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What are the best third-person open world action-adventure games for PC?

39

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Considered

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Jan 27, 2024

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38 Games Considered

Best third-person open world action-adventure games for PC	Price	Steam Rating	Genre
-- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	$49.99	Overwhelmingly Positive	Action RPG
88 Grand Theft Auto V	$59.99	-	Action-Adventure
87 Saints Row IV	$14.99	Mostly Positive	-
-- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain	$39.99	-	Action
-- Sleeping Dogs	$29.99	Very Positive	-

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Top Pro

Immersive story

The dialogue of the game is very intriguing as well as voiced superbly making for a very immersive experience as far as story is concerned. It is through the care the developers took to implement such realistic writing and voice work that makes the game so intriguing and an experience to play. See More

Top Con

Performance hiccups

Even though the frame rate is capped at 30 frames per second it often drops below that. You also might experience long load times or textures not loading fully in some areas. See More

Paolo's Experience

I'm no completionist, but I actually played the base game from start to finish doing as many quests as I can, then played from start to finish again before proceeding to the expansions. Definitely worth the hundreds of hours spent :) See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Action RPG

Top Pro

Lots of random side quests

You can just walk around for hours, find abandoned structures, caves, etc and find interesting side quests to do. See More

Top Con

Poor performance

With a frame rate capped at 30fps that often dips below as well as glitches in the "loading areas", Witcher does not perform as expected for a next gen release that is priced at full retail of $60. See More

Top Pro

Gigantic openworld

Deviating from the previous two games Wild Hunt now has open world environments that are so large and detailed it can be intimidating. In comparison to other open-world games such as Skyrim the open World in The Witcher 3 is 3.5 times larger, in comparison the GTA5 The Witcher 3 is 1.5 times larger. See More

Top Con

Story feels like a chore

Most quests feel like a chore in that it is basically fetch quests in exchange for information to advance the story. While this is often a mechanic found in games to keep the gameplay long it does get tiresome. See More

Top Pro

Attention to detail in almost every facet of the game

The Witcher 3 is how an AAA title should play, sound, and feel like. Its deep combat, beautiful graphics, amazing sound, interesting quests, immersive story, and almost every other aspect of the game has a surprising amount of polish. See More

Top Pro

Side quests are as good as the main quests

There are almost no lazy "go get me 12 turtle shells" quests in the Witcher 3 and you get to experience some amazing writing even in the most obscure side quests. See More

Top Pro

Good visuals

It's one of the best-looking games for both PC and consoles. See More

Top Pro

Good rating and reviews

Rating: 10/10 - ‎98,096 reviews on Steam. One of the best games played in 2016-17. See More

Top Pro

Choices matter

The Witcher 3 has three completely different endings. The decisions during main quests and side-quests affect how the endings play out, adding up 36 possible outcomes. It feels refreshing to actually impact your character's fate and not just trot along a path to an inevitable conclusion. See More

Top Pro

Convenient ways to get around the massive world

The world is intimidatingly massive but thankfully there are ways to cut down on travel time. You can ride a horse, use a boat, or just simply fast travel to explored locations. This makes the experience more accessible and enjoyable as a whole. See More

Top Pro

Thoughtful and expansive story with well-written characters

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt tells a deep and intricate story about the main character, Geralt, on his long journey to find his adoptive daughter, Ciri, who's on the run from the evil, supernatural warlords of the Wild Hunt. You spend the game following various leads on Ciri's whereabouts, meeting up with old friends, former lovers, powerful politicians, and all sorts of people from many walks of life. These characters usually want something in exchange for giving Geralt the information he wants, leading you down some unexpected and eye-opening paths as you learn more about who they are, how they met Ciri, and how she helped them grow as people, letting you form a bond with her through these thought-provoking tales. And as Geralt either helps or hurts these people himself, he inevitably impacts their lives in even more ways. Aside from the main story, there are also two great expansions: Hearts of Stone, and Blood and Wine, both of which offer their own amazing narratives with hours and hours of content. Hearts of Stone has you get involved with a shady, all-powerful manipulator who gives Geralt a series of seemingly impossible tasks, while Blood and Wine lets you explore the rolling hills of the wine-loving country of Touissant, with all the political intrigue surrounding the Duchess there. The Witcher 3's story has so much to offer, easily keeping you hooked for well over a hundred hours as you play and replay the base game and the excellent expansions. See More

Top Pro

Your choices lead to morally-gray consequences and multiple different endings

There are rarely any right answers when making decisions. The situations that the story puts you in are unique and oftentimes unsettling, sometimes leaving you agonizing over which dialog option to pick during story conversations. During your first playthrough, it's isn't obvious which of your decisions are "important" and will impact plot outcomes, making you think critically about all of your choices. Most surprising are the critical decisions that determine which ending you get -- once you see your ending, you learn how organic everything is, with the game keeping track of your relationships with other characters in subtle ways. See More

