We're all aware of the situation. From a technology perspective, PC kicks consoles around the room with relative ease.
But anyone who appreciates a bit of narrative, creativity or even comfort will tell you that great gaming isn't always about raw power and magic graphics.
We want an experience that hits the spot in every way and, while a PC will turn out the technical champion every time, if you ask us, some games just don't quite fit the desktop set up.
The following are games that top traditionally PC genres. These days, however, more and more gamers are opting for the comfortable, quick set-up, bitesized offering consoles offer.
We prefer to play these games slouched on the sofa, on a machine that has simple matchmaking mechanics and a pop-in-and-play at the heart.
Tell us what you think of our picks, and which games send make you lean towards your console.
PORTAL 2
But Portal, as an experience just feels better on console. The nature of the platform puzzler means that PC play just isn't for us.
We've spent a good 15 minutes at times just starting into one of Aperture Science's test rooms trying to figure out where to put our next portal (Youtube is cheating). If we were to play Portal at our desk we'd develop serious spinal issues.
For Portal 2 we wanted a sofa, a beanbag, a waterbed, something that we can have a good comfortable think in.
Plus, if you look towards the PS3 for your Portal 2 experience you get all the benefits of Steam anyway, plus you can still connect with PC players. Remind them to stop every half hour to stretch out their spines, won't you?
FALLOUT 3
Plus the game is incredibly vast. Think of all the time you spend just walking from one destination to the next, exploring derelict supermarkets that may or may not contain something of more worth than a stimpak.
Taking on a few side-quests along can quickly eat up a couple of hours. All in all you're looking at a total gaming time anywhere between 20 and 50 hours depending on how much of a completist you are.
Put your feet up, son. You're in this for the long-haul.
CRYSIS 2
That's because they'd never played the original Crysis. It's a game that was something of a technological revolution for its time. Even the highest-end PCs struggled to run the beast upon its release, maybe that's why it still looks so good today.
It's certainly why PC players were a little bit disappointed by the sequel. While the original made concessions for nobody, the follow-up was built with the restrictions of the console in mind and so didn't quite match the impact of its predecessor.
Crysis 2 might run better on PC but, as far as the overall experience is concerned, gamers coming in cold on the console have got it best.
Comments
84 comments so far...
The_KFD_Case on 23 Sep '11 said:
............I'll just stick to typing, "Bejewelled? Really?"
runadumb on 23 Sep '11 said:
Well its official, you guys are nuts. Completely f**king crazy.
jim2wheels on 23 Sep '11 said:
Bored!
Broodix on 23 Sep '11 said:
10/10.
Will get trolled again.
Channel4 on 23 Sep '11 said:
This is a bit of a stupid article. All of these games can be played on PC with a controller, and have mod support. The only one that is better on consoles is Portal 2 on PS3 because it has splitcreen and includes the PC version. So you could just claim the free PC version and then sell the game.
Felicity on 23 Sep '11 said:
Not really sure who wrote this but he hasn't played Puzzle Quest.
spaceman_DOUG on 23 Sep '11 said:
I'M SORRY BUT CAN YOU MOD FALLOUT 3 ON A CONSOLE?
I'M SORRY BUT CAN YOU TURN THE GRAPHICS UP ON CoD2 ON CONSOLE?
I'M SORRY CAN YOU PLEASE STOP TROLLING ME CVG?
gmcb007 on 23 Sep '11 said:
You know i'll be suprised if they're be Comments of the Week this Sunday seeing how most of them consist of complaints about CVG!
Start taking notes boys or you'll be running the new Gamefaqs very soon!
spaceman_DOUG on 23 Sep '11 said:
MORE LIKE GAMEFAGS HUR HUR HUR
nicklott on 23 Sep '11 said:
Wow, this site has really devolved into Kotaku-Destructoid type flamebait articles to generate traffic. I'll just delete it from my RSS feeds.
BOYD1981 on 23 Sep '11 said:
Although I do completely agree with what you're saying, the start of the story explained that it wasn't about the tech, it's about the experience on the console.
I played the original Portal on the 360 and have to say it felt pretty fluid, there were never any moments when I wished I was using a mouse and keyboard. The original Xbox version of Escape From Butcher Bay feels better played with a controller too, as well as Assault on Dark Athena.
However these days it's pretty irrelevant as most PC games have support for the 360 controller, so you can get a console experience with PC visuals.
noblehouse on 23 Sep '11 said:
Didn't Goldeneye and Perfect Dark come out on consoles before Halo? Why is Halo always credited as being the 1st game to make first person shooters popular on consoles. Goldeneye did it half a decade before!
