PC Gamer's Top 100 Games of All Time 2011

Huntn · Feb 17, 2011

See Complete List: PCGamer Link

1. Deus Ex- questionable Mac Version
2. World of Warcraft- yeah Mac Version
3. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion- yeah
4. Team Fortress 2- never played it.
5. Half Life 2- yeah Mac Steam Version
6. Rome:Total War- maybe
7. Diablo 2- yeah Mac Version
8. Portal- huh? Mac Steam Version
9. Starcraft 2- maybe Mac Version
10. Ultima VII: The Black Gate- huh?

I always liked Medieval Total War. Never really got into Diablo but I can see that. Portal is really the No.8 game of all time??

Other Notables:

14. Half Life- huge yes
15. Left 4 Dead- yes
20. Half Life 2:Episode 2- big yes
24. Unreal Tournament- huge yes Mac Version
25. Mass Effect- yes
30. System Shock 2- big yes
32. Homeworld- yes Mac Version
34. Bioshock
36. Fallout
40. Dragon Age: Origins- yes Mac Version
44. Planetside- big yes
51. Quake III Arena Mac Version
62. Left 4 Dead 2- yes
63. SimCity 2000 Mac Version
74. Burnout Paradise
75. Alpha Centauri Mac Version
77. Command and Conquer: Red Alert
78. Crysis
86. Starcaft Mac Version
88. Dungeon Siege Mac Version
89. Gothic 2
97. Max Payne Mac Version

dmr727 · Feb 17, 2011

I'm disappointed none of the Myst games made it on the list. Riven remains one of my all time favorites.

I think I'm just old, though. I see all the FPS games on that list and shrug.

milbournosphere · Feb 17, 2011

Switch out Starcraft 2 with Starcraft (sorry, the original IS better).

Original Halflife deserved to be at least in the top ten.

I agree with Portal being in the top ten. Valve has really embraced a new style of story-telling, and with Portal they created one of the truly timeless PC villains. I'm looking forward to Portal 2.

I do not agree with Mass Effects placement, but then, ME should be judged as a final series. Their dynamic story line is revolutionary, but the games really need to be judged as a trilogy. I don't know how a list like this would handle that.

I agree, the top spot is kind of iffy going to Duex Ex.

Greenhoe · Feb 17, 2011

How do you have "huh" next to portal? Portal is one of the greatest games ever made for it's originality, creativity, and great mini story. If you haven't played portal go try it. It is made by Valve the creators of Half Life and it won I think almost every possible gaming award the year it came out. Also Portal 2 comes out in April.

Starcraft 2 like the original is hands down the greatest RTS game every made in terms of online competition. There is a reason why this is a national sport over in korea.

Huntn · Feb 17, 2011

Greenhoe said:
How do you have "huh" next to portal? Portal is one of the greatest games ever made for it's originality, creativity, and great mini story. If you haven't played portal go try it. It is made by Valve the creators of Half Life and it won I think almost every possible gaming award the year it came out. Also Portal 2 comes out in April.

Starcraft 2 like the original is hands down the greatest RTS game every made in terms of online competition. There is a reason why this is a national sport over in korea.

I played Portal when if first came out and after about 30 min it struck me as puzzling, but not much more than that and as a general rule I'm drawn more to RPGs or FPS. However I have heard all this great buzz about the game over a long period of time. Is it more than puzzling?

Tomorrow · Feb 17, 2011

Huntn said:
1. Deus Ex- questionable Mac Version

I dunno...I find myself quite saddened that in the 11 years since it's been out, no other game has come close to Deus Ex, at least for me. Even its own sequel came up a bit short.

I also spent countless hours with Diablo 2, but Blizzard jacked with the game too much and took a lot of the fun away from it, IMO.

milbournosphere · Feb 17, 2011

dmr727 said:
I'm disappointed none of the Myst games made it on the list.

Wow, how could I forget Myst? I spent countless hours with my dad clicking through screen after screen of that game. I recall being SO impressed with the awesome graphics. I wasn't that into Riven or the ones to come after that, but Myst will always hold a place in my heart.

