Best PC games: The top FPS, RTS, MMO, MOBA, adventure and sports games to play

PC gaming still exists, don’t you know. In a console-dominated world, you might think the concept of playing a game at your desk is a distant memory, but that’s certainly not the case. Oh no, PC gaming is as big as it’s ever been, and there’s a fantastic selection of games to choose from in 2019.

From the phenomenon that is PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds to long-running titles such as Battlefield, there’s no better time to fire up that dusty old PC.

After heated debates in the Expert Reviews office, we’ve compiled a shortlist of our favourite PC games that 2019 has to offer, covering all genres and tastes. This guide is regularly being updated, so check back often to see if the latest game makes the list.

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Best FPS games: The best shooter games of 2019

1. Apex Legends – Get it for free on Origin

Taking its inspiration from PUBG and Fortnite, this free-to-play battle royal game has grown in popularity; within a week after its release, it achieved over 25 million downloads. What’s all the fuss about? The game brings fun, visually appealing first-person gameplay that integrates a team-based element into the battle royale scene. Unlike its rivals, Apex Legends isn’t simply based on camping; it’s fast-paced, action-packed and rewards team play. Better still, it’s completely free: you’ve got nothing to lose other than a few lost gigabytes on your storage drive. Go out there and be victorious.

Get it for free on Origin

2. Fortnite – Get Fornite Battle Royale free

Okay, not quite a first-person shooter, but this third-person shooter is action-packed and has taken off like a glider – pun intended. Fortnite is a cartoonish Battle Royale shooter, where your aim is to survive for as long as possible. The ultimate goal is to be the last person (or team) standing among 100 other players.

Get Fornite Battle Royale free

3. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Buy now on Amazon

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – or PUBG for short – is a Battle Royale-style multiplayer shooter. Like Fortnite, you’re plonked on an island and pitted against one another in a fight to the death. Last man (or team) standing wins. It’s simple, easy enough to pick up and play with friends, and facilitates plenty of nail-biting shootouts.

4. Overwatch – Buy now on Amazon

In the same vein as the classic multiplayer shooter Team Fortress 2 and just as addictive, Overwatch is one of the most compelling games out there. You’ll be spending most of your free time on it, playing one round after another. With a unique roster of playable characters and classes, Overwatch is another example of Blizzard’s wonderful work, and one of the best competitive shooters we’ve seen in recent years.

5. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

CS:GO is the biggest eSports FPS game there has ever been. This incredibly complex shooter takes a lot of skill and isn’t for the faint-hearted. With a steep learning curve and the utmost importance of having the fastest monitor, best mouse and graphics card, there’s more to CS:GO than meets the eye. It’s not the most visually appealing game, but if you want to test your reactions and climb the ranks, CS:GO should be your go-to game.

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

6. Battlefield 1 – Buy now on Amazon

Battlefield 1 first came out in late 2016 and was a major success. A few years on and the game is still one of the most popular games and one we’d pick over the newer Battlefield V. This first-person shooter game is themed around World War I, so, expect early 20th-century guns, aircraft and tanks. Available in both single-player and multiplayer modes, the game can be played without an internet connection. However, Battlefield games have always been centred around the vast multiplayer elements, and playing a 64-man map is absolutely incredible. Get on the Battlefield, soldier!

7. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, also known as ‘R6’ is a tactical shooter. A popular eSports title, the game requires a lot of patience and timing. Effectively you’re either defending or attacking a point, where you have to perform a ‘Siege’. The game sounds easy on paper, but in practice is a lot more challenging – if you think you’ve got what it takes to be a special operator, then you should dive into R6.

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

8. Doom – Buy now on Amazon

Bethesda had a pretty difficult job re-imagining 1993’s DOOM – but it managed a cracking job at harking back to one of the pioneers of the shooter genre. Sure, there’s not much in the way of a plot, but the combat mechanics are so finely tuned that it makes for one of the most exhilarating experiences on PC. We can’t say much for the multiplayer – it doesn’t quite live up to the original – so it’s best to stick to the lengthy single-player, filled with classic baddies and high-paced shooter combat. Oh, and the soundtrack is awesome too.

Best adventure and role-playing games: The best games for exploring and solving puzzles in 2019

1. Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5) – Buy now on Amazon

A strategy/open-world game section wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of the GTA series. GTA 5 (or V) is one of the best games Rockstar has ever made, and it’s among one of the most popular, too. Released in 2015, this game is still going strong with new online modes and editions still being launched. If you’re looking to complete quests or simply ride around with your crew, there’s no better game than GTA 5.

