Have not played a PC game in 3 years - make a recommendation

The Sauce

Diamond Member
Oct 31, 1999
4,738
34
91
I gave up PC gaming 3 years ago. I now have a new, kick-ass system, overclocked balls-to-eyebrows. I want eye candy, fun, action! My favorite games of all time were: Duke Nukem, Quake 2 Multiplayer, Unreal/Unreal Tournament, TRIBES!, Guild Wars, Far Cry, Morrowind, Half Life. I bought Stalker, Supreme Commander and Oblivion before I tossed the PC and never played them. What should I play now!?!
 

sMiLeYz

Platinum Member
Feb 3, 2003
2,696
0
76
RPGS:
mass effect, mass effect 2, dragon age, witcher

action games:
half life 2 and all the expansions, bioshock, modern warfare 1 and 2, Arkham Asylum
 

MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
Come back in 2 years for Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2.

Or you can buy some excellent games like Modern Warfare and MOdern Warefare 2 which will each last you 5 hours (play on Veteran to make it interesting).
 

Udgnim

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2008
3,662
104
106
team fortress 2

closest thing you're going to get to the old school multiplayer FPSes you played
 

MSCoder610

Senior member
Aug 17, 2004
831
0
71
I like many of the same games as you OP. I found HL2 and its episodes very engrossing. Portal is also a lot of fun (comes with HL2 Ep2, Orange Box). Crysis is beautiful and fun to play. Possibly consider Left4Dead / Left4Dead2, but they're best if you have a group of friends to play with I think.

I also have Stalker/ Oblivion but never got into them enough to finish them... maybe one of these days.
 

HendrixFan

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 2001
4,648
0
71
I was in a similar situation as you. I had left off at Far Cry, Doom 3 and Age of Empires 3. I came back in and played Crysis and Crysis Warhead, and the advancement in fluid animation is probably even more noticeable than the graphics. I played Modern Warfare 2 after that, which was okay. I tried out Mass Effect 2, Bioshock and The Force Unleashed, none of which I liked. I'm playing Far Cry 2 now, I like the 'sandbox' feel to it.

I'm just itching for Starcraft 2.
 
Oct 30, 2004
11,442
32
91
Note that Modern Warfare 2 is an insult to PC gaming and that by purchasing it you will be encouraging companies to continue with the consolization of PC gaming.

For online multiplayer FPS I'd say Team Fortress 2, perhaps Battlefield 2, or UT 2004 or maybe try UT3, which was consolized. (Many people are still happily playing and enjoying UT 2004 for Onslaught and Invasion Monster Hunt RPG.)

For RTS you might investigate a "4x-RTS" called Sins of a Solar Empire which is great fun for online multiplayer if you have 2 hours to play a game.
 

Pia

Golden Member
Feb 28, 2008
1,563
0
0
Play Stalker with the LURK mod. AFAIK it is still unsurpassed in the free-roaming, atmospheric, stat-based shooter "genre". Looks very good too, in a quiet way.

For more direct action and more spectacle, maybe try the Crysis pack.

I'm not a big fan of TF2 but control- and speed-wise it's less watered down than most of the competition. Worth a try, and certainly amusing for a while for the characters, graphic and sound design. You should play through Portal anyway and you get both in the Orange Box.

Mirror's Edge is pretty imperfect, and very much a console port, but it's one of the most beautiful games I have played in a long time (I'm on my first playthrough now). This is the rare kind of game where everything looks considerably better when it's sharper, so the extra resolution of the PC helps a lot. Probably a good idea to play on a pad, though I'm using KB+M.
 

Maximilian

Lifer
Feb 8, 2004
12,603
9
81
Left 4 dead 1, if you like that then maybe 2.

Supcoms worth a try, 2nd one is due for release in a week or two.

Company of heros is an awesome RTS.

Starcraft II will be out soonish, get that for sure.

Crysis is an amazing FPS you need to play that, its the real far cry 2, that POS by ubisoft has nothing on the original game.

Mass effect is awesome, 2nd one just came out.

Bioshock is also worth a playthrough, again the 2nd game was just released.
 

Sahakiel

Golden Member
Oct 19, 2001
1,746
0
71
Note that Modern Warfare 2 is an insult to PC gaming and that by purchasing it you will be encouraging companies to continue with the consolization of PC gaming.

Note that by NOT buying MW2, you are providing ample fodder for Infinity Ward to insinuate that not only are you pirating the game, but the PC game market is no longer profitable and cease further development.
 
Oct 30, 2004
11,442
32
91
Then screw Infinity Ward. Let them leave the market and leave PC game making to studios that want to dedicate themselves to the PC.
 

Piotrsama

Senior member
Feb 7, 2010
357
0
76
Nice PC you got yourself.

RPG: Mass effect 2, Dragon Age.
FPS-RPG: Fallout 3.
Racing: Flatout ultimate carnage, Dirt 2.
I also liked the last Prince of Persia a lot.
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
6,630
7
81
I'm playing Titan Quest and Oblivion right now. I think both are great games. Dragon Age is currently at the top of my WTB list.
 

Pr0d1gy

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2005
7,775
0
76
Go with Mass Effect 1, then ME2. Modern Warfare 2 is terrible, nothing but a boring camp/snoozefest online and the single player lasts about 10 minutes.