Top Pro

Memorable and meaningful side quests

The Witcher 3 sets a new standard with how well-done the side quests are. Since Geralt is a witcher, meaning he specializes in dealing with monsters with his swords and magic spells, people often go to him when they need a monster problem taken care of. Some of these problems involve people who have lost loved ones to a monster and simply want help tracking down their corpses to give them a proper send-off, or they want Geralt to take revenge by tracking down the monster and killing it. These side stories go a long way to humanize the minor characters, letting you feel their grief, hopelessness, or anger within only a few short minutes of speaking with them and getting the quest details. It's impressive that the writers manage to consistently pack so much emotion into these optional quests that you might not even choose to play through. See More

Top Pro

Vast and beautiful open world to explore

The world is gorgeous in how untainted it is, with many locations to see and visit. Full of vibrant life, the medieval-style setting is simple and understated, with wide open fields, rainy meadows, snowy mountain ranges, and modest wooden towns and cities for you to roam around on horseback or on foot. There are tons of secrets to find all over, like monster lairs to destroy for loot, treasure maps to follow, and hidden side quests in remote villages. The in-game clock keeps the skies changing with the hour as you cross from city to city, country to country, brightening the horizons with brilliant, golden sunrises in the morning and burning crimson sunsets in the evening. Everything is amazing to look at, encouraging you to wander around aimlessly just to take in the sights. See More

Top Pro

Fleshed-out romance options

Playing as Geralt, you have the choice to have one-night stands with ladies at certain taverns, or you can focus on his more involved romantic subplots. By this third game, Geralt has quite a long history with two competent and beautiful sorceresses: Triss Merigold, his love interest from The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, and Yennefer of Vengerberg, his old flame from the series of The Witcher novels that the games are based on. The two women also happen to be best friends, injecting some drama depending on how you go about things. Triss is really sweet, fun, and spontaneous with the way she makes the stoic Geralt smile and open up more as they get up to mischief together. On the other hand, Yennefer is strict, straightforward, and no-nonsense, not wanting to get into feelings all that much, and yet she and Geralt have such a strong bond over several years, making it feel special when Yen does occasionally let her guard down. Both of these romances intertwine well with the main story, with great optional side quests that add even more layers to whichever relationship you decide to pursue. It's also possible to try romancing both of them at the same time, but you might regret it, so choose carefully. See More

Top Pro

The soundtrack is well constructed and complementary in almost all situations

While exploring, doing a quest whether it is main or side one, the music in the back always enhances your game play. When a fight starts it pumps you up by playing Slavic or Celtic beats, and on a heartbreaking scene, it slows down its pace and plays an instrumental that rings even after you close it. You won't even notice, but you start to hum Skelliege sound or Priscilla song in your daily chores. Watching the sun set over the horizon while the Kaer Morhen tune plays was one of the best moments in the game. Without the songs to complement it, the side quests or the battles would have started to feel like a chore after a while on doing side content. See More

Top Pro

Plays at 1080p

The PS4 version of Wild Hunt plays at a native 1080p. See More

Top Pro

Accessible to players who are new to the Witcher series

Even though this is the third Witcher game, you can still jump right in and not feel lost. The story is generally good with the way it introduces you to the main characters without expecting you to know who they are. Geralt often reminisces with his friends from the first two games, letting you in on their history and adventures together to give you an idea of what happened in the past. And you don't have to have read the series of Witcher books, either, as the games all take place beyond the stories there. See More

Grand Theft Auto V

Top Pro

Well optimized

There were many reservations as to how well Rockstar was going to optimize the game for PC, as some of their past games had a lot of trouble in this area. Luckily it looks as though the game has been optimized quite well with the specs being quite reasonable in order to achieve 60FPS in 1080p on the best settings. It is even possible to achieve 60 FPS in most mid range specifications even dating as far as 2017, showing Rockstar's testament to backwards compatibility and providing the same seamless experience to whatever hardware you have available. See More

Top Con

Multiplayer is overrun by hackers

During online play you'll encounter hackers who have infinite money, can spawn any vehicle of their choice, and many other things, which reduces the fun quite a bit. What's even worse is that by interacting with the hackers you can get banned immediately without any additional investigations on the developer's part. See More

Capuccino 's Experience

Even after 7 years since it's release, the game holds on it's own against most triple A titles, and still recieves regular content updates - a testament to how timeless Rockstar titles are. Though fair warning, stay away from Online if you don't have a high level player to accompany you. See More