I always hear this misconception stated but it's just not true. Don't get me wrong I love Halo, it's great, and made huge leaps forward for FPS's on consoles, all I am saying is that it wasn't there 1st and people shouldn't keep saying so.
Revenant87 on 23 Sep '11 said:
Whats with all this "oh consoles are better because i can sit back on the couch and play on my big tv" nonsense? you guys DO realise you can plug your pc into your tv and play games at true 1080 (unlike upscaled 720 console games) right?
The fact is there is not one multiplat that is better on consoles than on pc. The pc version will always have better graphics (even if not by much thanks to lack of optimisation) and even better, mod support which extends the game far beyond its original state. Just look at the new deus ex, theres already a graphics mod for it less than a month after it came out.
SWiscool on 23 Sep '11 said:
I think there's some sort of article cap they need to reach, because... well, really, they're not serious, are they?
Mobius01 on 23 Sep '11 said:
Was someone at the nose candy when they wrote this?
BOYD1981 on 23 Sep '11 said:
That's what I do with games that I like to play with the 360 controller, got a 42" Full HD and thanks to PCs having proper soundcards I've got 5.1 easy and cheaply.
casshern09 on 23 Sep '11 said:
Trololololololol
This is just the stupidest article I have ever read. Seriously. Ever.
Fallout 3 is one of the most heavily modded games ever, The PC version is far superior if only because of this. Not to mention the graphics etc. No contest.
Crysis 2? I'm sorry what are you smoking? The DX11 and high res patch took it far out of reach looks wise, even though it looked tons better anyway. No first person shooter plays better on console. Period.
CoD2 - No. Just no. See the line above.
Portal 2? Seriously? Did you guys just sit and come up with the biggest troll post possible? If you truly are being serious with this then you are just total dribbling retards.
Bejewelled. Erm don't really care.
Uzi77 on 23 Sep '11 said:
10/10
Definitely one of the best Troll posts I've seen this year. Bravo CVG.
But, if this happens to be a serious post, however unlikely that seems, death by hanging would be the only real punishment for such a heinous crime against your readers.
Mobius01 on 23 Sep '11 said:
^^This
/thread
Lady Gagagged on 23 Sep '11 said:
A balanced article would include great console games that failed to set the PC World alight.
But in fairness it is nice to see PC gamers standing up for five thoroughly absorbing but s**te games.
nezzko on 23 Sep '11 said:
I like it when people half read the thing that upsets them.
TheLastDodo on 23 Sep '11 said:
Where's teh 5 PS3 gamez dat r better on 360?
CVG r teh bigest PS3 fanboys, they luv takin it up ass from kevin butthurt LOLZ!!! XD
Bakabaka on 23 Sep '11 said:
Bejeweled is better on an iPhone/iTablet or a PDA personally. Heck speaking of which going to find an old PDA and play Bejeweled on it with the touch screen.
gothchild on 24 Sep '11 said:
Completely disagree. Portal, I think the source engine feels far more comfortable on a PC, which makes sense as it's the platform the engine was built on.
COD and Crysis require precise FPS controls, I can't use a clunky analogue stick for that!
Fallout 3, could really go either way I guess, but then I've only played that on PC so can't compare as well.
ZeroTime on 24 Sep '11 said:
All right, the "5 Xbox games that are better on PS3" was laughable, but now this?
Keep on trolling, CVG.
KK-Headcharge78 on 24 Sep '11 said:
Fallout 3 on console looked like a f**king car accident.
That is all.
spaceman_DOUG on 24 Sep '11 said:
Well it is a wasteland.
mrsatan on 24 Sep '11 said:
LOL, way to troll CVG. There is no way these games are better on console.
beemoh on 24 Sep '11 said:
*looks at comments*
Once more, PC gamers collectively demonstrate how far up themselves they really are.
The_KFD_Case on 24 Sep '11 said:
As opposed to you on your lowly console perch, eh?
fonjackerjon on 24 Sep '11 said:
Jesus Christ the f**king PC fanboys are out in force. consoles are cheaper, easier and far more sucessful that PC just f**king deal with it you nerdy bastards!
DrunkenMasta36 on 24 Sep '11 said:
Mr. CVG person, what you've just wrote up is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent article were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone viewing this page is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Seriously...WHAT THE **** MAN...
Did your parents have any children that lived?
runadumb on 24 Sep '11 said:
Yes consoles are cheaper and easier. More successful? Because everyone has a console but not a PC? :/
Anyway what does cheaper and easier have to do with better? Every game (apart from Bejeweled) list above looks and plays better on the PC, period. I never understand this "hunched over a desk" crap. Who is ever "hunched " when they play games on a PC? I'm relaxed on my super comfy chair. Also keyboard and mouse is far better than any joypad ever, fact. Although if you are so inclined you can just plugins in a joypad.