Huntn said:
Is it more than puzzling?

I suggest playing it again. The game really shifts gears about half way through, and as you play, you get insight into a very rich backstory that is integrated with the Halflife storyline. I think the way that valve tells this story using only GlaDOS and the environment around Chell is awesome. Yes, it's a puzzle game, but it also incorporates a passive-aggressive FPS and a backstory worthy of a RPG game.

Huntn · Feb 17, 2011

Tomorrow said:
I dunno...I find myself quite saddened that in the 11 years since it's been out, no other game has come close to Deus Ex, at least for me. Even its own sequel came up a bit short.

I also spent countless hours with Diablo 2, but Blizzard jacked with the game too much and took a lot of the fun away from it, IMO.

I'm not saying it's not a great game. I just question the No.1 spot. I'd give the original Half Life that honor.

milbournosphere said:
Wow, how could I forget Myst? I spent countless hours with my dad clicking through screen after screen of that game. I recall being SO impressed with the awesome graphics. I wasn't that into Riven or the ones to come after that, but Myst will always hold a place in my heart.

Myst should have been high on the list except I don't know how big it was in PC circles.

dmr727 · Feb 17, 2011

Huntn said:
Myst should have been high on the list except I don't know how big it was in PC circles.

That's an interesting point. I had forgotten that Myst was primarily a Mac franchise for a long time.

ActionableMango · Feb 17, 2011

dmr727 said:
That's an interesting point. I had forgotten that Myst was primarily a Mac franchise for a long time.

Myst was big in PC circles.

Burnout Paradise

This is the only one I don't get. I bought the game and enjoyed it, but one of the top 100 ever? It felt like an arcade game.

0098386 · Feb 17, 2011

That's not too far off my own. I'd put TF2 in my own all-time top 5... it's 4 years old now and I haven't stopped playing since its launch. No game has ever grabbed me that much.

I rather liked Burnout as well, a really fun, feature packed arcade game. It's like they took the existing genre and just bulked it out - brought it straight into modern gaming. Loved it! I'd play it more if I had a better computer.

milbournosphere · Feb 17, 2011

ActionableMango said:
Myst was big in PC circles.

I played it on Windows. It played well on 3.1 and ran like a dream on 95. Lots of my friends had it, and wikipedia says it was the best selling PC game ever until The Sims came around.

Erasmus · Feb 17, 2011

Why is Mass Effect rated higher than Mass Effect 2???

I liked Starcraft 2 much more than the original, which I found extremely repetitive.

Also, I think Freespace 1/2 should be there somewhere. I freaking love that game.
EDIT: Never mind. Freespace 2 is there. #28, seems fair.

gregorsamsa · Feb 18, 2011

At 26: Age of Empires 2, but no AoE 3 series. I'd certainly have the latter placed well in my personal top 100.

Cabbit · Feb 18, 2011

gregorsamsa said:
At 26: Age of Empires 2, but no AoE 3 series. I'd certainly have the latter placed well in my personal top 100.

Age of Empires 2 is the better game, AOE3 lost some of the charm the older games had and a lot of the challenge and fun the older games had.

Huntn · Feb 18, 2011

ActionableMango said:
(Burnout Paradise) This is the only one I don't get. I bought the game and enjoyed it, but one of the top 100 ever? It felt like an arcade game.

It is an arcade game!

What impressed me most about this game was the open world. I love that aspect of the game, but I agree with your assessment.

txa1265 · Feb 18, 2011

Wait ... you're questioning the awesome Ultima VII? Oh wait, you accepted Oblivion on the list - that explains EVERYTHING!

On simple comparison, having Oblivion in the top 25, and higher than Baldur's Gate 2 - when it has a demonstrably and inarguably (ok, how about universally accepted as) broken leveling system, a console control configuration that is only partially configurable on PC, no actual choice and consequence (remember, 'role playing'?!?) ... makes the list the usual populist joke.

Too many new games are on the list. HL2 has too much filler content and the 'silent protagonist' works poorly in that game ... oh, and the 'gimmick gun' - should have been the better original.