Specs

Genre:Action-Adventure

Top Pro

Online multiplayer

GTA V has included an online multiplayer mode where up to 30 players can play at the same time in the online world. See More

Top Con

Population density slider in the options does not make much of a difference

The population density option in the PC version does not make much of a difference in the game, while it does have more people and cars than the console counterparts, the increased number is not by much. See More

Lucifer Morningstar's Experience

Ran smoothly even on my massively underpowered laptop (i7 4500U + GT 750M) and it is a very interesting game. See More

Top Pro

Freedom to explore almost anything

Besides providing players with a huge open world, Grand Theft Auto V also gives them the ability and freedom to explore every corner of the map available to them with any vehicle available to them in the game. See More

Top Con

Euphoria Physics are toned down

Euphoria Physics in GTA is the main limelight of the series, since it simulates real human behavior on environment events such as getting shot. In GTA V, this was heavily toned down, since the implementation is based on Max Payne. The following however can be circumvented with a Euphoria tweak mod to make the novel Euphoria physics return on GTA V. See More

LivelyChantico's Experience

you can do anything in there See More

Top Pro

Massive scope

The world of Grand Theft Auto V is extraordinarily massive and filled with details. For example, you can be working to complete a mission which may involve flying a plane, fighting the crew of that plane, crashing it, and finally parachuting out of it only to find an off-road buggy landing. This, in turn may lead you to explore the mountains and wilderness around San Andreas and come across backpackers who will probably be slightly annoyed at you. But this does not even come close to describing the massive scope that GTA V has. It feels like a living world where anything can happen. See More

Top Pro

Rockstar editor

The included Rockstar editor allows for user to create their own Machinima and gameplay videos. The tools are very robust allowing for many different day, weather and character options. See More

Top Pro

Great story wrapped around in biting and relevant social commentary

Grand Theft Auto V is a smart, comical but biting social commentary on contemporary relevant matters. It satirizes almost anything that has to do with the current pop culture. Millennials, celebrities, the right, the left, the middle class, the upper class, the media and even the video game industry itself. The story and the world in which it takes place are fictional, but the social commentary and the problems it raises and things it satirizes are real -- corruption, greed, hypocrisy, the abuse of power -- are all real and relevant in today's world. See More

Top Pro

Game saves can be imported from console versions

Players that have game saves on their console versions can import the save to the PC version, this way they will not have to start the game over from scratch to enjoy it on PC. Rockstar has a support page specifically to transfer the saves. See More

Top Pro

Supports up to 4K resolutions

GTA V supports resolutions all the way up to 4K on the PC version. See More

Top Pro

First person mode

Prior to the next-gen update, there is now a first-person mode that grants much more flexibility in gunplay or provides some sort of familiarity with FPS players. This is the first time it is available to the Grand Theft Auto Series as a built in feature. See More

Top Pro

Improved graphics over every other version

The PC version of GTA V is the optimal experience when it comes to graphic quality. Improved lighting and antialiasing make a big difference over the games XBox One and PS4 counterparts. See More

Top Pro

Massive world

It's very easy to get lost in GTA V's world both figuratively and literally. It's partly because of the sheer size of 35 square miles, allowing you to spend hours just walking, driving, or even flying around the map. It's also because of the many beautiful sights you get to see, causing you to often stop and take it all in. So it doesn't matter if you're walking along a beach packed with people, biking around a dimly lit city, cruising down a highway next to the ocean, or just hiking on the forested mountains, GTA V's world feels like a real place you can explore endlessly. See More

Top Pro

Freedom to do anything you want

Even aside from the many missions, there are dozens of other things you can do. This includes activities like playing tennis, going skydiving, watching a movie in the cinema, managing your businesses to earn tons of money, going hunting in the mountains, or just simply exploring the map while taking in the sights. Whatever you decide to do it's very easy to lose track of time. Mostly because it feels like a giant sandbox where you're allowed to do anything and simply have fun. See More

Saints Row IV

Top Pro

An open sandbox provides a wide variety of activities

Saints Row 4 offers a very compelling open world experience that excels when openly parodying other games. So not only does it offer what is the norm of open world gameplay of traversing a large city while completing objectives but it does so in a funny way that pokes fun at similar titles and goes over the top providing an extreme representation. See More

Top Con

Worst Saints Row game

Saints row one and two were amazing with it being a serious gang game. The third installment was pretty good but not as serious but it did stick to the formula. But IV is NOT a good installment to this franchise. How do you go from a 3rd person gang shooter to a 3rd person alien shooter with superpowers. Some missions were fun as hell and the last one being one of the best missions but half of the game is destroying this thing and another thing. If it wasn't a saints row game then a 8/10 but they ruined the franchise so a 5/10. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Co-Op:2 Player Online