Retarded article. Come back to me when you can play those games like this on console http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4SnW6tE ... ata_player
I'm quite annoyed I even bothered reading this article. Touche cvg, you got your click through. I guess it matters not the site is going to s**t.
darry on 24 Sep '11 said:
"People have uncomfortable chairs" is not a good enough reason to say a game is better on consoles.
That's like saying I'm better at running that Usain Bolt because I wear more comfortable shoes.
twistedfiend on 24 Sep '11 said:
Seriously? The first two are better on console because you can get more comfortable when playing on a console than playing on a PC? So the article should really be "Games that are better played when you're sitting comfortably". I can't comment on Bejewelled because I've never played it but the rest are ALL better on PC, experience wise, graphically, in every way. And my main game platform right now is my PS3 because my PC is knackered
The only games I have played that were by far better on console (imo) are the Tomb Raider games and pretty much any driving game, but even then that's probably down to the fact that I only ever use mouse and keyboard and mouse and keyboard are a bugger for driving games and for controlling Lara.
Revenant87 on 24 Sep '11 said:
Sure consoles are cheaper, but you get what you pay for. Consoles use tech similiar to pc's from 2004/2005. The next gen of consoles wont even be as powerful as current high end pcs. If you'd have played the likes of portal 2, fallout 3 etc on both console and a decent gaming pc you would realise that pc offers the superior experience. Most games run at the pc equivalent of medium settings even when theyre optimised for console. They also usually run at much lower frame rates and are in upscaled 720p rather than 1080p like pc games. Likewise, if you want to extend the life of your game on console the only option you have is to fork out for dlc, whereas the pc has mods that are often bigger and better than devs own dlc (or even main game in some cases) for absolutely free (for instance nehrim for oblivion, huge mod, better than oblivion itself)
gmcb007 on 24 Sep '11 said:
I see some users fell into the fanboy trap.
Imaduck on 24 Sep '11 said:
There are some games that do genuinely work better on console, I would say however, personally, GFWL on PC and a 360 controller or mouse and keyboard gives you the best of both worlds. Console controls with PC visuals. This article is going to really bring the angry gamers out of the woodwork
I think Fallout 3 is a bad choice to be fair. It's buggy as f**k, it really is. It may feel nicer to play, but many of the real terrible bugs were never fixed on consoles and are only fixable on PC via mods. That to me gives the PC the advantage, never mind the mods available on PC.
patcoston on 24 Sep '11 said:
I played thru all 9 chapters of Portal 2 on XBox 360 and PC and it's far easier to play on the PC. The mouse is far better than the controller for speed and accuracy when aiming your portals especially if you're attempting a speed run. It also looks much nicer on a PC monitor unless of course you have an HDTV for you console.
ps3TheMagicNumba on 24 Sep '11 said:
Lol, I imagine my chortles upon reading this are very much akin to the sentiment the writer felt as he put finger to keyboard = nothing like watching the PC elitists getting their briefs in a bunch!
However, the real sore point at the moment seems to be OnLive. Once, it is smoothed out and properly implemented it really could be something which I'd consider investing in and also a genuine threat to PC gaming as a whole and to the Xbox and its successor - less so to the PS3 as it is a multi-functional entertainment system with capabilities far outreaching that of just gaming.
Although I do feel that a lot of the PC plods will still be unwilling to relinquish their physical system and all the modding, personalisation, and general geekiness that comes with it...
liquidphantom on 24 Sep '11 said:
your sole reasons for Portal 2 and Fallout 3 were that you could sit on a sofa........
You lot are bat s**t crazy!
Bunch of console kiddies running the show at Future publishing, so glad I didn't take the job there a few years back.
Revenant87 on 24 Sep '11 said:
trollolololol
The_KFD_Case on 24 Sep '11 said:
Isn't that from "Animal House", or is it from "Old School", or somewhere else entirely? Regardless, hilarious IMO!
The_KFD_Case on 24 Sep '11 said:
Yep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z4m4lnjxkY
ps3TheMagicNumba on 24 Sep '11 said:
"General geekiness" not being meant as an insult. Most PC hardcores admit to being geeks - and inadvertently are even if they won't admit it.
freds1 on 24 Sep '11 said:
Console users aren't geeks then?
Sleepaphobic on 24 Sep '11 said:
Well that was an incredibly hilarious read.
Crysis was better on console coz the players didn't know how s**t it was when compared to the original? Seriously that is even better than your couch stuff.