Deus Ex ... I have to agree with others, there is really nothing that has surpassed it in the last decade.

Thing about this list is that specifics are useless in terms of numbering.

Huntn · Feb 18, 2011

txa1265 said:
Wait ... you're questioning the awesome Ultima VII? Oh wait, you accepted Oblivion on the list - that explains EVERYTHING!

On simple comparison, having Oblivion in the top 25, and higher than Baldur's Gate 2 - when it has a demonstrably and inarguably (ok, how about universally accepted as) broken leveling system, a console control configuration that is only partially configurable on PC, no actual choice and consequence (remember, 'role playing'?!?) ... makes the list the usual populist joke.

You've got good points, but the leveling system was tolerable, not the best, choice and consequences would have been better, but never the less, case closed!

If I had to choose between Dragon Age Origins (which has good choices) and Oblivion, Oblivion would be my choice mostly because of the open world architecture. It's that important to me. Maybe Bethesda will have learned a little since it's last release.

MSM Hobbes · Mar 9, 2011

Yeaaaaa...

75. Alpha Centauri Mac Version

Honestly, while the game can be quite tiring, taking a lonnnnng time to play, I love the balance that a person must use, between the various aspects of controlling their growing empire / population, the history lessons via the new discoveries, and the ability to build and conquer and grow... via different and interesting factions. My geek book, this would be ranked quite a bit higher, but still, quite pleased to see it even on the list. LOL - over the past years, had passed on the virus of playing this game to my oldest boy, and to my mom...

Mercury · Mar 10, 2011

MSM Hobbes said:
Yeaaaaa...

Honestly, while the game can be quite tiring, taking a lonnnnng time to play, I love the balance that a person must use, between the various aspects of controlling their growing empire / population, the history lessons via the new discoveries, and the ability to build and conquer and grow... via different and interesting factions. My geek book, this would be ranked quite a bit higher, but still, quite pleased to see it even on the list. LOL - over the past years, had passed on the virus of playing this game to my oldest boy, and to my mom...

Considering PC Gamer gave it its highest score ever, then made it one of their top 10 overrated games a couple years back, I'd say this ranking only continues their uncertainty. It should certainly be much higher than 75 and, at the very least, the best 4X game.

Edit: Really PC gamer? Generic sequels like SupCom 2 are that much better than genre-reinventing SMAC?

azmule · Mar 10, 2011

dmr727 said:
I'm disappointed none of the Myst games made it on the list. Riven remains one of my all time favorites.

I think I'm just old, though. I see all the FPS games on that list and shrug.

Ya, Me too, I cant believe this MBP can.t run a myst.

Liquorpuki · Mar 10, 2011

Tomorrow said:
I dunno...I find myself quite saddened that in the 11 years since it's been out, no other game has come close to Deus Ex, at least for me. Even its own sequel came up a bit short.

Deus Ex would be #1 on my list too. Never been so immersed in a game before.

That list is wierd to me. I'm surprised Team Fortress 2 and Portal are higher than Counterstrike. Counterstrike was like the Street Fighter 2 of my college days. Everyone was playing that game for years, that game pretty much invented the Cybercafe.

Myst should've been on that list. Same with Duke Nukem 3D because there's a reason everyone's been waiting a decade for DN Forever. And if they're gonna put WOW at #2, they should've put Ultima Online and Everquest on there also since they pretty much created the genre.

AAPLaday · Mar 10, 2011

Morrowind should be higher, much higher. Even higher than Oblivion

edddeduck · Mar 11, 2011

Huntn said:
See Complete List:
6. Rome:Total War- maybe
34. Bioshock

*Cough* Both of those have downloadable (or boxed) Mac Versions, not that I worked on them or anything

Edwin

Shivetya · Mar 11, 2011

Yeah, whatever. A lot of their entries are bad, I mean the games just ended up on the shelf never to be replayed.

Missing

MechWarrior 2 (flat out classic)

Master of Orion (or MoM) (started the genre of 4x space games) - GalCiv2 sucked

Starflight (incredibly advanced game for 2 360k disks)

PC Gamer's Top 100 Games of All Time 2011

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