Controller Support:Full

Top Pro

2 player online co-op

Saint's Row IV features 2 player online co-op, thought there is no local co-op supported. See More

Top Con

Generally only one player (in co-op mode) gets to do the scripted parts

While different players have different roles when playing co-op only the main player is going to see the scripted parts of the game. See More

Top Pro

Great soundtrack selection

With 109 songs, there is going to be music that suits just about anyone. This also makes for a realistic experience of listening to a radio (as that is how the tracks are provided, as songs on different radio stations in game) due to so many songs being available as it mimics how a radio station would play. See More

Top Con

There's a dubstep gun (SRIV)

Top Pro

Great character customization

Players can change their appearance if they need to, at any time. See More

Top Pro

There's a dubstep gun (SRIV)

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Top Pro

Multiple ways to approach a mission

Metal Gear Solid V gives players multiple choices on how to approach a mission or clear an outpost. For example, the player can choose to use stealth and cunning in order to complete their mission and kill only when it's absolutely necessary, or they can get in guns blazing and kill every single enemy soldier sometimes even sniping each one of them from afar or calling the helicopter for air support. This gives a special flavor to the gameplay and doesn't let it get stale for a long time since it leaves the choice on how to play to the player, without penalizing them for not completing a mission by using stealth (as other previous MGS used to do). See More

Top Con

Micro transactions

Something often found in free to play games is microtransactions, sadly they are included in the multiplayer aspect of The Phantom Pain going so high as $79.99 for a bundle of in game currency that can be used for advantage in the online part of the game. Considering that MS V already is a full priced title at $59.99, to see Konami milking their fans for never ending microtransactions is pretty disheartening, especially when considering they can be used to get a leg up over others in the multiplayer by easily creating more resources over other non paying players. See More

Specs

Co-Op:Single Player

Top Pro

Allows players to create their private military company

Throughout the story of the game, the player will be trying to rebuild their private military which was lost in the epilogue of the previous title in the MGS series. Other than building their "Mother Base" which is an ever-evolving giant structure which serves as a base of operations for the player and other NPCs which help the player, players can also recruit enemy soldiers to increase the size of their mercenary company. These soldiers can help based on their area of expertise to either work on developing new projects or be dispatched around the world to complete missions and earn in-game money. See More

Top Con

High learning curve

There is so much detail to grasp in the game that it can be overwhelming, especially at first. It will take a good bit of time to become accustomed to everything the game has to offer and how to control and interact with it. See More

Top Pro

Extremely intelligent AI

As the player levels up gear so will the AI, who are programmed to constantly keep the player on their toes. Being that the whole game is designed to allow the player tackle any level in a multitude of ways, seeing the AI always react differently makes for an original experience every time something is tackled. See More

Top Pro

Ever evolving Mother Base

One of the goals of the game is to capture as many enemies alive as possible. With those captured troops users can start building more of their base out, making for an even bigger and better experience as the game progresses. See More

Top Pro

Reflex system

Once spotted by an enemy time will slow down for a short period of time allowing the player to react more accurately in a tense situation. See More

Top Pro

Large assortment of tools and options

As one plays through the game they can develop more weapons and tools with the enemies they capture. While not every one has to be used, the sheer fact that their is so much choice makes for a lot of fun experimenting. See More

Sleeping Dogs

Top Pro

Amazing storyline

It harks back to good old school Hong Kong action cinema. See More

Top Con

No multiplayer

Unlike most other open world action adventure games, Sleeping Dogs has zero multiplayer. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Split skill trees

There is a split skill tree system that allows the player to level up as a Triad or Cop or both depending on how the game is played. See More

Top Con

Triad missions are boring compared to the cop missions

The triad missions feel as though they drag on when compared to the fun cop missions. See More

Top Pro

Intuitive fighting system

The fighting system ins Sleeping Dogs is very reminiscent of the system in Batman Arkham Asylum where the players uses a flowing system of attacks and counters. See More

Top Pro

Police sidequest are some of the best quests in game

The police sidequests allow for a wide range of tasks to complete such as tracking serial killers or busting up trafficking schemes. See More