Only games that are better on console are the ones that are poorly ported.
gogo65uk on 25 Sep '11 said:
Troll'd
In fairness I much prefered dragon age origins on consoles over PC. It was all too easy with everything you needed at the push of a button at least on consoles you had to fiddle a little. And the nicer graphics didn't count for anything either.
tgun on 25 Sep '11 said:
*********** The Game ************
You just lost, thanks for playing.
tgun on 25 Sep '11 said:
You too (see above).
The_KFD_Case on 25 Sep '11 said:
You're entitled to your opinion - doesn't make it a bonafide fact, however. Thank *you* for playing.
solamon77 on 25 Sep '11 said:
Since the article really seems to be about which games you'd rather play from a couch, might I recommend hooking your PC to the living room TV and then enjoying the best of both worlds?
bluepumpkin on 25 Sep '11 said:
This article is flawed by it's own premise. Part of the description is this "We prefer to play these games slouched on the sofa, on a machine that has simple matchmaking mechanics and a pop-in-and-play at the heart."
Well, unless you are 5years behind in your technical know-how there is no reason your PC cannot be simultaneuosly available on your PC desk monitor and on your television. This fact alone means all reasona relating to controller and couch and comfort are ill informed and redundant.
This leaves " simple matchmaking mechanics and a pop-in-and-play at the heart", this I presume refers to the game matching of XBOS Live, what, you have to pay for the service firstly (wtf), but when has finding a game match been difficult on a PC. So this statement was just for this one game COD2?
Crysis 2? I have played both on console and PC and Cyrsis 1 still looks better, plays better, is better than both on my PC. Cyrsis 2, this game was awarded because for some people on older PC's it did not look as good, what? It still was better on PC if you have the right hardware, how is this even a valid arguement : "Crysis 2 might run better on PC but, as far as the overall experience is concerned, gamers coming in cold on the console have got it best." - what does that even mean, yes it is better on a PC but since cosoles normally get a buch a dung for FPS games we anounce this is better on console.
Bejewled - whatever
TheDragonDoji on 25 Sep '11 said:
Hmmm Halo brought shooters to console did it? I query why a journalist working in the industry hasn't heard of Goldeneye.
Just sayin.
ps3TheMagicNumba on 25 Sep '11 said:
I‘ll admit that the pc works well with point n click games. However, I‘m very interested in OnLive if they manage to sort it out. Got a 50mb line here and it‘s much more attractive to me than forkin out for a pricy pc. I reckon it‘ll be interesting once they iron out the flaws.
ilovenewtech on 25 Sep '11 said:
Hi super awesome fellow forum posters, calm down it's just an article. I used to play pc games back in the days of Doom and Duke and while they ran way better on pc (I mean like WAY, WAY better) I personally preferred to play on console. If I had the money and/or the knowledge to set up an all powerful pc that could run games like battlefield3 in it's sleep I probably would get one for the wow factor of the graphics but could still see myself playing the same games on console just for the simplicity of the experience. Graphics just aren't as important to me as they used to be. For me the gameplay and experience are far more important. So it comes down to preference which is individual to each individual person. If you prefer the pc experience cool, if you prefer the console set up kudos. See we are all correct.
Now it's awesome cake and ice cold fizzy pop for everybody yeah!!!!!
The Bossman on 25 Sep '11 said:
Fallout 3? FAIL. On PC you can mod that game to oblivion. It crashes every 5-10 minutes on consoles. It has an UNTOLD amount of glitches that people are still finding every day. The graphics are even worse than PC, and it's not a pretty game either, I could go on. Crysis 2 looks better on PC as well, plus the mod community can mod that as well, but on consoles, NADA. And Bejeweled? What f**king planet were you on when you chose that s**te?
CVG = Completely Vexed Guys.
Sir_Loin_Ofsteak on 25 Sep '11 said:
Really? Seriously? This whole article seems to be just you lot whining about how you're uncomfortable sitting at a desk. Halo was boring and there are VERY few console fps that can hold a candle to their PC counterparts. I've played CoD on a console. It was horrible. Keyboard and mouse is just a better combination, full stop. So no also to Fallout 3 - give me a simple mouse click over a clunky controller combination any day.
Not to knock a console - I happen to have a 360, and there are some games it does better. Devil May Cry is a good example - can't imagine trying that with a keyboard, also any beat 'em up you care to mention and I also prefer driving games on consoles (assuming you don't have a massive wheel and pedals clamped to your desk, it's more fun with a controller).
As for Crysis 2, you're basically saying that it's so disappointing when compared to it's previous PC oriented counterpart that it's only worth playing on console because console gamers have lower expectations.