2. Middle Earth: Shadow of War – Buy now on Amazon

Lord of the Rings is hot right now. With the announcement that a TV show is on the way, there’s no better time to revisit Tolkien’s lovingly-crafted world, so it’s a good thing that there’s a great Middle Earth game to explore. Strengthening its predecessor’s Nemesis system, which saw you offing orcs and disrupting the military hierarchy, Middle Earth: Shadow of War is one of the deepest, richest open-world action games you’ll play all year.

3. Assassin’s Creed: Origins – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

If you liked the original Assassin’s Creed games, then you’ll absolutely love the latest instalment from Ubisoft. Origins is set in Egypt between 49-47 BC and touches on real events from the period. It borrows excellently from a raft of other open-world games, and boasts strong writing with a charismatic main character (something lacking in recent entries to the series).

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

4. Destiny 2: Forsaken – Buy now from CDKeys.com

Destiny 2 came out in September 2017 and was a success upon its first release, but in 2018, the role-playing first-person MMO game got a massive refresh; that’s thanks to the game’s huge expansion pack, Forsaken, which adds a new storyline and more explorable areas. Some game critics deem it as the missing key that was missing from the original game. So, if you love exploring, shooting, levelling up and want to raid bosses with people online – there’s no better game than Destiny 2, especially with the Forsaken expansion pack thrown into the mix.

Buy now from CDKeys.com

5. Subnautica – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

Now that it’s – finally – crawled out of early access, Subnautica has made it onto our list of 2019’s best PC games. Subnautica is, essentially, an open-ended survival game which sees you crash landing on an alien ocean planet, with just a few basic materials to get you started. It’s a massive open world, brimming with alien life and dangers around every corner, forcing you to scavenge and craft all sorts of devices and gadgets to help you stay alive as long as possible. Think Minecraft with lots of sea ghoulies and you’ll get the right idea.

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

6. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – Buy now on Amazon

Resident Evil 7 is a welcome return to form, harking back to the series’ long-standing horror roots. It’s played entirely in first-person (perfect for jump scares) inside a creepy house with some grotesque residents. It’s genuinely terrifying, and one of the best-looking horror games out there, which certainly doesn’t help with excessive heart rates.

7. Minecraft – Buy now on Amazon

Minecraft is a massive sandbox game that allows you to create and build anything your heart desires. To create your perfect world, you have materials you’ll need to mine or create. When the night sets in, zombies try to attack you – here you’ll fend them off by staying indoors or defending yourself with weapons you’ve created in-game. It’s the second-most popular game of all-time, second only to Tetris.

8. Divinity: Original Sin II – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

Divinity: Original Sin II is considered to be one of the best role-playing games of its era. The game is made so that you can play solo, or with up to three real-world players. At the very start, you’re given the choice to pick a character, which affects the story you’ll be thrown into. Here, your selected character impacts the relationships you have with certain NPCs, your base stats and abilities also vary greatly.

It’s an excellent game, and given the wide complexity and different paths you can take, it makes it one of the best RPG games to play in 2019.

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

9. Minit – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

Picture the life of a Mayfly, which lives for 24hrs – this game is somewhat similar. Each little adventure you undertake is played sixty seconds at a time, and you’ll need to build on previous lives to try and lift a curse. It’s a short-lived game, but at only £6.99 it’s well worth the investment.

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

10. The Sims 4 – Buy now on CDKeys.com

Remember when you were young, and you spent hours behind the computer making a house, making sure your family was alive and kicking? The Sims is an all-time classic life simulator. The latest version of the game, The Sims 4, was released in 2014. In 2019, it’s still a popular game, with EA, the developers, periodically releasing new expansions for it. The latest adds toddler life and allows you to shape the life of a child to a teenager. Brilliant.

Buy now on CDKeys.com

11. Oxygen Not Included – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

Oxygen Not Included is a survival simulation game, which puts you in control of three colonists on an astroid. The aim of the game is to keep your crew alive by digging different areas in hope to find better resources and more oxygen; see it as a cross between the Sims and Starcraft. It’s a fun, yet tactical game that’ll keep you entertained for hours on end.

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

Best RTS games: The best strategy and MOBA games of 2019

1. Dota 2 – Get Dota 2 Free

Dota 2 is among the biggest game of MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) history. Its competitive nature spearheaded the game into the eSports leagues, where it quickly became one of the most illustrious games the scene has ever seen. The International is DOTA 2’s headline event – the 2017 Major attracted just shy of $25 million. You read that right.

