You'll see many magazine articles, TV shows and websites that proclaim the 'Best Ever' cars/films/songs/lolcats.
What makes our one different? It's the way we decide what makes it in. These are not the best 100 games ever. No: these are the games we love.
The ones that have meant something to us in our lives; the ones that cheer us up, that bring us together, that make us feel good.
So you won't see references to X being 'better' than Y here. But how do we decide whether one game is more 'loved' than another?
We must endure the gruelling process of discussing every game we feel strongly about. The only way to make progress was to stand up for the games we loved, argue the case for their high placing, and convince doubters of our true passions.
To get the widest variety into the list, we only consider one game from most series: Medieval II: Total War makes it in as the best example of the series, while Rome does not. With so many games spawning excellent sequels, the list would otherwise quickly fill.
Finally, this year we're opening up the Top 100 to you, the readers. You can vote online at the PC Gamer Top 100 website and we'll reveal the results this autumn.
100 Starcraft
The game that innocently took Command & Conquer's simple RTS model into the distant sci-fi future. Ten years later, it's a pillar of the Korean pro-gaming scene and its sequel is one of the most hotly anticipated games in development.
Tim says "Starcraft may not have been the first game with three distinct sides. But the Protoss, Terrans and Zerg were imbued with such personality. Bring on the Zerg rush."
99 Sins of a Solar Empire
A remarkable game, not least for combining complex management more common to GalCiv with beautiful space combat reminiscent of Homeworld. Faux 3D space makes it accessible, while retaining a vast sense of scale.
Tom says "There's nothing quite like commanding a fleet so vast it blackens the skies. Or zooming in to watch your capital ships clash in a point-blank row of plasma fire until one buckles and bifurcates in a blast of light."
98 Sacrifice
Typical of an era when games based on mad ideas could get big budgets, Sacrifice is a weird blend of strategy, action, gore, management and highly original fantasy.
Butcher foes in the name of your god for magical powers that were - at the time - eye-meltingly fantastic.
Jim says "There's a kind of elegant weirdness to this game. In some ways it was quite a standard RTS, but someone remixed it with Salvador Dali."
97 Armageddon Empires
Hexagon map? Units played via cards, of the collectible/trading variety? So much for 21st century technology. This sci-fi outing may look painfully old-school, but the sheer depth means addictive strategy of the very highest order.
Alec says: "This isn't some token, ooh-look-how-hardcore-we-are list-filler. AE's unique-every-time armies and wildly random conflicts offer thrillingly personal experiences where almost every other strategy game of last year stuck to their anonymous guns."
96 Sensible World of Soccer
A classic in the truest sense, SWOS has both inspired and been ignored by every football game since. Few have even attempted its sense of humour and lightness of touch, but all have attempted to emulate its joyous ball physics and accessibility. A paragon of design, specifically in its controls.
Graham says "One of my fondest childhood memories is of inviting a bunch of friends around for SWOS, then one by one crushing them at a game I was really good at. It's the perfect Sunday afternoon humiliation."
95 Just Cause
A free-roaming world: a goal reached for by many, but attained by few. Ostensibly a mission-based action game of naughty CIA agent activity, Just Cause quickly transcends that and turns into a playground of cars, copters, explosives and Bond-esque stunts.
Craig says "I once timed how long it would take to parachute from the highest point to the ground. It took an hour, and in that time I watched storms form and government helicopters swarm over rebels."
94 Fable
Typical Molyneux: utterly distinct in looks and design, and a near-classic. As an RPG it's linear and pre-defined, but it's beautifully brought to life. Clever touches abound, from your appearance changing according to your behaviour to buying houses and getting married.
Ross says "We're not used to seeing such stylised worlds on PC. Fable takes cues from Japanese RPGs, but ends up being a very English game. Some hate the exaggerated bumpkin voices but I think they're hilarious."
93 Full Throttle
One of the best in the decade when adventure games ruled supreme. Dark themes - you're a post-apocalyptic biker - meet surreal silliness, presaging Tim Schafer's later work on Psychonauts.
John says "It maddens and saddens me that FT has the reputation for being a poor LucasArts adventure. A couple of crappy minigames do nothing to spoil some of the finest, funniest and most mature writing in the adventure genre."
92 Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
At the height of Civ's success, where could Sid Meier go next? Into space, of course, following the settlers on the first colony ships to distant stars. Alpha Centauri follows Civ's templates, but replaces history with sci-fi strangeness and refreshing new challenges.
Tim says "The narrower focus makes for more interesting and notable strategies. Who can forget dropping mind-worms onto a city, and then riding their convulsive mass into battle?"
91 Rise of Nations
Built on previous RTS successes with greater scale, more to do and Civ-like tech development. RoN is never less than frantic, demanding that you keep track of it all while conducting full-scale war.
Ross says "Research, build, found new cities, beat the enemy in the tech race to fire missiles at their cavalry... RoN is a joyous mix of old-school style and modern execution."