Horizon Zero Dawn

Top Pro

Each upgrade and skill feels meaningful

Most games nowadays are plagued by needlessly high level caps, useless skills and meaningless upgrades. In Horizon Zero Dawn Each upgrade and new skill unlock actually helps you become a more efficient hunter. There's Silent Strike, which lets you perform silent takedowns on enemies, both robotic and human. Enemies that would've taken a lot of effort to beat previously, can now be taken out in one hit. However, on its own it's mediocre at best, so you have to get other abilities to make it more effective. One such ability is Low Profile, which makes you less visible when you're crouching. This lets you to sneak up on enemies much easier, allowing you to use Silent Strike more often. There's also the upgrades, which can be either a boost to your damage, rate of fire, an increase to your carrying capacity or a unique technology such as the cloaking field. The damage and rate of fire upgrades are very straightforward, allowing you to defeat machines in a shorter amount of time. The carrying capacity upgrade helps you go on longer hunts without having to make a return trip. The cloaking field makes it a lot safer to travel and a lot easier to get the jump on enemies. See More

Top Pro

Great story

Story based around robots and A.I. is something rare in the sea of fantasy open world games. See More

Top Pro

Intriguing world

At first glance the world seems simple. Tribes-folk living in beautiful landscapes of snow, sand, and lush green, trying to get by through hunting and gathering. Then you get introduced to the other inhabitants – the machines. It suddenly makes you wonder about their origin, their appearance and their purpose. What lead to their creation and why did civilization regress to pockets of tribal settlements. You'll be interested in exploring the world and finding out for yourself. See More

Top Pro

Exciting hunting gameplay

The main focus of the game is hunting robotic creatures also known as "machines". They are similar to real animals in both appearance and behavior, so a lot of them move in packs. You have to be careful in how you approach them, because provoking one of them will also provoke the others. You can hide in tall grass and attract them one by one with whistling. This way you can take them out silently with your spear, minimizing the danger. Or you can get into a direct confrontation, which is a lot more intense when there are multiple enemies. You'll have to learn their patterns, so you know when to dodge or attack with your weapon (usually a bow or slingshot). When you finally manage to defeat them, it truly feels like an achievement. See More

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

Top Pro

Intuitive stealth gameplay

The stealth mechanics feel natural and fluid in how strategic they are. While tracking your targets, you blend in with each city's citizens or climb up to the tops of buildings to perch there and avoid getting spotted by the templar or their guards. You can either wait for the perfect opportunity to strike with a hidden blade up your sleeve that silently assassinates your target, or you can go all-out and have a sword duel with them if you'd rather take a more aggressive approach. After they're dead, you make your escape and become incognito again. Everything goes together nicely in a way that feels satisfying. See More

Top Con

Multiplayer is pretty much dead

Unfortunately, the multiplayer is all but abandoned by the player base. Even though the multiplayer itself is really cool and fun, you won't find too many people playing it these days. Since the game originally came out in 2013, it's quite old now, and it doesn't help that the devs don't actively update it anymore. The Assassin's Creed multiplayer base in general is also splintered between this game and the other installments with online play. So if you're a new player trying to get into things, don't be surprised if it takes a long time to find a match. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Action-Adventure, Stealth

Co-Op:4 Player Online

Top Pro

Cool naval combat against other pirates out on the open seas

Naval battles with your own ship and crew are expanded here in Black Flag after they were first introduced in Assassin's Creed III. You're a pirate this time, so you get to explore the open world with your ship as much as you want. The bread and butter of the game involves you as the captain of your ship, navigating out in the open waters to get from place to place, as well as getting hands-on with the full mechanics of steering while firing off cannons at enemy ships. There's a full crew aboard with you, helping to give plenty of liveliness to your surroundings as they shout in anger, sing shanties, and cheer in victory as you go along, along with dynamic weather like raging storms that adds to the realism and intensity. It's a lot of fun and serves as a nice way to break things up from the usual stealth missions on foot. See More

Top Con

Dull story that rehashes the same old conflicts

There's nothing new here, just the usual war between the Assassins and the Templars. This was okay in previous games where the writers at least cared enough to put in more in-depth modern day scenarios that kept the war relevant, giving us a reason to explore these historical settings in the first place. Instead, the past portion with Edward would be completely boring without his entertaining personality, and the modern day stuff is so phoned-in that the devs shouldn't have even bothered in the first place. This game is great for the gameplay, but not at all for the narrative. See More

Top Pro

Innovative multiplayer with online co-op for up to four friends

The multiplayer in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag offers a unique experience. It mixes the series' stealth mechanics with cat and mouse gameplay through a few different multiplayer modes. Manhunt is the most interesting one, where you play one round with one team of four as the hunters and the other team of four as the hunted. The hunters have to kill as many of the opposing team as possible in the allotted time, whether it's through pure speed that offers fewer points, sneaky doses of lethal poison for tons of bonus points, and plenty more. The hunted, if they spot their hunters, can use certain defensive abilities like smoke bombs and disguises to outsmart their opponents, stun them, and then run away. Other modes like Wanted offer a pure PvP experience with you against the full lobby of other players, where you try to stay hidden while making kills. For all gameplay modes, there's the neat, but chilling effect of hearing whispers as an opponent gets closer to you; trying to distinguish which way they're coming from while staying hidden. This and the sheer unpredictability of the gameplay makes the multiplayer incredibly addicting and fun. See More

