Must haves?

[badb0y]

You did mention computer-only in your original post OP, which would technically reduce the number of games we would be able to suggest as "must haves". Did you really mean PC exclusives? Because many such classics can be found on consoles (whether they were ported to or from the PC is irrelevant here). I could suggest Half-Life (the original) but it was released on the PS2 (with the Decay campaign), or I could mention Command & Conquer but it was released on the PS1. I could also praise Portal 2 but it's on the XBOX 360 too.

But just in case you did mean PC exclusives I'll go with a few, in no particular order (and I know I'll miss a good bunch)...

- Sins of a Solar Empire (I think Trinity is on Steam too)
- MechCommander (played it a lot back in early 2000 to around 2001)
- Grim Fandango
- Galactic Civilizations II (original one is good too, but sequel is better)
- Baldur's Gate 1 & 2
- Dungeon Keeper 1 & 2
- Thief 1 & 2
- System Shock 2 (never played the original myself, can't say if good or not)
- Supreme Commander + Expansion (Forged Alliance, great game in my opinion)
- Battlefield 1942 / Battlefield 2
- Star Wars: TIE Fighter (did not age well in my opinion, but still consider it a must)
- The Longest Journey
- FreeSpace 2 (the original FreeSpace is good, but shadowed by the sequel)
- STALKER (pretty much the whole trilogy, but the original and Call of Pripyat are great)
- Fallout 1 & 2 (especially the sequel, still have it installed right now)
- Homeworld 1 & 2 (have great memories of the original specifically, sequel also good)
- Age of Empires II + Expansion (Age of Kings, classic stuff right there)
- Rise of Nations (absolute must-have RTS that still surpass many within the genre to this day, that is ten years later by now)
- Planescape: Torment (amongst the best RPGs)
- Company of Heroes
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (referring to the original specifically)
- Diablo 1 & 2
- Rome: Total War (in my opinion still the best overall of the whole Total War franchise, although Medieval II isn't bad at all, I don't consider that one "must have")
- Total Annihilation
- WarCraft III (gimme a slap if you want but yes I think WC3 is a "must have", I really liked the campaign mostly, along with its expansion's)

...and yeah I know I'm forgetting a good number right now.

Also many found on GoG.com would be considered must-haves, most of which are PC exclusives with only a few exceptions here and there (such as Witcher 2 which is also on the XBOX 360).

This is a good list.

But yea most of the games I consider "must haves" are already mentioned.

 

[shortylickens]

I'm not really enjoying deus ex. The game feels really tedious to play.

Thats because you've been raised by the badass overkill console generation. When you grow up with the quick action its hard to jump into something more cerebral.

 

[you2]

Wizadry 8 (no reason to remention those games that have already been mentioned; though Zenoth list is good I would leave off diablo 1/2 and throw in titan quest and aow-sm; as well as wizadry 8).

 

[videogames101]

diablo 2

 

[DominionSeraph]

I'm not really enjoying deus ex. The game feels really tedious to play.

Press "~" to get to the console. Then enter "give all" and "god."
There ya' go.

 

[us3rnotfound]

I'm not really enjoying deus ex. The game feels really tedious to play.

Ditto here. It's what many gamers consider a classic favorite.

I found that I need to quicksave each time I kill an NSF terrorist to avoid taking all day to get past a part in the game.

And it the aiming feels very buggy.

 

[shortylickens]

Ditto here. It's what many gamers consider a classic favorite.

I found that I need to quicksave each time I kill an NSF terrorist to avoid taking all day to get past a part in the game.

And it the aiming feels very buggy.

Its realistic. As your skill improves so does your aim.

Too many shooters nowadays assume the character is a master marksman, which they wouldn't necessarily be.

 

[Sleepingforest]

Deus Ex is a higher level of FPS. The average CODBLOPS player is going to wonder why they have so much problem aiming and so on and why they can't a swarm of enemies head on, ducking behind cover every five seconds to regenerate health.

You can't do that because Deus Ex chooses to make you pretty close to a normal human in the beginning. Sure, if you want to, you can choose abilities that make you a tank. But Deus Ex can also be about stealth and tactical maneuvering. It's everything the original Crysis wishes it could be.

 

[guidedbyechoes]

Thats because you've been raised by the badass overkill console generation. When you grow up with the quick action its hard to jump into something more cerebral.

Actually I never really played first person shooters until this generation. I'm much more of a fan of games like Metal gear solid and splinter cell. My issue is the platforming in a first person shooter type game is disorienting. I would love if the game was third person or had a 3rd person mode like the newest deus ex.

I don't know if computer gamers love this game because its fun or if it's challenging or if it's nostalgia. The badass games are pretty predictable now, if you get in a helicopter it's going to crash at least in some point in the game. My favorite game this generation has been heavy rain.

 

[Kalmah]

Warcraft 2
Diablo 2
Baldur's Gate 1 and 2
Dungeon keeper 1 and 2
Black and White
Stronghold and Stronghold Crusaders
Company of Heroes
Battlefield 2
Rollercoaster Park Tycoon 3
Evil Genius
Tachyon the Fringe
Starcraft
Arcanum
Morrowind
Neverwinter Nights
Team Fortress
Sim City 4

If I was to go into mmos I think the only one I'd want to mention is Eve Online.

 

[Shadowknight]

No love for Infocom?
Zork I-III
Enchanter I-III
The Lurking Horror

Mechwarrior II
Duke Nukem 3D

 

[chalmers]

These threads just end up in people literally naming every PC game ever made. Bunch of 'you forgot about this' and 'i can't believe nobody has mentioned this' posts.

OP might as well just Google games for the PC.

 

[HeXen]

These threads just end up in people literally naming every PC game ever made. Bunch of 'you forgot about this' and 'i can't believe nobody has mentioned this' posts.

OP might as well just Google games for the PC.

I think people are mentioning the old ones simply because those are the better PC only titles, there are not very many new exclusives released in recent years and imo, they all kinda suck. I didn't even like Witcher 2, mostly the story and wimpy voice of what's supposed to be a stereotypical badass.

The best modern games imo are the multiplatform titles.

 

[Craig234]

These threads just end up in people literally naming every PC game ever made. Bunch of 'you forgot about this' and 'i can't believe nobody has mentioned this' posts.

OP might as well just Google games for the PC.

I disagree.

 

[shortylickens]

These threads just end up in people literally naming every PC game ever made. Bunch of 'you forgot about this' and 'i can't believe nobody has mentioned this' posts.

OP might as well just Google games for the PC.

Umm, no, thats not true. At all.

 

[chalmers]

Umm, no, thats not true. At all.

At all?!?!?!

 

[lakedude]

Portal 1 and 2 for sure

BioShock

Crysis with high res texture mods looks really good.

I'm a big Far Cry fan. I really liked 1 and 2 but a lot of others seem to hate 2 while they like 1 and 3.

Duke Nukem 3d with high res texture pack, just for grins.

 

[skipsneeky2]

Too bad you missed the Holiday photo we took while overlooking the peasants

Awesome picture,found my new desktop wallpaper!:biggrin:

 

[pcslookout]

Simcity 5.

 

[Kanobei]

Skyrim maybe?

 

[WhipperSnapper]