90 Crimson Skies
Alternate-history flight sims aren't exactly ten-a-penny, and probably for good reason. Crimson Skies capitalises on its absurd setting - steampunk 1937 - pitting unfeasible aerial vehicles against each other in combat.
Alec says: "An unbelievably playable, brilliantly accessible visitor from an alternate dimension - where flight sims splintered into a thousand variations for a thousand different gamers, rather than becoming dominated by the accuracy-is-everything brigade."
89 Sam & Max Hit the Road
Back when graphics were limited, LucasArts poured their efforts into dialogue and puzzle design: the results haven't been bettered since. The escapades of the comic duo - private eye dog, weird rabbit sidekick - still stand up as a high quality adventure game today.
Alec says: "I watch the intro sequence at least once a year. Over time, the puzzles have suffered and the humour has softened, but as a paradigm of how game dialogue can wildly entertain, not merely exposit, we should never forget what Sam & Max once were."
88 Combat Mission: Afrika Korps
RTS has come to dominate the genre over the years, but gems like this remind us that turn-based strategy can offer more depth, more tension and more subtlety than its flashy cousin. WWII tactical challenge at its very finest.
Tim says "It's clunky, over-complicated, badly animated, and ugly. But it also produces the most heart-wrenching and believable battles of any WWII strategy game."
87 Enemy Territory Quake Wars
A large-scale multiplayer shooter based on Quake's world, inspired by Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and made by the UK bunch who made the mod. The resulting objective-based warfare is uncompromising, brutal and thrilling.
Jim says "The enormity is easy to miss: few games are quite as tactically deep or as experientially complex. It demands good teamplay throughout."
86 Anchorhead
The power of text. While you could say that many of our favourite games do one thing really well, in this case that is literally true. With no graphics, Anchorhead's sinister world plays out purely through outstanding writing. A genuinely timeless achievement.
Tony says "Anchorhead isn't a game. It's a dreary, rainy, run-down little town I visited some years ago. I had too much time on my hands, I did a little digging, and the town's past opened up and swallowed me whole."
85. N
N reminds us why platform games were so crucial to the development of early videogames. N's simplicity is its strength; attempting to guide your miniature ninja through its evilly clever levels is a test of imagination, reaction and dexterity. Its purity of challenge makes it ideal for a ten ,inute blast or an all-nighter.
Tom says "The fail/repeat/improve cycle is on hyperspin in N: you die dozens of times on every level, but each death only costs you a second's effort to recover. And each streamlines your approach until you're flinging through impossible obstacles with magnificent elegance, operating on muscle-memory alone."
84 Grim Fandango
Forget the odd, counter-intuitive controls and awkward doors. Grim Fandango boasts a unique atmosphere, a darkly funny world of death and bleak humour. As an adventure game, it functions well, but most of all, it has style, something most games fail to achieve.
John says "Tim Schafer should write everything. Bus timetables, weather reports, geography exam papers... GF is possibly the deepest writing of his career, and certainly the cheeriest-ever depiction of playing a grim reaper."
83 Lord of the Rings Online
It's not the only game to have aped World of Warcraft, but it's one of the very few to have aped it successfully, and in fact improved on it in many ways. Tolkien's lore has been splendidly woven into the game's story and mechanics, and as a place it's a pleasure to spend time in.
Tim says "We didn't take to LotRO immediately, but when we did, we were rewarded. Middle-Earth is a stunning place to be and experience."
82 Desktop Tower Defence
This might be the only game we actually recommend you don't play, if you haven't already. Paul Preece's Flash game is viciously, damagingly addictive. It's simple: construct towers to prevent monsters reaching a central point. Difficulty levels and upgraded towers develop the challenge. But if you value your social life, don't even start.
Tim says "Knuckling down to make this magazine gets harder every month; and DTD is just one example of why. How can we possibly continue when the interwebs provide a steady diet of relentlessly addictive mini-games?"
81 Silent Hunter III
Stealth games don't have to be about guards and walking on tiptoe. Taking command of a submarine, you're tasked with finding and sinking enemy shipping. Where you go, how and when you attack, whether you can survive the retaliation - all this is up to you.
Craig says "I'm terrible at sims, but this is like being a shark. The day someone replaces the boats with swimmers and the sub with a Jaws model will probably be the happiest day of my life."
80 Knights of the Old Republic
Although nominally Star Wars, the game is set so long before the films that BioWare had bags of creative freedom. Cruising the galaxy with well fleshed-out chums, fighting Sand People and saving the universe is as good as it gets.
Ross says "It still merits a place among our favourites for its spectacular lightsaber combat, entertaining cast and most of all for the finest, most evil robot ever brought to life: HK-47. It's worth playing for him alone."
79 Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
Frantic, frightening, tactical WWII combat, and an intriguing departure in terms of shooter design: you're in charge of your squadmates' precise position and actions. Boiling all this down into one interface is a fantastic achievement.
Ross says "You're no longer just thinking, 'where should I go?' You're planning where your mates are going to lay down covering fire from, sending them forward before flanking with a couple of guys for the kill."