Top Con

The setting isn't that great for climbing around on top of buildings and exploring

Getting to play on and around the islands of the Caribbean setting sounds cool, but it's not all that fun from a gameplay perspective. The wooden buildings and huts are quite small and basic, with only some taller churches in the bigger cities like Havana. Scaling them doesn't take much effort, and it doesn't reward you with a huge, beautiful view comparable to previous locations like Florence and Rome during the Italian Renaissance. Despite the unique history and culture in these places, they're weak settings to play through. See More

Conan Exiles

Top Pro

Exploring the world is fun

There are several different biomes in Conan Exiles. Barren wastelands, harsh deserts, sparkling rivers, and haunted forests are just a few of the ones you'll encounter, but you'll want to get out there and really explore the environment. Every biome holds different secrets to discover and, more importantly, different materials so you can craft new stuff, which is always satisfying. Exploring also lets you scout out enemies that you plan to attack, find new areas you want to settle, or even make new friends to cohabit the area with. You'll have to explore whether you want to or not, but Conan Exiles makes it very enjoyable by making sure it's a rewarding experience. See More

Top Con

Not suitable for younger players

Conan Exiles contains nudity and a lot of gore. See More

Specs

Genre:Survival, Sandbox

Top Pro

Extensive crafting system that encourages player interaction

Crafting in Conan Exiles is essentially the name of the game. There are hundreds of items available to craft, and even though it may seem a little daunting at first, the process is very intuitive. You're able to do most things right from your inventory screen with no added help, and other things are deliberately pointed out as needing other amenities to be able to craft them. As you level up, you acquire "knowledge points," allowing you to learn how to craft new things. However, one person can't possibly know how to craft everything in the game. This system is perfect for making players either raid others for the goods they need, or team up and work with people to get further in their quest for survival. See More

Top Con

Joining a server for online play can be problematic

If the multiplayer servers are full, then you're out of luck. So far, there's no user-friendly functions like queues or notifications to help you out. You're stuck with spamming attempts to join a server or rejoin if you get kicked out for whatever reason. It would have been nice to have some helpful features to ease this process along. See More

Top Pro

The developers are very interactive with the community

The developers of Conan Exiles do their best to maintain regular and transparent communication with the players, actively seeking feedback, requests, and ideas in order to make the game better. See More

Top Con

The game feels unfinished and unpolished

Even though Conan Exiles is no longer in early access, there are a lot of flaws here and there that add up over time. You have plenty of freedom to roam around, but there's no real sense of progression or a focused storyline. Some areas in the open world just have a bunch of enemies to kill for the sake of killing them. You may also lag a lot, with your character warping around as you try to move. On their own, these things wouldn't be such a big deal, but they really do become a pain as the problems start to stack up. See More

Top Pro

A great deal of fun to play with your friends

In Conan Exiles, you're able to team up with people and build cities, or even empires if your group is large enough to make it happen. You're also able to do things that simply couldn't happen as a solo player, like waging war on enemy cities, pooling resources to expand your territory quickly, or making group expeditions to find rare resources. As much fun as the game is by yourself, it really shines when you've got a few friends to team up with to take on the world. See More

Top Pro

The combat is fast-paced and brutal

In Conan Exiles you play as an exiled warrior, so it's no wonder that you know how to fight. You play in first-person and wield a large array of weapons in order to destroy your enemies. Combat often ends quickly, with decapitations, limbs flying everywhere, and blood spattered on the ground. You can even sacrifice your enemies to the gods in order to gain power if you want to. If you like brutality, Conan Exiles has it in spades. See More

Mad Max

Top Pro

Vehicle combat is the best part of the game

While there are fighting sections of the game where Max is on foot, the most exciting and fun to play sections are where Max is driving. Having a grappling hook to hook onto enemies while driving is a very fun thing to do as well as using it to pull down buildings and structures and this is just one of the elements of driving that makes all the driving parts stand out. See More

Top Con

No sense of urgency

While all of the gameplay takes place in a wasteland, there is no real sense of immediacy as the player is not ever going to starve or run out of water. This can pull the player out of the game due to not being very realistic and is pretty much geared towards keeping the game easy for casual players. Surviving in a wasteland should be tough, sadly it is not that difficult to do here. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Fun sandbox

The game is based around being an open world sandbox where the player is free to do anything they like. See More

