There may be two brand new video game consoles on the horizon for 2020, the Xbox Series X and long-awaited PS5, but PC gaming is still an awesome alternative. If you’re a diehard gamer who painstakingly creates new PC builds every year to tackle the hottest games, then you’ve no doubt been searching for a series of new releases to play while stuck at home.
That’s where we come in. We’ve compiled ten of the hottest new releases on PC worth experiencing, from brutal shooters to lore-heavy RPGs with stories that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. No matter what genre you’re typically into, there’s something here to keep you grinning at your computer desk for the foreseeable future.
So strap in tight, overclock that CPU, and prepare yourself for a delectable buffet of all things PC gaming. These are 10 of the best PC games out there right now.
1. Doom Eternal
What do you take when you combine one of the most influential shooters of all time with modern shooter mechanics and over-the-top gore? You get the brutal Doom Eternal, the sequel to 2016’s excellent Doom reboot. It’s a demanding, thrilling journey into the heart of Hell as you tear demons limb from limb, put your shotgun to good use, and solve puzzles so you can push the demonic presence on Earth back to where it came from. Glory kills offer near-cinematic ways to take out your enemies, while mainstay weapons like the BFG9000 offer nods to the classic games for good measure. All you need to do is shoot first and ask questions later in this gleefully violent must-play adventure, and you’ll be grinning every step of the way.
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2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher series is fantastic from start to finish, but the third installment, Wild Hunt, is where it becomes even more impressive. Follow Geralt, a demon-slaying bounty hunter, throughout a medieval fantasy world as he fells vampires, ghosts, and even massive undead infants. Geralt’s no-nonsense attitude is a character in itself, and you’ll even have the chance to build special relationships with the female characters important to our hero within the story. Satisfying swordplay, addictive storytelling, and varied locales to explore make The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt one of the most exciting journeys you can take on PC right now, and one of CD Projekt RED’s most impressive releases yet.
3. Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is an RPG like no other. From the first moments of the game, you wake up from a drunken stupor in your underpants. You’re hungover, and apparently a police officer, but that’s about all you know. Luckily, your partner Kim Kitsuragi is at your side to get you on track. As one of the greatest detectives around, you must piece together a particular murder, all the while abusing illegal substances, grappling with your self-loathing, and who you want to be in life. It’s a mesmerizing, intriguing adventure that’s unlike any other top-down RPG you’ve ever seen. There’s plenty of reading involved, but that’s part of what gives it so much character. You’ll never forget this game after you play it, that’s for sure.
4. Gears Tactics
Gears of War is an excellent third-person shooter series that got its start as an Xbox exclusive. Now, it’s made the jump to PC beyond the constraints of the genre as a turn-based tactical game with Gears Tactics. This strategy adventure is a prequel to the original Gears of War and finds you working as soldier Gabe Diaz and a ragtag bunch of squadmates to push back the seemingly indomitable Locust horde. Customize your squad and equipment as you take turns advancing toward the enemy as you both engage in gory battles from an isometric perspective. It’s the same Gears you know and love, with just a bit more order to battle. You’ll still be curb-stomping fools with the best of them, though, as you survive some visceral encounters with Gears’ most terrifying Locust enemy types.
5. Half-Life: Alyx
The legendary Half-Life series returns with the latest installment, Half-Life: Alyx. Though this version is VR-only and does require a headset to play, it’s no less of an action-packed journey than the prior Half-Life games, starring iconic character Gordon Freeman. As the name implies, you take on the role of Alyx Vance, another fan-favorite character, as you work to free humanity from the chains of the alien Combine race. In VR, you’ll immerse yourself in a realistic world teeming with puzzle-solving, intense shootouts, and realistic movement that you can pull off with your VR setup’s motion controllers, from tossing bottles through windows to ripping headcrabs from your face and throwing them straight into the trash. It may not be Half-Life 3, but it’s the next best thing.
6. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Medieval settings in games may be a dime a dozen, but the Mount & Blade series takes it all to the next level. Set 200 years ahead of its predecessor Mount & Blade: Warband, it allows players to take on the role of an adventurer making their way across the countryside of Calradia. Along the way, they must take part in a variety of melee battles with axes, bows, and several other weapons. These battles culminate in bloodbaths as enemies enter rag-doll death animations. Think of it as a Game of Thrones-esque battle sim that also lets players live the medieval lifestyle, including heading to taverns, riding on horseback, and taking part in a feudal economy. It’s a blast from the past in all the best ways.
7. Red Dead Redemption II
This epic Rockstar Games cinematic adventure takes players back to the world of the Wild West, where the Van der Linde Gang is working to make a name for themselves by robbing stagecoaches and trains. Join Arthur Morgan, a member of the gang, as he works alongside leader Dutch to make ends meet while the world as they know it slowly begins to change. More than playing an action game, it’s much like watching a movie, much like Rockstar Games’ fantastic Grand Theft Auto series. And while it’s primarily a single-player affair, you can create and customize your own cowboy to take the adventure online with Red Dead Online. You’ll be rustling up some fun every time you sign on.
8. Rocket League
Do you love cars? What about soccer? Stay with us. What if you combined the two? You’d get the fantastic Rocket League, a multiplayer game where opposing teams take to their souped-up rocket cars and work to put a massive ball into the other team (or opponent’s) goal. It’s as crazy as it sounds, with physics-driven controls and fluid vehicular combat that turns your car into a goalie as you try and keep other cars from driving the ball into your goal. Outfit your ride with fun toppers and turbo boosts as well as a cool paint job, then get out there on the field and turn heads while you score.
9. Resident Evil 3
Resident Evil 3 recently had the same ground-up remake treatment as the first two games of the classic survival horror series, and with fantastic results. When classic survival horror and modern gaming elements collide, you can expect a terrifying adventure that follows protagonist Jill Valentine as she makes her way through the zombie-laden Raccoon City, the massive Nemesis on her tail the entire time. This PlayStation original features additional dialogue, new areas, and character designs that offer a brand new way to see the horror mainstay. It’s a totally new affair for fans of the series, and its PC version has plenty of fun mods to tinker with, if that’s your thing. The vanilla version is exciting as it is, and we wholeheartedly recommend it.
10. Bleeding Edge
Bleeding Edge is the latest online multiplayer shooter to join what feels like a never-ending cavalcade of such. But it’s not just a run-of-the-mill military affair where you call in airstrikes and UAVs. You get to choose between 12 different characters with a wide selection of strange and interesting abilities. Choose the gothic Nidhoggr to wail on his guitar and send enemies flying, or Buttercup, who nails enemies via motorcycle. If you’re into hero shooters and Overwatch is wearing a bit thin, Bleeding Edge should be your next choice.
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