The 20 essential PC and Mac games of 2012
1. BLACK MESA
Developer Black Mesa Modification Team Website blackmesasource.comA superb fan remake of the original Half-Life. Sticks close to the original, but adds smarter enemies, bigger levels and physics puzzles. While most publishers would have crushed the project with a giant stack of legal papers, Valve's only request was that 'Source' be removed from the title. Half-Life may be 14 years old, but Freeman's journey through the collapsing Black Mesa Research Facility is still wonderful. Well, except for the platforming.
2. DAYZ
Developer Dean 'Rocket' Hall Website dayzmod.comThis mod for military FPS Arma 2 is one of the most brutal, unique multiplayer experiences ever. Dropped in a zombie-filled Eastern European landscape, you have one goal: survive. As well as worrying about hunger, thirst, broken limbs, and the infected, you also have to consider other players. DayZ brings out the very best, and worst, of humanity, and memorable stories are created not by set-pieces and scripted events, but by the interaction between players.
Out now
3. GUILD WARS 2
Developer ArenaNet Website guildwars.comThere are two things people hate about MMOs: the monthly fee and the grinding. Guild Wars 2 gets rid of both. Quests are dynamic; a loose sprinkling of objectives in a large area that you can complete in any order at your leisure. Other players help towards your goal too, making it a social experience even if you're playing on your own. It's a bold, refreshing, modern MMO that streamlines a lot of - but not all - the drudgery that has come to define the genre.
Out now
4. TORCHLIGHT II
Developer Runic Games Website torchlight2game.comThis packed sequel adds new classes and skills, gives you a bigger world to plunder, has pets that can ferry items between shops for you, and adds six-player co-op. It's a significant upgrade, and one of the most compelling, addictive action RPGs on PC, with chunky, colourful visuals. Some of the development team worked on the original Diablo games, and many see Torchlight as a truer successor to Blizzard's legendary dungeon crawler than Diablo 3.
Out now
5. FTL: FASTER THAN LIGHT
Developer Subset Games Website ftlgame.comThis superb sci-fi roguelike sees you commanding a starship that's being chased through space by enemy ships. When attacked, you have to manage your ship's crew, weapons and systems; balancing power consumption, repelling enemies, and fighting fires. Do you starve a room of oxygen to put out a fire on a critical system, sacrificing a crew member in the process? FTL is an incredibly clever, unique game, and it's only £7 on Steam.
6. WARGAME: EUROPEAN ESCALATION
Developer Eugen Systems Website wargame-ee.comWith its enormous maps and over 300 units to control (yes, really), Wargame is initially daunting. But once you get to grips with it, it's one of the year's most rewarding strategy games. Developed by the team behind RUSE, it's set in a world where the Cold War never cooled down. The size of the battles is breathtaking, whether you're viewing the war from above or at ground level. Get over that steep learning curve and you're in for a tactical treat.
7. LEGEND OF GRIMROCK
Developer Almost Human Ltd. Website grimrock.netThis ode to classic '90s RPGs is defiant in its old school stylings. It sees you inching through dark dungeons, square by square, battling monsters and solving puzzles. The story is simplistic, but cryptic riddles, skill trees, and maze-like level design keep your brain working. It's great that digital distribution allows niche games like this to find an audience. If you think RPGs have gotten too soft lately, try delving into Grimrock's unforgiving depths.
Out now
8. ORCS MUST DIE! 2
Developer Robot Entertainment Website robotentertainment.comThis third-person tower defence game sees you setting up traps and using magical weapons to repel waves of angry orcs. You can plant arrow launchers and floor spikes around the level to slow them down, and the sequel introduces the ability to freeze the marauding monsters. It isn't vastly different from the original Orcs Must Die!, but if you've yet to experience the series' frantic, tactical gameplay, this is the best place to start.
Out now
9. TRIBES: ASCEND
Developer Hi-Rez Studios Website hirezstudios.comYou can download and play Tribes: Ascend for free. It's a fast-paced multiplayer FPS, but with the added verticality of jetpacks. You can fly into the air for short periods of time, or 'ski' on sloped surfaces to increase your speed. It'll be a few rounds before you actually hit anyone with strange weapons, but when you get into the rhythm of the frenzied combat, it becomes one of the most exciting competitive shooters on PC. Not bad for costing nothing.
10. DIABLO 3
Developer Blizzard Website battle.netAfter a 12 year absence, Diablo finally returns to PC. The dungeon crawling is as addictive as ever, and the fountains of loot that erupt from fallen enemies keeps you clicking away deep into the night. The real money auction house is a terrible idea, and the fact that the DRM disrupts solo play is frankly shocking, but we still had a blast with Diablo 3, especially in four-player co-op. It's just not quite as deep and replayable as the untouchable Diablo 2.