78 SWAT 4
SWAT 4 reconstructs the shooter. There are rules of engagement for your elite police team, non-lethal weapons, priority targets and squadmates to manage. There's a lot to handle, but at the end of the day you still get to shoot bad guys in the face.
Tim says "A beanbag to the balls is your initiation to PC Gamer's irregular SWAT 4 multiplayer sessions. They you get tasered in the face. Then maced. Then tasered again. The terrorists can wait."
77 Race Driver: GRID
Codemasters have mastered the art of straddling the great arcade/simulation divide. GRID takes Colin McRae's crown with its mix of racing types, locations and challenges. Spectacular physics and visuals, and a pleasing handling model, make this our favourite racer.
Alec says "Just enough challenge to feel satisfying, but with an unblinking focus on being thrilling above all else. I find it impossible not to re-watch every crash in gloriously brutal slow-motion."
76 Freespace 2
It gets the basics right and doesn't add too much: a great flight model, cracking story and ships that make you feel like Han Solo. It's our favourite of the modern attempts to recapture Elite.
Tim says "Quietly, it's become a sci-fi geek paradise, with mods like Battlestar Galactica: Beyond the Red Line providing thrills that far exceed the officially licensed games."
I appreciate the hard work you put into this, but could someone point out to whoever uploads this stuff that it hasn't even come out in the shops until today?
Unless just posting the first page is a clever ploy to get people to buy the whole thing?
I read this and initially thought you were talking about the X series of games. I'm currently hooked on X2-The Threat - crazy amount of time being spent on that currently.
I read this and initially thought you were talking about the X series of games. I'm currently hooked on X2-The Threat - crazy amount of time being spent on that currently.
I appreciate the hard work you put into this, but could someone point out to whoever uploads this stuff that it hasn't even come out in the shops until today?
Unless just posting the first page is a clever ploy to get people to buy the whole thing?
@Gap Generator By the time we get to the final part the magazine will be out. This is how they always roll them out. It'll be done over a few days, sometimes even a week or two.
I'm glad to see some of the games I own and love already making an appearance. Freespace 2 is still (IMO) the best space combat simulator in the world. I have everything crossed that Volition will someday revisit that series.
Now, I am not sure if this is a joke but I have been playing this and I can say that it is indeed very addictive for anybody that doesn't know, upgrading your pellet towers to 5 is a great idea, sniper rockets ftw!
We are are the start of the bottom end. But There is a series I think should be resident in the bottom end of the spectrum and that is the descent series. Great games. Surpassed since. Shadow Warrior deserves to be down there too. How many games can you use a severed head as a weapon by sticking your finger in the brain and triggering the Hypothalamus or something?
I want to see an article: A series rationalising the more outlandish Gaming moments. How it is actually possible for an evil tentacle to take over the world etc.
@scipio_CA Don't hold your breath. XCOM is my favourite game of all time, but it is far more beloved in the US, rather than the UK. Top 20 is more likely.
The weirdness is seeing such classic titles so low - but then this may mean, unfortunately, that crappy FPS games that the media just fawn all over when released by the big publishers, are going to be the only type of game in the Top 10!
I predict CoD4 to be in the top 20, because it is very well made and very polished. It's also grindtastic now, which makes it even more like crack cocaine than it was before. That said, I guess I could find the mag and see for myself.
Then again, it's never a definitive list, and SMAC will remain in my top 5 regardless.
@scipio_CA Don't hold your breath. XCOM is my favourite game of all time, but it is far more beloved in the US, rather than the UK. Top 20 is more likely.
I already like you Jezcentral. XCOM is my favorite game of all time also.
Time for a decent remake.
Which XCOM? Weren't they going to make a tactial real time squad based first person one called Alliance or summat? Sort of Space Hulk style (that was a great game) Shame they didn't. Ain't played much XCOM since TFTD. You guys have reminded me of amazing games which better be in here somewhere..... Syndicate or Syndicate Wars. THOSE were games!
Interesting move, putting StarCraft at Number 100, since inevitably 80+ of the games that are above it will actually be worse (in fact, out of this first batch only Freespace 2 is a superior game; a case could perhaps be made for KotOR as well but it would be doubtful due to no multiplayer). Last time I did my own poll for another website (got a couple of hundred votes) we had StarCraft come top, followed by Baldur's Gate 2, Planescape Torment and Civilization IV.
WoW coming Number 1 I can see happening. I'm not a fan, but it's a huge game that's completely altered how MMORPGs are perceived and looked at, with a vast fanbase. I think as a game it isn't that great and works better as a 3D social networking site with added demon-slaying, but for representing such a huge change in how games are perceived and played, it's probably going to be up there. I'm just hoping Oblivion doesn't come Number 1. Some magazine did that (was it PC Gamer?) and I can still remember the absolute hilarity that decision provoked. Unless they were playing the modded version, which would make more sense.
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for anybody that doesn't know, upgrading your pellet towers to 5 is a great idea, sniper rockets ftw!
