2015 was a great year to be a PC gamer. Not only did the platform continue its growth in both technology and power, it also brought the release of some great games. Not all of them were PC exclusives, but every game on this list was a highlight for those of us who play on the PC. If you’re one of us, make sure you gave these eight games a try this year.
Think we missed one? Tell us what it is in the comments!
Tales from the Borderlands
Surprisingly, TellTale’s take on the Borderlands universe has been somewhat divisive. For my part, I’ve found the tale of the two new characters to be a strong one. The story has been great, the action sequences have been solid, and most importantly, it’s managed to feel like Borderlands. While it might not offer up the completely over-the-top humor and wackiness of the original games, what it does do is tell a great story and still get laughs, even without much Claptrap at all.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Rockstar’s latest magnum opus took what seemed like forever to make its way to the PC, but when it finally arrived, it was worth the wait. It’s unquestionably the best way to experience the game, and even if you’ve played through the whole game on console, you owe it to yourself to grab it on PC as well. Fully playable in first person, GTA 5 even added a Director Mode to let you film all the hijinks you get up to, whether in its sprawling, 40-hour campaign or the included co-op heists mode. Los Santos has never been better than it is in GTA 5 on PC.
Fallout 4
Bethesda managed to have one of the most anticipated games of the year yet again, and for the most part, Fallout 4 delivers. Exploring Boston and the surrounding wasteland is an engrossing experience, and it’s filled with things to do, just as you’d expect. Despite failing to deliver an unlocked framerate, the game still looks great. The addition of settlements and crafting expands on the expected offerings even more. Despite the presence of the nearly-expected glitches and bugs, Fallout 4 is still pulling gamers into the latest version of the wasteland.
Undertale
Considered by many to be one of the best RPGs in years, Undertale is one of those games that’s hard to describe in just a few words. Its enemies aren’t easily-identifiable monsters. Instead, you’re taking on other people who aren’t necessarily bad. You can reason with them, but violence is easier. The catch is that the game judges you on who you’ve killed and who you’ve hurt. It’s also got a story that’s much deeper than it first appears. Great characters and a ton of character agency make Undertale a must play.
Kerbal Space Program
You may never have looked at the Space Shuttle and thought about how you could easily get on of those into orbit, but you’ll still enjoy Kerbal Space Program. It’s one of those “easy to learn, difficult to master” games that gets its hooks into you and doesn’t let go. You’ll think you’ve built the perfect rockets only to see it crash and burn. You’ll quickly learn that despite the cutesy aspect of the Kerbals, you better bring your A+ from physics to this amazing game.
Cities: Skylines
Gamers were super stoked that they were getting a new SimCity, but that excitement quickly fell flat once details emerged about the choices EA was making with the game. A few days over a year later, those same gamers were surprised to try out Cities: Skylines, a new city builder that was everything they’d hoped SimCity would be. Not only did it give them the great sim gameplay they were looking for, it opened up the game to mods as well. An expansion added nighttime gameplay later in 2015, which only served to make Cities: Skylines even more fun.
Pillars of Eternity
If there’s one game that illustrates just how right crowdfunding can go, it’s Pillars of Eternity. It brought back the Infinity-Engine style RPG, and did it in a way that was both faithful to the classics while embracing some modern ideas. Tactical combat feels great, and everything from character creation to dialog brings back memories of the games that we loved in old days. It even has the massive campaign that you’d expect, clocking in at over 80 hours.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt RED has grown from a small Polish studio making games about something called a “witcher” into a powerhouse that was behind one of the best PC games of the year. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt picks the parts of the previous two games that worked well, and then builds around them to make an open-world RPG that offers up huge swaths of land for exploration, and fills it with quests and adventures. It’s full of things to do, from hunting mythical creatures to playing cards, and all of it a ton of fun. Geralt’s never been better.
