band of outlaws trying to survive at the tail-end of the Wild West. The emotionally potent arc of the protagonist, Arthur Morgan, will have players thoroughly engaged and in tears by the end. It also doesn’t hurt that the game is exceptionally fun to play as it packs a surprise in every corner of its vast open-world.
3rd Person Shooter/Open-World
93
Steam, Epic Games Store
Devil May Cry returns to the big stage in all its signature glitzy, ridiculous glory in a package that will surprise fans with just how emotionally potent it is. Make no mistake, Devil May Cry has not lost a single step when it comes to deliver masterfully overblown set pieces and ridiculous boss fights.
Devil May Cry 5 is possibly the best version of the franchise’s signature, frantic and stylish combat system. Players will be asked to come up and execute the flashiest of moves on the fly and looking extremely cool doing it. The game’s fantastic core combat will leave fans wanting for more at the end, as all great games do.
Hack n’ Slash
89
Steam
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