Top Con

Simplistic combat

Just as in other WB games the combat is simple and easy where in the player hits buttons timed with what button ques are flashing above an enemies head. Realistically one could just bash two buttons and make it through the games fights pretty easily. See More

HITMAN

Top Pro

Hiding in plain sight is intuitive

The game allows for players to easily hide in plain sight such as disguising oneself as a model at a show, which gives the player access to anywhere they would need to go. This is expanded upon by having a hint system that points the player in many directions of how to hide easily (for those unfamiliar), which makes for a good game even for those that have not player or are unfamiliar with the gameplay. See More

Top Con

First chapter does not offer a ton of content

Much of the content in the first chapter are a bunch of training levels that are represented as being done on a set of some kind, giving a feeling of not being real. The problem here is that there is little in the way of giving a feeling of wanting to revisit these training levels, which drastically cuts down on the playable content in this chapter. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Tons of choice

Each episodic level for the game will be basically a big sandbox, allowing the player to complete their task in any way they see fit. This makes for a good game to just play around and test ideas out in as many different scenarios can be played out, even multiple times to best ones time or score. See More

Top Con

Too many unknowns to pay full price

Hitman is an episodic game with only the first chapter released so far. To purchase this single chapter costs only $14.99. For those that want to purchase the future chapters there is a choice to pay $59.99. Being that the other chapters are unreleased, it is difficult to know know what the quality will be or even if they will be completed. Seeing that the gaming industry has had issues in the past with delivering promised content it may be a good idea to wait till everything is released in order to pay the full price that is asked. Luckily by that time the game will also be cheaper. See More

Top Pro

Replayability through escalations, contracts, challenges, and masteries

Once the main level and objective is complete, players can move on to escalation missions or player-created contracts. Escalation missions remix the maps, giving players new targets to complete in the same maps. Paris features 17 escalations, Sapienza has 9, and the other missions have some as well. More are being added all the time. Escalations are unusual in that they feature specific constraints, such as specific uniforms that must be worn, or specific methods of assassination. This increases the difficulty, but it's a great to expand each episode. The player contracts are similar, but this game mode allows the player to choose who their target is and what constraints to put in place, making for an endless list of possibilities in a particular level. Each level also features 20 'Mastery' levels, which unlock tools and insertion locations that expand the way the level can be played. Hitman is a game built to be replayed. See More

Top Con

DRM issues

While playing single player, if the player looses connection to the games servers (through their own internet going down or the servers going down) the game will boot the player back to the start screen, meaning any advancement made in the game will be lost. To see this happen in single player is an issue as there is no need to be constantly connected online for the consumer and is only a detriment to the player if anything goes wrong. This is of course a single player only game, there is no need for it to be always online, especially considering it already uses a different DRM scheme called Denuvo. Being always online means anyone who lives with spotty internet will have trouble with the game. It also means that you do not own the game even after purchasing as when the servers inevitably are shut down this single player game will be unplayable. See More

Top Pro

Interactive environments

More so than previous games in the series, Hitman has many objects in the game that can be tampered or interacted with. But before the player can there is usually a tool that will need to be found that allows this. Which means more time spent in the level trying to find and interact with objects in the environment, which can draw the player in and immerse them. See More

Top Pro

Replayability through escalation missions and player contracts

Once the main level and objective is complete players can then move on to escalation missions or player created contracts. Escalation missions are new objectives given to the player that set them on a path of new people to assassinate. Within that objective will be constraints such as what outfits that need to be worn. This makes for a raised difficulty thanks to the restraints as well as a good way to stretch out each episode, considering there is only one level to play in. The player contracts are similar to this but allow the player to choose who their target is and what constraints to put in place, making for an endless list of possibilities in a particular level. See More

Batman: Arkham City

Top Pro

Immersive world

Due to detail-oriented environments, varied characters and great voice acting, the game can draw you in completely. See More

Top Con

Batman's movements feel stiff

Just as in the first game, Batman's movements when walking around feel very stiff and a bit jerky. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Top Pro

Excellent free-flow combat system

This game's predecessor pioneered a new kind of free-flow combat system that's intuitive, highly responsive and supplemented with power-ups, combos and ability to use gadgets to add variety and depth. See More

Top Pro

It's enjoyable just to traverse the city

The movement system feels fluid, free and exhilarating. See More

Top Pro

Challenge maps and lots of side missions can be used to break up the gameplay

There are quite a lot of side missions players can play to break up the story segments of the game. Even better is that they are still accessible when the main story is completed. See More

Watch Dogs

Top Pro

Limited co-op play

There is co-op offered in Watch Dogs but it is limited to specific points in the game where players can work cooperatively or competitively to complete a task. See More