Out now
11. THE SECRET WORLD
Developer Funcom Website thesecretworld.comThis MMO eschews the usual fantasy setting for a world of machine-gun toting secret agents set in the present day. Or at least a twisted version of it. Think The X-Files meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In this world, all the ghost stories and conspiracy theories we consider far-fetched are actually real. Maps are smaller than most MMOs, but much more detailed and stuffed with lore. That £11.49 monthly fee seriously needs to drop, though.
Out now
12. THEY BLEED PIXELS
Developer Spooky Squid Games Inc. Website theybleedpixels.comSide-scrolling indie platformers are rarely this deliciously violent. They Bleed Pixels fuses challenging platforming with beat-'em-up inspired combat, and it's been compared to Super Meat Boy for its grueling difficulty. But it's hard in an entertaining way (mostly), and you'll find immense satisfaction in sticking at, an eventually beating, some of its more monstrous levels. You can always count on indie games to turn you into a sweary, pad-hurling mess.
Out now
13. WORLD OF WARCRAFT: MISTS OF PANDARIA
Developer Blizzard Website battle.netOkay, so it's not strictly a game, but this expansion to Blizzard's world-conquering MMO adds a massive amount of new content, mostly skewed towards veteran players. You can roll the new race, the pandaren, from the outset and battle through a new starting area, but only level 85 characters get to explore the vast Asian-flavoured continent of Pandaria. This, combined with new raids, dungeons, and the Pokémon-inspired pet battles will eat up many hours.
14. THOMAS WAS ALONE
Developer Mike Bithell Website thomaswasalone.comThis puzzle/platformer features a cast made up of coloured blocks, which makes it even more remarkable that its story is so compelling. Danny Wallace provides an amusing narration, and even though many of the puzzles aren't that taxing, the narrative keeps you hooked. Each block-person has their own strength (crossing water, for example, or a double jump), but also come with their own character flaws. A fascinating game.
Out now
15. LONE SURVIVOR
Developer Superflat Games Website lonesurvivor.co.ukMade up of blurry, but artful, pixels, Lone Survivor's world is exceedingly weird. Set in the aftermath of a zombie-like apocalypse, you have to make your way across the world searching for survivors and fighting against your own tortured psyche. You have to scavenge for supplies, solve puzzles, and make choices that alter your ending. It won't appeal to everyone, but that's the beauty of it. If you're open-minded, you should definitely give it a try.
Out now
16. HOME
Developer Benjamin Rivers Website homehorror.comYes, it's another pixelated horror game. Play Home in the dark with headphones and it's as nerve-wracking as Silent Hill, even with those lo-fi visuals. This is a slow, story-led game where your amnesiac character pieces his past together with clues found scattered around the environment. The cryptic story leaves you to fill in the blanks, and it's an absorbing mystery. Not much happens, though; it's all about the atmosphere and tension, which it has in spades.
Out now
17. THIRTY FLIGHTS OF LOVING
Developer Blendo Games Website blendogames.comThis game, if you can really call it that, clocks in at a not-so-impressive 15 minutes. But get past that, and you'll find one of the most surreal, intriguing... things ever. It's a spy drama that tells a fractured, breakneck story. You jump from moment to moment, struggling to take it all in, but find yourself still totally immersed at the same time. For the cost you might balk at the length, but Thirty Flights is, amazingly, one of the finest examples of video game storytelling.
Out now
18. WAR OF THE ROSES
Developer Fatshark Website waroftherosesthegame.comForget strafing in circles with a high-tech SMG; War of the Roses is a REAL deathmatch. Set in ye olde medieval times, it sees 32 knights battling it out with brutal period weaponry. Swords, axes, halberds... if you can separate limbs with it, you can wield it. The single-player was axed at the last minute, but once you're in the thick of a massive online battle, you won't care. If you've always wanted to literally get medieval on someone's ass, this is the game for you.
Out now
19. NATURAL SELECTION 2
Developer Unknown Worlds Website naturalselection2.comThis shooter has been in beta for a while now, but you'll finally get to play the finished game at the end of the month. It started life as a Half-Life mod, but has now broken free to become a standalone game. Its asymmetrical multiplayer gameplay sees a team of soldiers facing off against an opposing team of aliens. Humans can gather resources to get better equipment, and aliens can evolve into even more terrifying beasts.
October 31
20. DEAR ESTHER
Developer thechineseroom Website dear-esther.comAnother title with the awkward definition of 'game'. Dear Esther sees you wandering around a gorgeous, eerie landscape which tells a story as you wander through it. A voice occasionally reads out letters from the titular Esther, but otherwise it's a stark, lonely experience. It's more interactive fiction than traditional game, and the sumptuous visuals stretch Valve's ancient Source engine further than we imagined possible. Weird, yes, but absolutely wonderful.
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