I agree with none of those choices.
kbekl on 25 Sep '11 said:
so i guess my hdmi port which is attached to my tv don't count for nothing then
i have played on a pc via the tv for the past 8 years don't think i have played a game at the desk on the monitor for about 2 years now
it ok tho they have to have something to cling onto i guess when they pay more for a lesser product
BenThomasFoster on 25 Sep '11 said:
Portal 2 - Haha jokeing
Fallout 3 - HAHAHAHAHA NOW YOU ARE MAKING ME PEE MY PANTS.
ps3TheMagicNumba on 25 Sep '11 said:
Well, on my PS3 I can just play the Game of the Year version of Oblivion rather than having to mod Fallout into it. I can understand tho why Xbox owners might want to mod their version of Oblivion as it was a little behind the PS3 and PC ports although still not a bad looking game by any means!
jim2wheels on 25 Sep '11 said:
Somebody f**king kill this thread. It's boring, repetitive and pathetic. Playground talk for idiots.
CVG365 - I christen thee the king of gaming bulls**t. A place where actual worthwhile gaming debates matter not, and flamebait articles rule with a flaming fist of antagonising bulls**t.
gmcb007 on 25 Sep '11 said:
Welcome to the new gamefaqs.
TheLastDodo on 25 Sep '11 said:
Comment of the Week.
DiBBs on 26 Sep '11 said:
As a PC and Console gamer, I'm going to have to completely disagree with this article.
I've never played a PC game that i have found more enjoyable on the console.
And I've never played a console game that i found more enjoyable on the PC.
SpinMeRightNow on 26 Sep '11 said:
That's so untrue. The only games that will be better played with consoles, are football/soccer, car racing/driving, or multi-players games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance or WWE smackdown, etc. Those are real fun when friends are around in your house, no PC games can beat that.
Graphics, performance, mmorpgs/rts, FPS, moddings, online capabilities, room for updates and upgrades, games' prices, etc... PC wins hands down.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 26 Sep '11 said:
NExt up in CVG's Troll series 5 360 games that are better on the wii.
The_KFD_Case on 26 Sep '11 said:
You really don't have a clue, do you? While you're at it, have a look at the thousands upon thousands of privately made mods for the PC version of Oblivion that made it an entirely different game and better in every way compared to the console versions - even your vaunted GOTY version.
...And it gets better: Bethesda have already stated that they'll release the development tools for Skyrim for free to the PC mod community - it's going to be Oblivion-modville all over again!
The console crowd will be left out in the cold though; guess you can thank the more closed nature of those platforms and their proprietary IP holders for that.
The_KFD_Case on 26 Sep '11 said:
ffcoppolla on 26 Sep '11 said:
I wouldn't bother replying, it's ps3_fannyboy/English_Schmuppet/kenneth50.
The_KFD_Case on 26 Sep '11 said:
Cheers. I'll keep that in mind.
ps3TheMagicNumba on 26 Sep '11 said:
I'm a little confused...are the three posters you mention supposed to have somehow merged into one?
Sounds like you think that PS3 fans came from outer space and I'm the console equivalent of John Carpenter's The Thing or something - the assimilation of all of CVG's fanboys into one?
Or perhaps you are just crazy...
Barry316 on 26 Sep '11 said:
No he's saying you're the same fanboy but you get one username banned by talking rubbish then return with another. And repeat.
ps3TheMagicNumba on 26 Sep '11 said:
Well, they say geniuses are never appreciated in their lifetimes...
The_KFD_Case on 27 Sep '11 said:
And apparently delusions of grandeur are far more common than actual bonafide geniuses...
ps3TheMagicNumba on 27 Sep '11 said:
Sounds like relentless pessimism there, old chap.
nezzko on 27 Sep '11 said:
You know................. i think this might be getting out of hand.
The_KFD_Case on 27 Sep '11 said:
If the truth hurts then that's your problem - not mine.
MisterBedo on 27 Sep '11 said:
Bulls**t.
That is all.
Bond James Bond on 28 Sep '11 said:
CVG are having a laugh! No sane person can take this article seriously.
marathi on 28 Sep '11 said:
CoD 2 better on Xbox than PC?
You almost made me laugh. Not quite, but almost.
nb_nmare2 on 28 Sep '11 said:
If you honestly think Portal 2 is a s**te game, then your opinion is not one that anyone in their right mind should give a damn about.
AvatarIII on 1 Dec '11 said:
should have called this article "4 multi platform sequels to PC exclusives on console that aren't sh*t because of it"
darkflameq on 20 Feb '12 said:
What a load of b*****ks.
Invest in a decent office chair (£100+).
As comfortable as any sofa...