Recently a colleague/friend was generous enough to donate his superb custom desktop PC gaming machine to me after many discussion on how my quirky MacBook Pro couldn’t handle intensive graphical games such as Assassin’s Creed. What do you expect for a 4-year-old MacBook? Is what I would say.
When I finally setup the super machine, I felt like a kid in a candy store on Steam and GOG. I felt like buying everything and anything not concerning myself with reviews/metacritic scores.
After further discussions with colleague/friend, he explained to me that your time is short when comes to play video games. Ain’t that the truth when you’ve got to concern yourself things like work. So he compiled a list of video games that I should play before I die (not necessarily in order).
The two lists are divided mostly by graphical fidelity. older 8/16 bit graphic games are relegated by default to the second list. It’s not a question of whether they are good games, but just that to “get into” them is a bit harder since the graphics are no longer immerse by today’s standards.
Anyway, here’s a non-exhaustive list for starters..
Relatively recent PC games worth playing
Portal 1 AND 2 [first person puzzle game]
Mount & Blade Warband [first person melee combat]
Freespace 2 (gog.com) might need a flight stick and to go here: http://scp.indiegames.us/ [space sim / shooter]
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [First person shooter / role-playing game]
Civilization IV (and/or III) [turn-based strategy]
Pick one: Mass Effect / Dragon Age: Origins / Deus Ex: Human Revolution [First person shooter / role-playing game]
Fallout 3 AND Fallout 3: New Vegas [First person shooter / role-playing game]
Minecraft [first person builder]
Defense Grid: The Awakening [tower defense]
Max Payne [First person shooter]
Homeworld [real time strategy]
Heroes of Might and Magic III, IV or V [turn-based strategy]
Battle for Wesnoth www.wesnoth.org [turn-based strategy]
Terraria [2D builder]
Sims 3 [uh… life simulator?]
That’s a good start
These are older or graphically impaired games… aka “hardcore mode.” Almost all of these are turn-based in some way and almost all are purchases from gog.com rather than steam
X-Com: UFO Defense
Fallout (gog.com)
Baldur’s Gate/Baldur’s Gate 2/Planescape Torment (gog.com)
Deus Ex (gog.com)
Microprose Magic the Gathering (from 1996) http://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2349
Master of Magic (gog.com)
Dwarf Fortress (Lazy newb pack http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=59026.0) Tutorial: http://afteractionreporter.com/dwarf-fortress-tutorials/ and watch some YouTube videos about how to play: http://www.youtube.com/user/captnduck
Master of Orion /Master of Orion 2 (gog.com)
Thief: The Dark Project
Now I have tried about 80% of the games on this list and have become heavily immersed into 3/4 of the games. And I’ve got to say I’ve been living underneath the console rock for too long. What was even more surprising most of the games on this list reach Video Game Geeks top 100.
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