Top Con

Character is boring and gloomy

The character played in the game has a boring and uninteresting story as well is normally gloomy and downtrodden making it somewhat of a chore playing as such an uninteresting character. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Interactive, hackable city

Throughout the game players can use their in game phone to hack items in the city such as red lights or draw bridges. See More

Top Pro

Fun multiplayer

The multiplayer is a bit like Dark Souls where other players can invade the players world with a twist of them hiding in plain sight while trying to hack the player. See More

ELEX

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Specs

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Top Pro

Mind control mechanic that adds depth to tactics

Players can mind control orcs to call upon them in battle, turning a one-vs-many battle, into a more evenly balanced showdown. You can even use your makeshift allies as fodder, allowing you to sneak up on unsuspecting enemies in the heat of battle and take them out instantly. It's up to you to decide when and how to use the orcs, giving the battles a decent amount of tactical depth. See More

Top Con

Progressing through the storyline can be confusing

While excessive hand-holding in games is bad, you might get lost in this game with no idea what to do next. This is mostly because the game almost never tells you what you should be doing, so it's up to you to find out, which can sometimes result in you aimlessly running around an area for up to an hour. Anyone looking for a more directed experience might not like Shadow of Mordor that much. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Great stealth combat mechanics

In Shadow of Mordor there are various ways you can kill enemies while staying unnoticed. You can simply sneak around by staying low, breaking line of sight behind walls and carts, backstabbing orcs when you sneak up on them. You can climb walls and traverse building roofs, dropping onto unsuspecting orcs while impaling them. You can even use supernatural abilities or wait for nightfall to make you even stealthier. All of this coupled with Shadow of Mordor's very smooth controls, makes being stealthy really enjoyable. See More

Top Con

Unskippable cutscenes interrupt gameplay

Every time an orc leader enters the screen, there is an unskippable cutscene where he rambles a bit, focusing the camera on him and halting combat until the cutscene ends. This usually happens as you're fighting another enemy, potentially disrupting your rhythm, which can be really frustrating, especially if mess up your combo or take an unnecessary hit after the cutscene. See More

Top Pro

Enjoyable preparation element

Bosses in this game have different immunities and weaknesses to in-game skills. For example, a boss can be immune to takedowns, but can also be vulnurable to fire, so it's best to have a flame-infused weapon ready to fight him effectively. This makes preparation very important to succeed, sometimes even requiring you to mix up your playstyle and fighting methods. Because every enemy requires a different approach, it can help the gameplay stay fresh for a longer time. See More

Top Con

Extremely repetitive

The game can begin to feel like a chore after 3 hours. Every area has the same missions, requiring you to unlock towers, kill/dominate that orc, or defend/attack a base. There isn't much change over the course of the game, so it can feel pretty disappointing if you're expecting more variety. See More

Top Pro

Entertaining combat

Shadow of Mordor has very fast-paced combat, allowing you to have exciting fights with groups of orcs. You parry, you counter, you roll, and you slash away at the orcs with your sword. You even have supernatural abilities that give you an edge in a bad situation. For example, after stunning an enemy with Wraith Stun, you can perform a devastating combo that kills the enemy. The same ability can be upgraded to affect every enemy in an area, so it can also be used to escape losing battles or exact justice on all of them. Regardless of your methods, you always feel like the dominant force, which makes it all the more satisfying to ruthlessly skewer helpless orcs. See More

Grand Theft Auto IV

Top Con

Very poor performance

Top Pro

Supports arbitrary framerates

Framerates can even exceed 120 frames per second. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Con

Frequent crashes

Playing the game can lead to crashes at any time, which can ruin the amount of content played if it was not saved as well as just cause a lot of headaches due to fear of being booted at any time. See More

Top Pro

Up to 4 player online co-op

There are multiplayer games built into GTA IV (not the story mode) that have up to 4 online co-op players such as Hangman's Noose or Bomb Da Base. See More

Top Con

GFWL

Games for Windows Live is an abandoned DRM service that is still left inside of some games including GTA IV, it basically means without hacks and workarounds the game is unplayable. See More

Top Pro

Detailed story and world

Grand Theft Auto IV has an extremely detailed world as well as a intriguing and well written story. See More

Top Pro

Cabs

For those that do not want to deal with the inconvenience or danger of driving across town there are now cabs that will take the player to certain waypoints on the map. See More

Top Pro

Social commentary through exaggeration

GTA very smartly critiques many aspects of the modern world through exaggerated situations and plots. See More

Minecraft

Specs

Genre:Indie / Survival / Sandbox

Co-Op:8 Player Online / 4 Player Couch / 8 Player LAN/ Infinite Player Servers

Controller Support:Yes

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