But it isn’t all about the competitive scene, as with a free-to-play model, the game can be downloaded and played by anyone.

Get Dota 2 Free

2. League of Legends – Get LoL Free

League of Legends (LoL), is among the most popular MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games. It has an active competitive scene (LCS), which makes it a fun game to play and go through the ranks. This 3D game consists of different champions that all have their different roles – from a Marksman to a Support. You then face off your opponent in an epic fight to conquer the map.

Get LoL Free

3. Total War: Warhammer II – Buy now on Game

For those who are familiar with the Total War series, and yes that includes the legendary 2004 classic – Rome: Total War. You’ll be pleased to know the game series has combined with Warhammer to bring us an epic encounter. The super detailed, ultra-tactical but yet fun RTS is among the very best out there. If you’re a fan of RTS games and want to see those Warhammer figures in action, you have to get this game.

Buy now on Game

4. XCOM 2 – Buy now on Amazon

Another brutally difficult game on this list, XCOM 2 plays like a top-down board game, except with more death and destruction. A little unpolished at release, XCOM 2 has seen some love since, and is one of the best strategy games out there. Expect to blow up plenty of aliens, but also see your fair share of loss. My advice: don’t name your characters, it only makes it worse when they inevitably kick the bucket.

5. Hearthstone – Play for free

This turned-based card game is quite the game. Originally made for World of Warcraft, under the name of WoW TCG, the game became a hit and got a release of its own. The game is free to play and involves playing with a deck of card. The objective is to defeat your opponent by outplaying them with your cards. Seems simple, but it isn’t – this game becomes very, very competitive.

Play for free

6. Jurassic World Evolution – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

If you ever were a fan of business simulator games such as RollerCoaster Tycoon, then you’ll love Jurassic World Evolution. Based on the 2015 film, the game allows you to construct and create your very own dinosaur theme park – I mean, who doesn’t love extinct creatures eating unhappy customers? It’s a fun blend of creating your business and having dinosaurs running around in your theme park.

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

Best sports games: The best racing and football games of 2019

1. FIFA 18 – Buy now on Amazon

Everyone has a memory of FIFA, whether its playing in student bedsit or arguing over teams with your brothers and sisters. FIFA 18 comes with a single-player story mode as well as some of the best attacking seen yet in the series. There are all your favourite teams in there, too, including legends – I’m looking at you, Ronaldinho.

2. Rocket League – Buy now on Amazon

Rocket League isn’t strictly a sports games, but it combines racing and football into one – what isn’t there to love? You drive your tiny car to a ball and compete against your rivals; highest scoring team wins. Simple.

3. Forza Motorsport 7 – Buy now on Microsoft

Forza is a complex racing game that features over 700 different cars, from old to new, ultra-fast to big trucks. There are countless tracks to race on, too, all of which are beautifully presented and can be enjoyed in a glorious resolution. This game has it all. So, if you’re into racing games, there are few better than Forza 7.

Buy now on Microsoft

4. Project Cars 2 – Buy now on Amazon

Project Cars 2 is a gorgeous racing simulator. From stunning graphics to realistic scenarios, the game is one of the best racing simulator out there. It’s not for the faint-hearted and much like Forza 7 has a good array of customisation. It won’t provide the huge breadth of cars that its rivals offer, but for the 140 odd cars that are in the game, you’ll find it to be an ultra-realistic experience.

5. DiRT Rally – Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

Despite having come out in 2015, DiRT Rally is still one of the all-time best racing games – especially if you’re into WRC or anything offroad. This game isn’t for the faint-hearted, it involves taking care of your car, and enduring a gruelling race track. Better still, as it’s on PC, there’s now a PC modding scene (isn’t there always?). This allows you to change the car’s skins and even change the weather conditions – pretty cool.

Grab a Steam Wallet Top-up from Currys

5. F1 2019 – Buy now on Amazon

If you’re into racing games and love watching Formula 1, this game is perfect for you. Codemasters, the developers have been making the F1 games for some time now. The 2019 iteration of the game builds on its predecessors’ success. From realism to the career mode, this game has it all. It also has a multiplayer element, that pits you up against people from your region. Better still, if you get ultra-competitive and can take it to another level, as this game is used by professional F1 and eSports drivers – no pressure.